Government “services,” especially the public school systems, are mediocre or worse.

Andrew J. Rotherham gives a far more balanced presentation regarding teacher unions and teacher contracts and their influence on education. Go to:
http://www.annenberginstitute.org/CB/pdf/Conference_Report.pdf

It is becoming typical for voucher supporters to spend time blaming teacher unions or public schools in order to make a scapegoat to sacrifice on their altar of skewed statistics. It often destroys the credibility they so wish for because they come across with such petty attacks. They may be awash in data and statistics when discussing vouchers but they are found wanting when empirical evidence is needed about teacher unions.

I think E.D. Hirsch makes the clearest and sanest statement about school choice when he says “….the real way is to improve all the schools, and then you have real choice, obviously.”

Tim: Perhaps you were out sick that day.

“Vikki Reyes has had it with Locke High, the school her daughters attend in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. She walked in on class one day and recalls “the place was just like a zoo!” Students had taken control, while the teacher sat quietly with a book.

Frank Wells has also had it with Locke High. When he became principal he says gangs ruled the campus. He tried to turn things around but ran into a “brick wall” of resistance from the school district and teachers union.

Locke seemed destined to languish in high crime and low test scores until Wells, Reyes, and many reform-minded teachers joined with a maverick named Steve Barr in an attempt to break free from the status quo. Their battle is just one example of the charter school education revolt that’s erupting across the nation.”