Voices for Education Choice

Voices for education choice

Word for word: Founding principal of IDEA Victory Academy Latoya McGhee

Lisa Buie January 12, 2021

Lisa Buie

Editor’s note: IDEA Public Schools, a Texas-based nonprofit that serves more than 63,000 students in 120 schools across Texas and Louisiana, is set to bring its award-winning college preparatory program to the Sunshine State this year with the opening of two campuses in Hillsborough County.

In their first year, the Tampa “schools of hope” – charter schools that serve lower-income students from one or more persistently low-performing schools – will be open to students in kindergarten through second grade as well as sixth grade, with additional grades added each year until the schools are fully scaled with K-12 campuses. Building on its reputation as the nation’s fastest-growing network of tuition-free, Pre-K-12 public charter schools, IDEA, which stands for Individuals Dedicated to Excellence and Achievement, plans to have four schools in the Tampa Bay area by 2023 and aims to grow that number to 20 by 2026.

IDEA Tampa Bay already has begun recruiting students and principals, including Latoya McGhee, who has been tapped as principal in residence at IDEA Victory Vinik Campus. At the school’s virtual groundbreaking in November, McGhee shared how she overcame her personal challenges to succeed in college and life and why IDEA affords her the perfect opportunity to prepare other students to do the same.

Hello everyone, my name is Latoya McGhee, founding principal of IDEA Victory Academy. I have been an educator for 11 years, and most of my career has been spent as a teacher and a leader in low-performing schools in underserved neighborhoods.

I grew up in a small town called Hartsville, S.C. Though I had a pleasant educational journey through elementary, middle, and high school, I was not prepared for college.

Throughout grade school, I was considered a “smart” student. I always did my work, always studied, worked hard, and maintained a B average. But in college, I could barely keep up. By the end of my first year, I had failed all my classes, and I was back home in Hartsville. I felt like a complete failure.

When I was pregnant with my son, I worked several jobs and struggled to make ends meet. I enrolled in three colleges and quit. I prayed for an answer, or even just to have options, and one day a co-worker mentioned becoming an educator. Immediately, the small hairs on my arm began to stand up.

I sat there visualizing the possibility. I could actual see myself in a classroom filled with students. It made me smile in that moment to think about the kind of impact that I would make. I knew then that education was my true path of service to both children and my community.

For the first time in years, I set a goal that aligned with my passion. I worked hard to complete the remaining classes I needed to obtain my bachelor’s degree. I became a teacher, earned my master’s degree and became an assistant principal. Now, here I am, founding principal of IDEA Victory Academy.

You might be wondering: Why is she sharing this?

I’m sharing because, as I’ve said, even though I was considered a “smart” student, I was not prepared for college or life. I believe that all children deserve to have options, and to have options, they need to be prepared as early as possible. They deserve to have the education and resources needed to thrive in this world regardless of where they come from.

When I learned about IDEA and its commitment not only to seeing students to the college door but also through college, I knew it was home for me. I knew I wanted to be a part of an organization that is committed to providing a quality education for kids and that stands behind that commitment by ensuring schools have the necessary resources to meet the holistic needs of all students, their families, and the community.

The children in this community deserve to have passionate educators who are willing to give 100% every day, and I have seen IDEA do this firsthand while completing my residency at an IDEA campus in Weslaco, Texas. I had the opportunity to work with teachers and staff who go above and beyond to ensure that every child has what they need to be happy, healthy, and successful.

Our Direct Instruction curriculum closes gaps and builds students’ reading confidence. As a result, we can close reading achievement gaps and get 90% of our students reading to grade level at the end of each school year. Our critical student intervention and special education teachers work tirelessly to ensure that differentiated, small group instruction is designed to address the specific content gaps daily. Our Eureka math curriculum allows students to learn math concepts by integrating grade/age-appropriate real-world scenarios and activities into daily lessons.

In addition to providing rigorous academics, IDEA Victory will serve as a pilar of the community by building partnerships to provide a bank of resources that students and their families can take advantage of.

I am grateful to be a part of IDEA because we are committed to breaking barriers, giving families options, and making a positive impact in our communities. Though we are new to Tampa Bay, IDEA has 20 years of success under its belt in Texas and Louisiana, and now, it’s our turn. I encourage families to apply today and continue to connect with us.

Interested families can apply at www.ideapublicschools.org/apply.

