As strange as it may sound,
Carine Martinez-Gouhier informs us — over at
the Bell Towers — that Texas,
in spite of its libertarian credentials, is
singularly lacking in school choice.
In 2015, the State of Texas is the envy of the rest of the United
States. Thanks to its low taxes, a relatively small regulatory system, a
limited government, Texas created more than 450,000 in 2014, the
highest net nonfarm job growth in the nation. The Texas Model is
thriving. The freer the markets, the more options people have for jobs,
for products and services, and for opportunities.
Yet, there is something that the Lone Star State surprisingly falls short on: school choice.
And why should one be in favor (anywhere — in Texas, in another State, or abroad) of amplifying choice? asks Carine in another post. Because
Supporting School Choice is Being “Pro-Children”. At
Archbishop Carroll High School,
a catholic private high school [in Washington, DC, we] saw students
that were eager to participate, 
with teachers walking around the
classroom. Clearly teachers are, as we would often hear, “in front of
their students” and not behind their desk. The average class size is
20-24 with an 11 to 1 student/teacher ratio. Students [76% of whom describe themselves as African-American] were amazingly
focused. No computer, or tablet are used: the Principal explained that
they chose not to use new technologies systematically, but are open to
let student use their computer or tablet if they wish.
Read the whole thing to learn about Carine's visit to
Achievement Prep (also in Washington, DC) and
Founders Classical Academy (in Texas).
If such stories, featured for everyone to see in documentaries such as Waiting for Superman, or The Ticket, are not enough to make the case for school choice, it is hard to know what is.
But what exactly was it that made this French immigrant better understand the whole debate? Carine lists
Five Themes (click the link)…
