On Saturday, the Washington Post's editorial page????again????wrote in favor of the threatened DC Opportunity Scholarship (voucher) Program. ????The Post's editors have been a sympathetic and level-headed voice on this issue for some time. ????While supporting the program's intentions--helping disadvantaged kids in low-performing public schools access higher-performing nonpublic schools--they are also arguing that we all allow evidence of effectiveness drive the ultimate decision on the program's fate. ????The key data will be made available shortly in the form of the final program evaluation report, which is due this spring. ????(The second-year report, can be found here.)????
The Baltimore Sun's editorial page weighed-in this morning in favor of the bold school reform plan announced by that city's superintendent. ????The plan is excellent and the editorial is very well done. ????This line was particularly striking to me: "To turn around the whole system, you have to maximize the number of good schools and minimize the bad." ????Right on, I say. ????Close bad schools, open new schools, replicate great schools, and--I'm hoping more people start adding this final one--make successful nonpublic schools accessible to kids as well.