January 12, 2021 0 comment

Commentary and Opinion Education Choice Featured Private School Scholarships Private Schools School Choice Student Voices Students Tax Credit Scholarships Voices for Education Choice

In her own words: A Step Up Scholar on the most important thing she learned in high school

Special to redefinED December 17, 2020

Special to redefinED

Editor’s note: Isabella Garcia, a senior at La Progresiva Presbyterian School in South Florida, wrote this essay as part of her college application. Located in a working-class section of Miami, La Progresiva serves 622 students who qualify for Florida Tax Credit Scholarships. Isabella’s essay came to redefinED unsolicited and is being published with her permission. You can hear more from La Progresiva students here.

The most valuable lesson I have learned while in high school is to be charitable. I have attended La Progresiva Presbyterian School (LPPS) for nearly thirteen years. Yes, this is a private school, and no— my single mother is not rich. I have been fortunate enough to attend this school because of charity – the kindness of others.

I, along with many others, attend this school on the Step Up For Students low–income scholarship. Were it not for this act of charity, I might not have the aspirations I do now. Being the child of immigrants heavily affected my academics; my mother pushed me to do my best in school because she wanted me to have the future that was out of reach for her.

This scholarship that I was awarded and was able to use at LPPS was a ray of hope for my family. Although I may have been too young to realize the opportunity I was provided, it has propelled me to never take anything for granted. This form of charity has given my family and me this educational opportunity, opening the possibilities of a better life.

These multi-million dollar companies, through a charitable tax credit, may have provided what seemed to them an insignificant donation, but through their charity have provided me with opportunities that otherwise would not have been available. Throughout my thirteen years at LPPS, I realized that it was imperative for me to be a part of the ripple effect.

Different missions projects and community service opportunities at LPPS opened my eyes to the impact that charity has on a community. When one of the students was diagnosed with cancer, the entire school came together to fundraise and assist her family, even after her passing. I have learned that being part of something bigger than myself will produce an impact that will resonate.

In every aspect of my life, I have gained the understanding that you must love your fellow man as yourself. Through the giving of my time, just like the giving of the donations to produce these scholarships, I have learned how essential charity is to produce a society, in which kindness can abound.

The charity I have received has inspired me to participate in acts of goodwill, such as the Susan G. Komen “More than Pink Walk”, which cemented my desire to dedicate my life to paying it forward. Personally, escorting the last participant in the walk – who was currently battling cancer herself and required a walker – was one of the greatest honors of my life.

This event played a pivotal role in my choice of career; seeing the impact doctors have on the lives of these women has motivated me to pursue a career as a doctor. Science has always been an interest of mine and a career in which it can be used to help others will fulfill the thirteen-year lesson of charity I have been given.

December 17, 2020 1 comment

Advocate Voices Commentary and Opinion Coronavirus / COVID-19 Education Choice Education Equity Educators Faith-based Education Family Empowerment Scholarship Featured Florida Tax Credit Scholarship McKay Scholarship Parental Choice Private School Scholarships School Choice Voices for Education Choice

Commentary: Now more than ever, families need choices in education

Special to redefinED October 28, 2020

Special to redefinED

Editor’s note: This column by Shannon Dolly, principal at Mount Moriah Christian Fundamental Academy in St. Petersburg, first appeared in the Tampa Bay Times. Thirty-eight students at Mount Moriah attend on a Florida Tax Credit Scholarship and eight attend on a Family Empowerment Scholarship.

As a single mother who raised a daughter with special needs, and as the principal of a private school in St. Petersburg with mostly low-income students, I understand the obstacles many families face finding the best learning environment for their children.

COVID-19 has only added to those struggles, for them and for many more families who suddenly have found their options limited. Now more than ever, they need choices in education.

Growing up, I never thought about alternatives to traditional public schools. My mother was a public school administrator, and I went through the public school system. But when I had my daughter, Taylor, I felt I had to do better for her.

I tried to get her into a district magnet school, but we were shut out of our top five picks. The only alternative was to send my 5-year-old on a 45-minute one-way bus ride from the southern part of Pinellas County to a school in the northern part.

That was out of the question.

That’s when I learned about the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship for low-income students, which enabled me to afford tuition at a private school closer to home that best met Taylor’s needs. The scholarship carried her from kindergarten through eighth grade.

She then received a McKay Scholarship for students with special needs that allowed her to attend high school at LiFT Academy in Seminole. She graduated in 2018. Her academic success would not have been possible without the scholarships providing us with real choices.

I’ve also seen the value of choice from the other side.

