Comments on: McCain and Obama Agree: Competition Good for Education

By: Pajamas Media » Candidates Can’t Stop Flip-Flopping on Education

Pajamas Media » Candidates Can’t Stop Flip-Flopping on Education — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 09:25:29 +0000

[...] that competition arising from parental choice improves schools. In the last presidential debate, he said: “I doubled the number of charter schools in Illinois despite some reservations from [...]

By: delia armstrong busby

delia armstrong busby — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:45:36 +0000

The issue of choice really tracks back to the issue of de facto segregation. The trapping of children in inferior schools because of the history of separate and unequal educational opportunities and choices.
The contemporary conversation has taken on the verbage of the times, but the historic reference is older than the Brown case and the battle fought and won by Thurgood Marshal.
To actualized the promise of America, all children should have the chance for the best possible educational environment.

By: Overseas, private schools boost publics at Joanne Jacobs

Overseas, private schools boost publics at Joanne Jacobs — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 20:10:22 +0000

[...] Obama and McCain came out for competition in education in the final debate, Jay Greene points [...]

By: Greg Forster

Greg Forster — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 21:56:35 +0000

For a long time, the whole idea that competition will improve education was dismissed as crazy right-wing ideology. That’s going to be a lot harder to say now; we just quote Obama and ask if he’s a crazy right-winger.

By: Jay P. Greene

Jay P. Greene — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:30:46 +0000

Even if Obama does not act on what he is saying, the fact that he is saying it is important. It shows that Dems can disagree (even if only rhetorically) with the teacher unions on core issues. If Dems keep saying, eventually one of them may actually do it.

By: matthewladner

matthewladner — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:25:05 +0000

Michael- why would competition from charter schools be good, but private schools bad?

Larry- there are some who claim that Obama is strong enough to be independent from the education unions. I hope they are right, but I’ll believe it when I see it.

By: Larry Bernstein

Larry Bernstein — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 04:12:46 +0000

Don’t hold your breath. I doubt an Obama administration would use its political capital to push school choice. It was cheap rhetoric from a candidate who will be beholden to the teachers’ unions.

By: michael mazenko

michael mazenko — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:37:01 +0000

The advancement of the charter schools concept is a good idea, and it’s far more effective than blanket voucher programs that in many worsen existing schools who lose a percentage of motivated students. Another idea that makes a lot of sense, and is not so drastic, is simply to create policies of open enrollment, like there is in Colorado. If you can get to a school, and they have room, you can go to it. Makes a lot of sense. Ultimately, that leaves support for schools to improve themselves, though some will close as several in the Denver Public School system have done.

By: Chris Walker

Chris Walker — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:49:00 +0000

Sounds like those market-oriented think tanks have some competition to deal with.