Saturday, June 7, 2008

Hold the taps, deliver parents vouchers

It was news hot off the press the past two weeks – low performing schools are shut down by Education Commissioner Robert Scott. Thanks, Commissioner. It’s about time.

We saw teachers and students shocked the last day of school at Johnson High School in Austin Independent School District and Sam Houston High School in Houston ISD met the same fate just this week.

No need for taps.

Our students deserve better than being relegated to failing schools.

When a school fails to perform, it should be shut down. Our tax dollars and our children deserve schools which provide students with opportunity. Yet as these students and teachers disperse, wouldn't it make sense to give the parents the opportunity to determine where their children have the greatest opportunity to succeed? Shouldn't these students get a voucher which they can take to any public or private school their parents choose?

It's time we stop rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic and think outside the box. It's time we enact parental choice in educating children.

When the dollars follow the child, we will be funding education, not educational institutions which may perform poorly for years before finally being closed.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I believe it was Johnston High School. Johnson High is still open.