Since 2015, I’ve been principal at Mount Moriah Christian Fundamental Academy, a middle school with 38 students on the tax credit scholarship and eight on the similar Family Empowerment Scholarship. Mount Moriah offers these children what they can’t find in other schools, and the scholarship provides them the means to attain it.

That has become especially important during the pandemic. When schools shut down because of the virus, in-person learning was denied to those who wanted — and needed — it. Many families struggled with online learning from home. Parents became frustrated with their lack of options.

At Mount Moriah, we have parents who want their kids in school, and others who don’t. So, we have offered them three preferences: Some students attend the brick-and-mortar classroom full time; some do online learning full time; and some do a combination of both.

Our parents love that they have a voice, that we listened to that voice, and that we accommodated that voice.

The pandemic has opened parents’ eyes to the virtue of choice and has made them understand they don’t have to settle for what is handed to them. Now they’re forced to think outside the box, to ask: What else can I do? In these unusual times, they are more willing to look for options beyond what has been considered normal. Recent polls show that parents increasingly want more choices in their children’s education.

The pandemic has demonstrated that families must have multiple options available because they never know when they might need them. It also has reaffirmed that education choice should not be a privilege only for those who can afford it. It’s a right — for everyone.

October 28, 2020 1 comment

Advocate Voices Commentary and Opinion Customization Education Choice Education Equity Families Featured Gardiner Scholarship Parent Empowerment Parental Choice School Choice

Commentary: 1 million Florida scholarships, 1 million opportunities for success

Donna Berman October 19, 2020

Donna Berman

Despite being told her son, Brandon, would never learn to read, Donna Berman persisted in her quest to find an appropriate educational setting for him where he could thrive. Brandon died Sept. 10, 2017, at the age of 19.

Editor’s note: This commentary from Donna Berman appeared Sunday in the Daytona Beach News-Journal. You can read additional commentary from Berman here. You can read more about Step Up For Students’ administration of its 1-millionth scholarship here.

My late son Brandon began experiencing seizures at age 3 and was diagnosed with autism by 6. He spent his youth growing up with muscular dystrophy, an auditory processing disorder, cortical atrophy, and a brain tumor. Brandon was also non-verbal and his teachers believed he might never learn how to read.

No class setting – public or private, mainstream or hospital homebound – was adequately meeting Brandon’s needs. Brandon was a space-age kid living in a stone-age system.

Thankfully, we live in Florida, where choice in education is increasingly mainstream, and more and more options that can help kids like Brandon are becoming a reality.

This week, Step Up for Students, Florida’s largest nonprofit education scholarship administrator, announced it had awarded its 1 millionth scholarship since its founding in 2002. Brandon was one of those scholarship recipients, so I know how much of a difference they’ve made for families across this state.

Before Brandon received a scholarship, I faced a constant battle to ensure he received an adequate education. I began to feel like his federal rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) weren’t worth the paper they were written on.

Eventually, Brandon’s daily seizures at school required me to care for him at home, and it ultimately cost me my career as a registered nurse.

I thought I was dreaming in 2014 when I learned about a new education scholarship program for students with special needs, now called the Gardiner Scholarship. Gardiner gives parents access to a flexible spending account, averaging about $10,000 a year, that can be used to pay for school tuition, fees, textbooks, school supplies, assistive technology, therapies and more.

Applying for this scholarship was a no-brainer – I had already tried every other option. Once Brandon was awarded the scholarship, I was in full control of my son’s education.

Gardiner paid for curriculum, class supplies, and helped make various projects possible. I could find a million unique ways to teach Brandon math, improve finger dexterity, learn how to plan projects, and even develop his social skills. Whether he was learning math by sewing, baking, or folding boxes at the local pizza shop, the Gardiner program ensured Brandon’s learning could happen anywhere.

Brandon could learn in the car, on the way to the doctor, at the hospital. No longer bound to learn between brick walls, Brandon became the space age kid he was meant to be.

Traditional paper books intimidated Brandon with the number of words per page. Instead of paper books, I downloaded books onto an e-reader and increased the font size. With fewer words on the screen Brandon found learning to read less frightening.

Against the odds, Brandon learned to love reading; “The Box Car Children” became his favorite series. He also became self-sufficient, eventually learning how to use his tablet to download and read restaurant menus and order food for himself.

That may not sound like a big deal, but when you have a child with special needs, little moments of progress like this can bring tears of joy to a parent’s eyes.

