The National Pulse: POLL: Support for Charter Schools Plummets Nationwide — As It Should

by: Dr. Karen R. Effrem, MD

The annual Education Next poll on education issues came out last week, and there was a very surprising finding regarding charter schools. After nearly ten years of very stable support with a high of 72 percent in 2012, support has plummeted in the general public, as well as in both major political parties and among minority groups. It was the largest change in support of any item that was polled. Here is the poll description and their graphic:https://thenationalpulse.com/commentary/poll-support-charter-schools-plummets-nationwide-should/

The National Pulse: Mother Denied Parental Rights over Transgender Teen Appeals Court Ruling

Last month, Dr. Effrem described the bizarre and dangerous Minnesota federal court decision that “emancipated” a minor child from his mother, thereby denying her inherent parental right to direct the academic, medical, and other aspects of the care and upbringing of her own son — all without any of the due process normally involved in such situations.

The story continues:

According to the Minnesota Child Protection League (CPL), an organization which has been supporting Ms. Calgaro’s efforts, attorneys for the district made the situation painfully worse:

Attorneys for the school district went on to state that, since Calgaro had filed a lawsuit to assert her parental rights, her request should be denied in order to protect her son from “further harm.”  Consider that. The school administration is empowered to decide that Calgaro is harmful to her son because she challenged the violation of her parental rights in court.

Continue to read!

The National Pulse: Alabama Wants Local Control over Education. Will President Trump Deliver?

During the 2015 fight over the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), over 200 parent and conservative organizations and leaders denounced the bill due to its extension of tight control over state and local education by the federal government,

The stranglehold of this completely unconstitutional federal department must be broken. APP’s Emmett McGroarty said it well:

“The fact that Alabama can’t freely choose its assessments confirms that ESSA failed to return control over K-12 education back to state and local government.  No person, no administration has come up with a way for the federal government to exercise such power without it being an unaccountable political bully. It is time to stop this farce and to truly return education policymaking to state and local government, where it would be closest to parents and other citizens.”

Students must be able to learn not just for workforce preparation but also to understand and perpetuate the principles of freedom to maintain our republic. The future of the nation depends on it. Federal micromanaging of tests and standards is no way to maintain liberty.

Alabama Wants Local Control over Education. Will President Trump Deliver?

The National Pulse: 2 Reasons Why DeVos’ Education Reform Plan Would Be a Disaster

Charter school and voucher expansion have been a hot topic across the nation at both the state and federal levels. Interest and grave concern about this expansion, especially at the federal level, has intensified from all points on the political spectrum in light of several recent developments: Florida’s bill serving as a trial run, the release of President Trump’s first federal education budget, Secretary DeVos’ recent testimony and speech, and the Jeb Bush-led promotion of these ideas.

Dr. Karen Effrem examines 2 reasons DeVos education reform would not work.

1. Increased government tentacles into schools.
2.  Charter Schools do not improve students performance.

2 Reasons Why DeVos’ Education Reform Plan Would Be a Disaster