Be True to Your School Reform
A few items of note to report this morning regarding education…
ISTEP test scores are scheduled to be released Tuesday at 10 a.m. State officials tell me that they will be taken into account in determining whether the state will intervene and takeover several failing schools. The scores will also help determine whether schools in their fifth year of academic probation become ripe for takeover next year.
More than 100 private/parochial schools have been approved to participate in Indiana’s school voucher program, 13 of them are in Indianapolis. You can view the entire list here. One thing that I found was ironic was that one of the schools approved to participate was Cathedral High School on the northeast side of town. It is less than five minutes from Arlington High School which could be taken over by the state. It’s amazing to think that although the schools are just a few blocks apart the quality of the education in both places are light years apart. Hopefully, vouchers will help bridge some of that gap.
I have to give a big thumbs up to Wayne Township schools and their latest education innovation, the creation of a virtual high school. The Virtual Education Academy will allow students from across the state to get a high school diploma on-line. The classes are taught by accredited teachers and final exams will have to be taken in person. One of the best things about the program is that it allows the school to deliver educational services in a cost effective manner, and can even be a revenue generator for the school. Now there’s a thought, a public school district that actually makes money instead of costing the taxpayers money.
Finally, if you get a chance, join me and the Friedman Foundation for Education Choice on July 29 at the Conrad to celebrate the life of Milton Friedman. It’s from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. If you are a big believer in education choice and that a student’s education should not be limited by his zip code or some status quo bureaucrat, then you definitely want to be there. You can RSVP to Keri Hunter at keri@edchoice.org. Try to do it by July 22 and it’s also free. Hope to you see there.