Brandon and I were such enthusiastic members of the Gardiner family that we defended the scholarship in court when opponents sued to dissolve it. After we won, Brandon made tremendous progress in the first year alone.

My son passed away in 2017, but I’m forever grateful Brandon finally got the chance to learn at his own pace. In his last years he discovered a love for learning, and he found self-worth.

I look forward to seeing a million more scholarships awarded, and a million more children find success just as Brandon did.

Berman lives in Port Orange, Florida.

October 19, 2020 0 comment

Advocate Voices Education Choice Education Equity Faith-based Education Featured Florida Tax Credit Scholarship School Choice Voices for Education Choice

Faith leaders speak out for tax credit scholarships at State Capitol

Lisa Buie February 4, 2020

Lisa Buie

Hundreds of education choice supporters attended a news conference at the State Capitol Tuesday spearheaded by an alliance of Florida ministers to show support for the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program.

TALLAHASSEE – More than 100 black and Hispanic pastors from across the state gathered this afternoon at the State Capitol for a news conference to denounce what they called attacks on the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program and the low-income minority families it serves.

Members of the Florida African American Ministers Alliance for Parental Choice said the attacks threaten to evict tens of thousands of low-income, mostly black and Hispanic students from the schools their parents chose for them. At issue, they said, are efforts by two state representatives, Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, and Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, to persuade corporate donors to end their contributions to the scholarship program that serves more than 100,000 lower-income students, three-quarters of whom are students of color.

Among the speakers was the Rev. Robert Ward, pastor of Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in St. Petersburg.

“These politicians are recklessly harming our innocent and vulnerable,” Ward said. “Instead of attacking our children, they should be reaching across the aisle searching for win-win solutions. We will not sit idly by while politicians try to snuff out the dreams of tens of thousands of low-income black and Hispanic students.”

Civil rights icon H.K. Matthews, who was arrested nearly 40 times for his attempts to fight racial injustice, also spoke. He characterized the lawmakers’ attempts as “madness” and urged them to stop using minority children to pursue their agendas.

“I spent my entire life fighting for social justice,” Matthews said. “It’s not social justice to put thousands of low income black and Hispanic students under the bus.”

The pastors were joined in the Capitol Rotunda by scholarship students and parents from around the state, many holding signs with the message, “Don’t take my scholarship,” as well as several members of the Florida Democratic Caucus, including State Rep. James Bush III, D-Miami.

“The efforts to pressure donors to stop contributing to the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program could have a devastating effect on education opportunities for our most vulnerable students,” Bush said. “I should know. In my district, more than 2,300 low-income students use the scholarships to attend schools of their choice.”

Bush added that 54 percent of those students are Hispanic and 45 percent are black. The average household income of those families, Bush said, is just over $21,000.

“Every donor that leaves the program results in fewer scholarships for students,” he said. “I stand with my constituents and urge my colleagues not to treat these children as pawns.”

Elijah Robinson was one of several speakers at Tuesday’s news conference.

Elijah Robinson, a senior who attends The Foundation Academy in Jacksonville on a Tax Credit Scholarship, appeared with his principal, Nadia Hionides, to thank the donors who funded the scholarship that he said “saved my life.” Elijah, who is gay, was bullied because of his sexual identity at the public school he attended prior to transferring to his present school.

Hionides echoed his sentiments.

“How can it be social justice to encourage lawmakers and corporations or anybody else to cast aside the students who benefit?” she said.

Today’s event was not the first time the ministers have rallied in support of education choice. The alliance played a key role in the successful fight against a lawsuit brought by the Florida Education Association and other groups in 2014 that challenged the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program, arguing it steered money to private religious schools.

February 4, 2020 1 comment

Advocate Voices Education Choice Education Equity Faith-based Education Featured Florida Tax Credit Scholarship School Choice Voices for Education Choice

Faith leaders poised to champion scholarship program at State Capitol

redefinED staff February 4, 2020

redefinED staff

About 80 students from Hart 2 Hart Academy traveled to Tallahassee from Lake City to support the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program.

TALLAHASSEE – More than 100 black and Hispanic pastors from throughout Florida are gathering at the State Capitol for a news conference set for 1:30 this afternoon to denounce what they are calling attacks on the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program.

The Florida African American Ministers Alliance for Parental Choice says these attacks threaten to evict tens of thousands of low-income, mostly black and Hispanic students from the schools their parents chose for them.

