A panel on education reform was held at CPAC Chicago. The panelists were:
- Elizabeth Burke, Will Skillman Fellow in Education, The Heritage Foundation
- J.C. Huizenga, Founder, National Heritage Academies
- Kyle Olson, Publisher, Founder and CEO, Education Action Group Foundation
- Joy Pullman, Managing Editor, School Reform News, Heartland Institute
- Moderator: Collin Hitt, Senior Director of Government Affairs, Illinois Policy Institute
Joy Pullman, Managing Editor, School Reform News, Heartland Institute
- Lake Woebegone effect in education. Schools in general rated poorly, but each local school is rated higher.
- Polls show disconnect, they think they are better and much cheaper than they actually are.
- We spend more than any other industrialized nation except Switzerland, but are 25th in rankings.
- No matter how well meaning, teachers & parents do not have all the information into what each child needs 4…
- Teachers cannot replace the parent
- Returning control to parents is the best way to fix educational outcomes.
- Empowering parents brings motivation and overcomes education bureaucracy.
- Love pushes parents 2 find the best education 4 their child. This isn’t the case 4 systemic education bureaucracy
Kyle Olson, Publisher, Founder and CEO, Education Action Group Foundation
- Watching the fights over education in WI, MI, etc. They are all over adult issues and the children get left behind.
- Fight in WI was all about public union power.
- Fight is moving from WI to Chicago.
- Karen Lewis knows what the adults in CPS want, but not what the children needs.
- One of the most offensive statements in education, “Some kids can’t learn”
- All Kids can learn with the right atmosphere
- Noble Street is proving these kids can learn.
- Lewis and other union leaders are oblivious to what is going on in their communities.
- Figure out where we are spending the money before we just give more money.
- Philladelphia – $2.6 million fund to provide PERSONAL legal services.
- Seeing across the country, government schools are working for the adults and not the children.
- Expand choice, increase transparency, bring accountability, end tenure.
J.C. Huizenga, Founder, National Heritage Academies
- NHA has 74 schools in 9 states. 3 Prep Schools now for High Scool. 1st graduation tonight in Michigan
- Teach Michigan is the reason they have charter schools in MI.
- 1st school started in 1995.
- Rank teachers on student proficiency and increase in student proficiency.
- “In god we Trust, All others must bring data”
- 73% nationally, particularly in urban areas, Bronx, Detroit, LA, etc.
- Parental Partnership – effective education happens better with parent/school involvement
- Morality taught with 4 Cardinal virtues.
The cardinal virtues are a set of four virtues recognized in the writings of Classical Antiquity and in Christian tradition. These consist of:
Prudence - able to judge between actions with regard to appropriate actions at a given time
Justice - proper moderation between self-interest and the rights and needs of others
Temperance or Restraint – practicing self-control, abstention, and moderation
Fortitude or Courage – forbearance, endurance, and ability to confront fear and uncertainty, or intimidation- Stress student self responsibility
- Education is not about jobs for adults. It’s about children and their education.
Elizabeth Burke, Will Skillman Fellow in Education, The Heritage Foundation
- Competition lowers costs.
- 150 federal agencies have duplicative roles in education.
- Obama Admin pushing National Curriculum
- States are innovating. AZ started Education Savings Account.
- LA went big on school choice. 100% of schools in NO are now in the school of their choice.
- Evidence proves school choice increases outcomes for ALL children.
- DC Opportunity project has been a life line for poor children.
- Common Sense reforms needed over bloated gov’t intervention.
Colin Hitt: Thanks Burke for her work @Heritage because the DC Opportunity choice progams actually saved lives.
About Lennie Jarratt
