Where the Governors Stand on Choice

By dianeravitch

November 10, 2018 //

EdChoice, once known as the Milton and Rose Friedman Foundation, is a huge supporter of vouchers.

It has rated the governors according to where they stand on private school choice (vouchers).

Categories Vouchers

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IRA SHOR says:

November 10, 2018 at 2:21 pm

For the most part, Democrats are “tail-enders,” riding the tail of whatever dragon seems to be the moving force. The great asset of Democrats is Donald Trump, who makes them all look good, even skunks like Cuomo, the king of DINOs. So, with the recent election suggesting a shift against Trump, DINOs are fudging and sludging to keep themselves in the mix for 2020, a cynical move for sure, but this modest shift is the result of the strong opposition to privatization and testing raised by parents at the local level and by stalwart advocates nationally, like Diane, a national hero. The two teacher unions and their leaders have been MIA, refusing to organize their millions of members for a hell of a fight against the war on public education, very sorry spectacle of teachers having to wildcat on their own to get some respect, abandoned by their supposed leaders. This will stay the same as long as the teacher unions continue to be run by Deomcratic insiders who cherish their seats at the table more than their responsibility to militantly defend schools, teachers, students and communities, so parents and teachers have no choice but to continue filling the vacuum left by somnolent teacher unions, and along with strong advocates, keep the fight going.

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Charles says:

November 10, 2018 at 2:44 pm

The current governor of Virginia is thoroughly and totally opposed to funding any sort of choice in education. There are only eight charter schools in the commonwealth. The legislature has passed several school choice bills, but previous governors vetoed all of them.

So much for democratic government in Virginia. A majority of the people’s legislators want school choice, but they cannot get it.

I have spoken with Gov. Northam twice. He keeps telling me, that public schools in Virginia need “shoring up”, before any school choice can be considered. That is a dodge answer. Northam will never support school choice.

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- dianeravitch says:
  
  November 10, 2018 at 4:09 pm
  
  Yay! Governor Ralph Northam! He campaigned against a school choice Republican and Northam won.
  
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  - Charles says:
    
    November 11, 2018 at 5:38 am
    
    Candidate Gillespie is on record as being in favor of both improving Virginia public schools and in favor of school choice, and assisting home-schoolers. see
    
    https://www.newsadvance.com/opinion/community_viewpoint/gillespie-the-schools-virginia-kids-deserve/article_f04e84fc-7635-11e7-8c87-9b4ae9eaf7bf.html
    
    Nevertheless, the 2017 Virginia gubernatorial race, was not decided on education policy positions of the candidates.
    
    Like most elections, the election of Northam, was about bread and butter issues, economy, taxes, etc. Education was a very minor player in 2017.
    
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  - dianeravitch says:
    
    November 11, 2018 at 12:06 pm
    
    Wrong, Charles. The strong support of teachers and the VEA put Northam over the top and sunk the Rightwingers who wanted “Choice.”
    
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  - Charles says:
    
    November 11, 2018 at 7:50 pm
    
    Were you here in Virginia, during the election campaign? I was. The media and campaign literature distributed by both of the candidates was about many issues. Education did not register very high on the campaign.
    
    Of course, the education establishment worked overtime to defeat the Repub, and elect the candidate of their choice. No doubt about this at all.
    
    But, the campaign focused on road improvement in Northern VA (This is the worst commute in the USA), and other topics. Taxes and the economy were high on the list.
    
    Keep in mind, that 20% of the state’s population reside in Fairfax county. This county has excellent public schools, I can show you my tax bills, to prove it. When you figure in Arlington, Alexandria, and Loudoun counties, you are about one-third of the voters in the state.
    
    Trust me, education issues were very far down on the campaign issues priority for both candidates.
    
    Pocketbook issues, and getting to/from work, ruled this campaign.
    
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Harlan Underhill says:

November 10, 2018 at 8:43 pm

Northam is right, but how much shoring up will be forthcoming remains to be seen.

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- Charles says:
  
  November 11, 2018 at 5:42 am
  
  I live in Virginia. I spoke to Gov Northam personally. His comment about “shoring up” is pure puffery. There is not very much interest in any substantial increases in education spending (K-12) or any serious changes in education policy in Virginia.
  
  The next legislative session will be concerned with mundane issues like taxes, roads, etc.
  
  Even an expansion of charter schools (There are only 8 in Virginia), is not going to happen.
  
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  - dianeravitch says:
    
    November 11, 2018 at 12:08 pm
    
    No more privatization in VA! Yay!
    
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Lloyd Lofthouse says:

November 10, 2018 at 9:23 pm

UNCLEAR means a battle ground state where the Privatize everything billioanre mostly white boys and a few white women club is pumping in tons of money to change those states to YES explaining why they spent about 40 million dollars to get Tuck elected in California and that was only one election. Imagine how much the Alt-Right billionaires spent in the other battleground states.

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Máté Wierdl says:

November 11, 2018 at 3:46 am

So there are 16 YES, meaning 16 governors support school choice, and 13 NO, 7 UNCLEAR. That’s only 36 total…

UNCLEAR may mean support for charters, like the governors for Arkansas or Massachusetts. I have no idea what the governor of California is saying.

Some NO may also support charters, like the governor of Colorado, who at least wants them to be as accountable as public schools. I do not understand Rhode Island’s position.

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- Máté Wierdl says:
  
  November 11, 2018 at 3:59 am
  
  On the other hand, Florida’s YES may change to NO since “Andrew Gillum has officially WITHDRAWN his concession to Ron DeSantis”.
  
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- ciedie aech says:
  
  November 11, 2018 at 1:34 pm
  
  As for Colorado: Polis is a very well-known choice/charter advocate who is likely using the idea of holding charter schools accountable simply as strategic language for placing more of them across the state.
  
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JohnOgozalek says:

November 11, 2018 at 7:09 am

“Private School Choice Supporter: UNCLEAR”

That line reminds me of the Magic 8-Ball toy’s “Reply hazy, try again.”

And, that’s just what so many politicians have been treating schools like…..TOYS.

One of the reasons we have that Jabba the Hut-looking president we have now is because of spineless Democrats like NY’s Andrew Cuomo, who went along with piles of crap like “Race to the Top.”

Yeah, Race to Inauguration Day 2017….a new circle of hell.

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Weingrod David says:

November 11, 2018 at 8:38 am

This is not quite true for Tony Evers in Wisconsin. He claims not to be a supporter of choice but he has never committed to pair them back or eliminate them. Dave Weingrod

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Laura H.Chapman says:

November 11, 2018 at 10:57 am

Consider the source. EdChoice wants just that as the policy for every governor.

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