At issue, they say, are efforts by two state representatives, Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, and Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, to persuade corporate donors to end their contributions to the scholarship program that serves more than 100,000 lower-income students, three-quarters of whom are students of color.

Eskamani and Smith in recent weeks have sought changes in policies at some private schools they consider discriminatory to LGBTQ students. The ministers argue that their calls for a corporate boycott are resulting in fewer scholarships for all students, no matter which schools they attend.

Scheduled to speak at this afternoon’s event are Robert Ward, pastor of Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in St. Petersburg; Louis Vega, pastor and founder of The Way Christian Academy in Tampa; the Rev. H.K. Matthews, a civil rights icon from northwest Florida; Elijah Robinson, a Florida Tax Credit Scholarship student who was bullied over his sexual identity prior to transferring to The Foundation Academy, a faith-based private school in Jacksonville; and Nadia Hionides, principal of The Foundation Academy.

The ministers alliance played a key role in the successful fight against a lawsuit brought by the Florida Education Association and other groups in 2014 that challenged the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program and argued it steered money to private religious schools.

February 4, 2020 0 comment

Advocate Voices Commentary and Opinion Education Choice Featured Parent Empowerment Parental Choice School Choice Voices for Education Choice

Who says parents don’t always choose the best schools?

Catherine Durkin Robinson January 15, 2020

Catherine Durkin Robinson

Recently, Arianna Prothero wrote a column for Education Week titled, “Why Don’t Parents Always Choose the Best Schools?”

This is a sensitive topic, and she handled it well, but I wondered out loud as I was reading: “Who says they don’t?”

Prothero mentions a very specific point of view from a very specific type of proponent for education choice: the argument that competition and market pressure will improve schools more than the government.

I hear this argument a lot, but it’s not the pillar of my education choice movement, nor is it what drives most of the choice parents I work with every day.

When a headline asks parents a question, wouldn’t it be great to highlight real parents answering that question rather than researchers and think tank types?

First, it might be helpful to ask why parents pick schools at all.

Prothero mentions location as a top reason. I disagree.

Parents I’ve organized in Florida list safety as their top concern when researching schools – well over 80 percent. Second to safety is the desire for their children to be around those with shared values – again, because there are fewer bullies in these schools and parents perceive their children to be safer there – and then, down the list, would be location.

Many moms and dads are willing to drive longer distances if it means their babies are safe. That issue takes priority.

Consider this reality: If parents can help their children escape a local school – one the state rates poorly, where stabbings and beatings occur on a daily basis – by enrolling them in a school the state rates similarly or a bit better but where their children are loved and cared for rather than threatened, then yes, that’s the best school as far as the parents are concerned.

And their concerns should be respected.

Who are we to tell them they’re wrong?

There is no doubt we must make it easier for parents to understand the strengths and challenges of different local schools so they can make informed choices. That’s not up for debate. Every locality in the nation deserves this.

So let’s use the knowledge these researchers and think tanks gathered to understand the best ways to do that, creating websites and portals to deliver such a service.

Not too long ago, I was a parent looking for schools and only had at my disposal word of mouth combined with a few in-person meetings with principals for determining the right environment for my children. I did my best.

Their elementary years were spent in a Jewish school because I wanted them in an environment that mirrored the values taught in our home. The upside was a safe environment with rigorous studies. The downside was that most students and every teacher was white, they didn’t have competitive sports teams, or a school orchestra. But it worked for us at the time.

My sons’ middle school was a magnet IB program. The upside was a rigorous curriculum, orchestra and competitive sports. It was also diverse, but there weren’t many Jewish kids. Another downside: Sometimes there were fights in the hallways. On several occasions, local shootings nearby caused the school to be locked down for safety reasons. We considered ourselves lucky the boys were chosen in a random lottery drawing.

Their district high school was known for a wide variety of AP classes and competitive sports teams. But almost everyone was white, and, thanks to wealthy, unsupervised kids, the school had a drug problem. Several children overdosed during my sons’ time there, and two died. Some teachers gave half effort because parents could afford tutors. My sons needed a math tutor every semester. Again, we were lucky. We could afford to move into the neighborhood that fed this school.

This formula, along with virtual classes and dual enrollment, prepared my kids for college, but that’s not a winning recipe for everyone. My parenting skills and judgment were never questioned, probably because I’m a privileged white woman. However, what I wanted for my kids wasn’t unique.

