Friday Thoughts: Is there really a point to advocating both standardization and choice? « School Finance 101

Friday Thoughts: Is there really a point to advocating both standardization and choice? « School Finance 101:

Friday Thoughts: Is there really a point to advocating both standardization and choice?

by schoolfinance101

I’ve long been perplexed that the Thomas B. Fordham Institute frames as its top two policy priorities:

1. Implementing the Common Core
2. Advancing Choice

Their new web site layout makes this more obvious.
More recently, a report released by the Council on Foreign Relations (referred to largely as the Rice-Klein report in the media and on twitter) argued that our “failing” education system is  a national security concern, and that the road to addressing that concern involves:

1. expanding the Common Core State Standard initiative to include subjects beyond math and English Language Arts;
2. an expansion of charter schools and vouchers

Now, as I understand it, there’s at least a subtle difference between these two sources on the point regarding vouchers and charter schools in that Fordham does not appear these days to be out front on promoting vouchersand instead seems to be favoring charter expansion (avoiding the word “voucher” but welcoming “other