Parent “choice” is not parent voice
by pureparents
Parents Across America’s Response to Testimony before the House Education and the Workforce Committee
Hearing held May 16, 2012
“Exploring State Success in Expanding Parent and Student Options”
Yesterday, a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing which was promoted as a discussion on “state efforts to expand parental engagement.”
However, the title of the actual hearing (see heading above) and the testimony of three of the four invited speakers, made it clear that the leadership defines parent engagement solely as parental choice.
In his opening comments, subcommittee chair Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) essentially equated parental empowerment with expanded charter schools, parent trigger laws, and
PAA’s Sharon Higgins on 60 Minutes Gulen Charter Schools report
by pureparents
My response to 60 Minutes’ piece on the Gulen Movement
Those of us who have been aware of the Gulen movement’s stealth involvement in an enormous network of publicly-funded charter schools are pleased that CBS News finally gave the situation wide national coverage. However, the 60 Minutes segment broadcast last Sunday, May 13, left out a number of important things. [NOTE: They (and you!) should be following @CASILIPS on Twitter.]
What 60 Minutes omitted
60 Minutes should have independently verified the Harmony administrator’s claim that the chain has a waiting list of ~30,000 students. Unless such numbers can be independently verified, the waiting list figures offered by charter schools are hearsay and should be viewed as a marketing strategy.
60 Minutes should have mentioned that Gulenists are Creationists. Especially since the
