Democrats usually bow before the NEA and espouse the greatness that can be found in governmentment schools, if they had just a little more money. But now there is a movment on the Democrats side for education reform. And It’s about time:
On November 19, the group held an event in which U.S. Representative James Clyburn (D-SC) stressed the importance of parental choice and innovation in education. Clyburn, the House Majority Whip and the highest-ranking African-American in Congress, supports both charter schools and tax credits for middle-class families.
At an earlier event held by the group, Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. discussed “alarming dropout rates†and the dangers of a “monopoly†filled with failing schools. “We must explore options,†he said. “Every option for every American child so that every child might have the high-quality education they deserve in their lifetime…We need more competition in the system.â€
Finally, the Democrats are starting to come around. It’s no surprise that it is being started by two black representatives. On average, black Americans support the idea of school choice:
The NAACP needs to listen more to the African-American community. A 2002 public opinion poll, conducted by the Joint Center for Political Economic Studies (based in Washington, DC.) showed 57 percent of African-Americans support school choice. More importantly, 67 per cent of Black households with children and 70 per cent of African-Americans ages 26-35 are school choice supporters.
Hopefully this will be something that takes off.