Prothero compared choosing schools to choosing salad dressings. As a mother who’s done both, I can assure you it’s not at all the same. Choosing schools is more akin to choosing doctors or hospitals; there is a weight, or gravity, to this decision-making process that doesn’t at all compare to standing in a store trying to decide between blue cheese and ranch.

Most parents don’t put a priority on improving schools that are doing poorly. They don’t care that K-12 education can’t function like a normal marketplace. Their job isn’t to celebrate competition, it’s to look out for their children.

We need safe schools, where children can discover their true potential and thrive. Parents need help learning about which schools can do that.

And then they deserve everyone’s respect regarding the choices they’ve made.

January 15, 2020 0 comment

Bipartisanship Education and Public Policy Education Politics Progressives and ed reform School Choice Voices for Education Choice

Opening up education choice conversation increases chances for success

Catherine Durkin Robinson November 12, 2019

Catherine Durkin Robinson

According to the National Review, progressive education reformers are ruining everything.

I had no idea.

How many progressive education reformers are we talking about?

Is this like when my mother in-law throws two or three chocolate chips into my oatmeal when I’m not trying to have dessert for breakfast?

Or when a single anchovy can mess up an entire pizza?

Help me understand.

In a recent column, America’s Students Flounder while Education Reformers Virtue Signal, Jay P. Greene and Frederick M. Hess complain that our movement is losing both momentum and Republicans in much the same way Felicity Huffman is losing PTA speaking engagements.

They blame this mass exodus on liberals overtaking the movement.

And they’re seriously bummed about it.

Wait. What? Liberals are taking over the movement and Republicans are leaving?

Since when?

Do Greene and Hess attend the same conferences as the rest of us? When was the last time you looked around one of our summits, saw all the folks from Institute of Justice and Americans for Prosperity clamoring for Senator Ben Sasse’s autograph and said, “Wow this place is a little too liberal”?

Do they read the same daily news feeds? I’ve never scrolled through and noticed positive coverage from Mother Jones or Democracy Now tucked in between Daily Caller and Breitbart. Not once.

Do they attend our symposiums where conservative pundits approach democratic socialists, all one of us, with the same curiosity a group of toddlers approach a snail? Furrowed brows and wondering aloud, “Does it bite?”

I always have to assure them: No, no I don’t.

And yet, Greene and Hess blame the left for scaring away Republicans and lowering NAEP scores.

Haven’t they heard? We’re not that powerful.

But okay, I get it.

Education choice used to be their jam. A safe space where they could wax poetic about the joys of union busting and we’re mucking up their good time with our talk of equality, privilege and social justice.

They cited four whole columns as evidence.

I mostly work in Florida, where minority parents actually voted for a white Republican governor because he supports their right to choose the best educational environment for their kids. But what do I know? I’m not scouring through campaign finance disclosure forms, looking to see which candidates Teach For America employees are donating to.

It’s hard to pin down precisely what’s changed from the good ole days when Greene and Hess say, “campaign contributions were more evenly split” between Democrats and Republicans.

They seem perplexed, wondering how one can work for education choice and support a left-leaning candidate at the same time. Well. The few liberals we let into this movement openly chastise the Democratic party and its candidates for being on the wrong side of history. Most of us, however, are not single issue voters.

I’ll give you my email address if you want to understand why.

But this article isn’t about understanding.

This article is about rallying troops. Like those who wear MAGA hats and are gearing up to scream MERRY CHRISTMAS at every overworked barista they see this holiday season, a column of virtue signaling that rails against virtue signaling is just another way a few conservative, white guys can lament about how things suck now that conservative, white guys aren’t the only ones at the party.

This article reminds us that when we bring concerns about minority children into focus, this automatically turns off a lot of suburban or rural Americans because it’s no longer about just them.

This article isn’t lamenting bitter partisanship in the world, it’s asking for more of it. “Keep the liberals out,” it seems to be saying.

We shouldn’t be surprised.

Those with money and power are looking around these days, seeing signs that their influence might be dissipating, and they’re afraid. Afraid of losing their privilege. This is happening in our culture and we shouldn’t be surprised to see it in our movement, as well.

Relax guys, the right is still in charge and your reign won’t end anytime soon.

Talking with others doesn’t belittle those who started the conversation.

You know what’s belittling? Using important allies as scapegoats.

Right-wing supporters of ed choice often use reasons that don’t resonate with anyone outside the free market club. When we use progressive arguments to win over our opponents, are the free market types finding themselves with folks they never really got into the movement to help in the first place?

Is that the real problem?

Help me understand.

November 12, 2019 0 comment