British Comedy makes a point....


Obama vs McCain
Obama Tells Teachers Union He Opposes Vouchers-"Elizabeth Green of The New York Sun reports: Senator Obama is saying decisively that he does not support private school vouchers, while sticking with his support for incentive pay for teachers based on their students’ performance. Mr. Obama made the remarks yesterday in a telecast speech to the American Federation of Teachers’ national convention in Chicago after the union voted overwhelmingly to endorse his presidential bid. Via Rick Garnett"
Obama Flip-Flops on D.C. School Voucher Program - Now Intends to Squash it-"A landmark education program that provides opportunity to hundreds of families in the nation's capital to attend private schools is being opposed by Democrats in Congress. Barack Obama told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel in February that he was open to voucher programs, but just last week announced his intentions to squash the DC pilot program. "Barack Obama prefers private education for his daughters but won't give DC parents the same opportunity," said Brian Burch, President of Fidelis, a Catholic-based political, legal, research and educational organization. "Vouchers are Change," he continued. "Rather than subjecting kids to rotting schools, vouchers have brought change to hundreds of families, who opted for private or parochial schools. If Barack Obama had fought for this program, it would be saved. But he refuses to help these low-income families. By supporting the teachers union, he sadly has become the Status Quo Candidate on education." Back in February, it looked like Barack Obama would be willing to back the teachers union and support the voucher program. The Illinois Senator told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: "If there was any argument for vouchers, it was 'Alright, let's see if this experiment works,' and if it does, then whatever my preconceptions, my attitude is you do what works for the kids," the senator said. "I will not allow my predispositions to stand in the way of making sure that our kids can learn. We're losing several generations of kids and something has to be done." But by June, the teachers lobby convinced Obama to work against the program.
Obama Jabs McCain for Supporting School Vouchers-"Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama told a gathering of public school teachers he opposes school vouchers in contrast to Republican Sen. John McCain. On Sunday, Obama spoke to the American Federation of Teachers, via satellite, after the union of 1.4 million teachers and other public school staff endorsed the Illinois senator for president. Obama pledged he was against vouchers to send children to private schools. “His only proposal seems to be recycling tired rhetoric about vouchers and school choice,” Obama said of McCain. “Now, I’ve been a proponent of public school choice throughout my career. … We know well-designed public charter schools have a lot to offer, and I’ve actually helped pass legislation to expand them. “But what I do oppose is using public money for private school vouchers. We need to focus on fixing and improving our public schools, not throwing our hands up and walking away from them,” Obama added. (See Full Speech)...School choice has not been a major issue debated in this year’s presidential race. However, McCain, an Arizona senator, brought up the issue last week when speaking to the League of United Latin American Citizens convention. “The civil rights challenge of our time is education,” McCain said. “We need to shake up failed school bureaucracies with competition. … We need to empower parents with choice.” (See Previous Story) McCain’s campaign Web site says, “If a school will not change, the students should be able to change schools. John McCain believes parents should be empowered with school choice to send their children to the school that can best educate them just as many members of Congress do with their own children."
Charter Schools Rising
Across the Nation, Charter Schools Are Surging-"There has been a bumper crop of charter school stories this graduation season. What's more, the articles have been largely positive, a sign that these independently managed public schools are gaining popularity. In Greenfield, Massachusetts, the first graduating class at Four Rivers Public Charter School--26 strong--celebrated the fact that six years ago they had gathered as seventh graders, along with their parents, on an overgrown field. Their school hadn't even been built yet. They took a leap of faith and fashioned a new school together. A start-up success story on a larger scale comes from New Orleans, where charter schools have brought an entrepreneurial spirit to education restoration in a city devastated by Hurricane Katrina three years ago. Charters now handle 53 percent of the city's post-hurricane enrollment; pre-Katrina, they had just 2 percent..."-Ample more a must read.
Florida and Lousiana

Florida: Home schooling grows by 80 percent in state in past decade-"TCPalm reports: “For the 2007-08 school year, the Florida Department of Education estimated 56,650 students were home schooled, compared with 31,440 students in 1997-98 — an 80 percent increase.”
Good News: School Choice Expands in Florida, Louisiana-"Florida’s governor has signed a sweeping $30 million expansion of the state’s popular scholarship program that will create educational opportunities for 6,000 more kids....In Louisiana, the school-choice legislation now has the governor’s signature. Campanella said the effort has widespread support. “The bill was sponsored by a Democrat in the Senate and a Democrat in the House," he said, "and it was signed by a Republican governor.”

