Choice is a hallmark of our country. It is synonymous with freedom. We live in a country where we have choice in our leaders, our religion, our food, our housing, our lifestyles. Choice in education is not only necessary -- it is crucial for our country's future.
While the media likes to run story after story about the drama of Success Academy's legal battles, quietly, day after day, in well-maintained and orderly classrooms, kids are learning. That is the story I would like to share.
Increasingly privatized education -- with charters, consultants and competition -- offers more opportunities for investment and profit-making. Its proponents have a special and vested interest in the policies they promote.
The model for each student varies on their needs, and parents are encouraged to be active participants in their child's education. This program is determined to be the change in New York City. What's not to love?
I do not doubt that a quarter of teachers in many neighborhood schools are unsatisfactory, but why would a fair-minded observer assume that poor teaching is the cause, and not the result of a dysfunctional system?
The matter of school closings is complex and polarizing. Evidence suggests the only solution to the problem of "failing" (DOE speak for "black and Latino") schools is to open new, small schools.
In Madeleine Sackler's affecting new documentary, The Lottery, the 27-year-old intended to create a cinema verite view of the families of four children who entered a lottery for 475 coveted spots at the Harlem Success Academy.