Is Public School Activist's Status as Private School Parent Relevant?
There are plenty of education activists who aren’t also parents of school-aged children. But when parents opt for private school, does that diminish their standing as advocates for public education?
It’s a familiar debate that’s in the spotlight this week in New York City, after it was learned that well-known education activist Leonie Haimson opted to put her younger child in private school. (She has written that her children were in the city's public schools for a total of 15 years.) GothamSchools reports that Haimson made the disclosure publicly Wednesday because the news outlet was preparing to publish the story. (The Wall St. Journal’s follow-up is here.) As noted by GothamSchools, in addition to focusing on the need for smaller class sizes Haimson has also been critical of choice options such as vouchers and charter schools on the grounds that they drain resources from traditional public campuses.
In the wake of the disclosure, GothamSchools has found itself under attack, particularly from Haimson’s supporters who say the information will be unfairly used by critics to undermine her credibility. Some readers
It’s a familiar debate that’s in the spotlight this week in New York City, after it was learned that well-known education activist Leonie Haimson opted to put her younger child in private school. (She has written that her children were in the city's public schools for a total of 15 years.) GothamSchools reports that Haimson made the disclosure publicly Wednesday because the news outlet was preparing to publish the story. (The Wall St. Journal’s follow-up is here.) As noted by GothamSchools, in addition to focusing on the need for smaller class sizes Haimson has also been critical of choice options such as vouchers and charter schools on the grounds that they drain resources from traditional public campuses.
In the wake of the disclosure, GothamSchools has found itself under attack, particularly from Haimson’s supporters who say the information will be unfairly used by critics to undermine her credibility. Some readers
