"The political fight over a pot of federal school funding illustrates the Legislature's halfhearted interest in education reform: The dispute turns on whether parents should have an alternative to keeping their children in substandard schools.
There should be no debate. The Legislature should approve changes to state law that give parents tools to spur school improvements. That approach offers the promise of better education and greater accountability for school districts.
The state wants a share of the $4.3 billion in federal 'Race to the Top' school money. The program requires California to alter state law to match the federal criteria for collecting the money, but the legislation to make the revisions has become a battleground. And the disagreement is more about who controls the schools and the funding that comes with students than it is about the best way to improve education."
There should be no debate. The Legislature should approve changes to state law that give parents tools to spur school improvements. That approach offers the promise of better education and greater accountability for school districts.
The state wants a share of the $4.3 billion in federal 'Race to the Top' school money. The program requires California to alter state law to match the federal criteria for collecting the money, but the legislation to make the revisions has become a battleground. And the disagreement is more about who controls the schools and the funding that comes with students than it is about the best way to improve education."
