September 5, 2009

Points of View

A Teachable Moment - The Wall Street Journal - "President Obama's plan to speak to America's schoolchildren next Tuesday has some Republicans in an uproar. 'As the father of four children, I am absolutely appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama's socialist ideology,' thunders Jim Greer, chairman of Florida's Republican Party, in a press release. 'President Obama has turned to American's children to spread his liberal lies, indoctrinating American's [sic] youngest children before they have a chance to decide for themselves.' Columnists who spy a conspiracy behind every Democrat are also spreading alarm."

Accountability in Public Schools - The New York Times - "The Obama administration laid down an appropriately tough line in late July when it released preliminary rules for the $4.3 billion pot of money known as the Race to the Top Fund. The administration rightly sees it as a way to spur reform by rewarding states that embrace high standards and bypassing those that do not."

Indianapolis Tests Out Education Reform - By Matthew Tully - The Wall Street Journal - "The classrooms were full and bustling with activity at Valley Mills Elementary School on the city's southwest side one recent rain-soaked morning. Children smiled and raised their hands, eager to answer questions, and to tell me how happy they were to be in school on a summer day. This was not your father's summer school—punitive and mandatory—but a fresh approach to bridging the achievement gap."

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