A Back to School Choice Week 2014 roundup

August 22, 2014 | By JOSHUA THOMPSON

A big thank you to all who helped get the message out about school choice this week.  A number of you shared our blog posts, listened to the podcast, and kept up with us on Facebook.  As I said at the beginning of this week, PLF is committed to giving all parents and students a meaningful choice in education.  In case you missed anything, here’s a quick round-up of everything we did to celebrate Back to School Choice Week 2014.

On Monday, I provided an update on a a number of the cases we highlighted in Back to School Choice Week 2013. In addition, PLF Grant Writer Ashley Indrieri gave a mother’s perspective on school choice.

On Tuesday, Jonathan Wood explained how school choice saves taxpayers money.  In his post he highlighted a tax credit program that PLF is supporting in Alabama. Later in the week Jonathan could be found discussing the benefits of school choice on the radio.

On Wednesday, Meriem Hubbard wrote about Washington’s new charter school law, and the lawsuit brought by the teachers’ union to stop it.  PLF will be filing a brief in that case later this month.  Anastasia Boden explained how government is trying to adopt a one-size-fits-model for preschool education.

Yesterday, Mark Miller blogged about an exciting new school choice law in Florida that helps children with disabilities. Unsurprisingly, the teachers’ union is fighting to kill that law which will prevent disabled kids from having a choice in their education. Jonathan Williams posted on the crises faced by families in San Francisco where the less wealthy lack meaningful education choices.

And today, Ralph Kasarda wrote about another new exciting school choice law in North Carolina. He explained how vouchers give poor minority students the opportunity to escape failing schools. Sadly, the teachers’ union is fighting that law as well.

I had anticipated writing today about some of the new school choice cases that PLF has undertaken this year, but it appears my colleagues have mostly covered it.  There is one other case out of Colorado where PLF is supporting Douglas County’s efforts to give students meaningful education options.  That case is very important, because it is the first time that a school district has ventured out on its own to enact a private school choice program.  [Usually it is the Legislature or voters that enact choice programs.] You can read more about the Colorado case and PLF’s involvement here.

That’s it for School Choice Week 2014.  Please help spread the word about school choice, so that this time next year, we can talk about the many additional PLF school choice victories, and the many new and exciting laws that give parents and students true educational options.