All
over this country there are battles being fought over school funding.
Many
parents want to take that tax money to a school of their own
choosing.
This
is "National School Choice Week".
So
those who favor that process are out campaigning nationwide.
We
spoke with the President of that group by satellite, from a tour stop,
in Topeka, KS.
Andrew
Campanella says it makes sense to have schools compete and there are
a lot of ways to set-up the choices.
Some policies offer open enrollment at a list of public
schools, but
it varies widely from state to state.
Some
parents can also choose from charter, magnet or private schools.
He
says the key, is for parents select the best choice for their child.
The
money can be moved around in various ways.
The
states can deliver vouchers to the schools, or tax credits can take
the form of backpack funding.
The
cash follows the child, to whatever school they attend.
Campanella
says Oklahoma's scholarship program for handicapped kids, allows them
to take their funding to the schools that offer the best special
education classes.
But
Unfortunately it was held up by public school challenges.
He
says it's encouraging that the courts seem to be backing school
choice.
The U.S.
Supreme Court has ruled that public funds are legal in private
schools, but there are still legal issue to be resolved state to
state.
Campanella
says choice improves public schools, because the great ones draw kids
and the others schools want to improve.
He
also says education isn't about buildings, it's about the kids.
"If
we can keep the focus on parents and children, and
what's good for them, we can win."
Campanella
also says many studies show, that school choice works.
When
many inner-city kids in Washington D.C. were given choices, the
graduation rate climbed to 91%.
That's
30% higher than the school they left behind.