New York

Good News: New York City Adds 18 Charter Schools-"New York City will open 18 charter schools in September, bringing the number of charter schools in the city to 78. The schools are part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's efforts to improve the city's education system. Students in charter schools typically score higher on standardized reading and math tests than those in traditional public schools. Bloomberg said charters can help other schools improve. "I can tell you," Bloomberg said at a news conference, "one of the reasons that the public schools in the city have gotten better is because the charter schools exist and give parents an alternative and let parents see that you can do something better.” Bloomberg has promised to open at least 100 charter schools before the end of 2009. Charters receive public money but are run independently."
Homeschooling advocate: public schools all about the Benjamins-"A home-schooling advocate says a recent case in which half the students in a big city school district failed a test after being provided the answers is just more proof that U.S. public schools have failed miserably at educating students. The school district of Rochester, New York, provided students and teachers with the questions and answers for a required test for seventh- and eighth-graders. The test covered four subjects: English, math, science, and social studies. Not only did the district deny that there was anything wrong with providing students with the answer key -- but half the students failed the test anyway...The home-schooling advoccate accuses the public schools of bleeding the taxpayers dry, and crippling families financially through property taxes. At the same time, he adds, they are failing to educate children, and are indoctrinating them with various kinds of leftist ideology regarding homosexuality, the environment, economics, and gender roles."

Ohio

Study: Vouchers improve education-"Ohio’s private-school voucher program isn’t just great for the students who use it, a new study asserts, but it’s actually made public schools better. It was the first sizable study of the statewide voucher program, now in its third year. A state group that includes leaders of Ohio’s primary, secondary and college systems was required by law to study it, but it has not been done . . ."
New Orleans
New Orleans: 1,250 families apply for private school vouchers-"The Times-Picayune reports: “About 1,250 families have applied for the state’s first school voucher program, seeking mainly to enroll children in kindergarten classes in Orleans and Jefferson parishes’ private and parochial schools, state education officials said Saturday.”
California
24 percent of Calif high school students drop out-"Mercury News reports: “More than 24 percent of California public high school students dropped out in the 2006-07 school year, according to figures released Wednesday by the state Department of Education . . . The data was compiled from a newly implemented tracking system that issues each student an identifier number.”
Philadelphia
Student Gains in Privately Managed Philadelphia Schools - Nearly Double Those in District Schools-"EdNews.org reports: School test scores recently released by the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment reveal that schools partnering with private education management organizations (EMO’s) – including EdisonLearning - showed greater gains in student achievement than the schools operated by the Philadelphia School District . . ."
Phila. sees surge in “persistently dangerous” schools-"The Philadelphia Inquirer reports:
A surging number of Philadelphia schools have been labeled “persistently dangerous” - so unsafe that parents have a right to send their children elsewhere. The new list, released yesterday by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, shows a 67 percent increase in schools deemed persistently dangerous, a designation under the federal No Child Left Behind law."
Texas
Bible class allowed in TX public schools-"A major victory has been won for those who want elective Bible courses taught in Texas public schools. The Texas Attorney General's office said the guidelines for new elective Bible courses are constitutional. A state law passed last year allows school districts to offer high school courses on the Old and New Testaments and their impact on culture and society."
Arizona

Dr Voddie on education

Political Video Commentary from early August
Insights on Election 2008-Interesting commentary from early August. I have enjoyed Bishop Harry Jackson who is a democrat!!! I hope others will pay close attention to this African American democrat.
Bush vs Obama in Comedy