Don't Confuse Real Texas Education Reform With School Vouchers Idea

Battle lines are already drawn over a most consequential education issue this legislative session:One side is pushing harder than ever -- with unprecedented support from Gov. Greg Abbott -- for public money to be made available for private school tuition. This is a thinly disguised voucher plan at a time when taxpayer dollars are particularly scarce.Opponents are fighting back by latching onto exactly the wrong issue, vilifying the still-under-development A-F campus report cards as a secret weapon designed to further voucher support. Their argument is a thinly disguised accountability dodge of a system designed to bring clarity and consistency in measuring and reporting school performance.Not only are both points of view misguided, but the commingling of vouchers and A-F does nothing but build confusion and impede efforts to improve academic outcomes.  Continue reading...