Ronald Rice’s Post

Today marks the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education which struck down racial segregation in America's public schools. But want to know a dirty little secret? By 1965, seven states had enacted private school voucher programs (or "school choice") as a way to avoid desegregation. Over the years they have grown to 26 states with the support of anti-government activists, Christian fundamentalists, the hierarchy of the Catholic Church and others so that "...today most white students attending private schools remain in virtually segregated schools – schools where students of color represent only a token portion of the student population..." This is why vouchers are a racial justice and church-state separation issue. Read more below at Americans United for Separation of Church and State: https://lnkd.in/g4xx6MxG

Today, the Biden Administration is calling on states, cities and towns, and schools to cultivate a “culture of attendance” and send a clear message that students need to be in school. 🏫 At this morning's Every Day Counts Summit at the White House, the Director of the Domestic Policy Council of the United States, Neera Tanden, referenced the new Digital Backpack 🎒 created by the National Partnership for Student Success Hub; a set of “Resources to Address Chronic Absenteeism in Your Community,” that includes a curated set of publicly available resources, including a selection of Examples In Action (spotlights with information on how districts have worked to address chronic absence in their communities). One of these spotlights is the successful relationship between our AmeriCorps Promise Fellows and Minneapolis Public Schools (utilizing the Check & Connect: A Comprehensive Student Engagement Intervention model!) Check it out (pun intended 🤣)! ServeMinnesota Office of Governor Tim Walz & Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan https://lnkd.in/e4W_pha4

The future of public education is in dire need of attention and action. While I recognize the intent behind school choice and privatization, I’m not sure we are being transparent about reform and how it impacts our public schools. In South Carolina, the charter school movement continues to gain momentum with student enrollment jumping from 39,312 to 57,566 in just one year (National Alliance of Public Charter Schools). Yes, charter schools are considered public institutions, but so often they deviate from fundamental rights like access. I know, there is no funding provided to charter schools for transportation. But, on the other hand, there is no funding provided to charter schools for transportation. Storytelling and meaning making is as much about what we communicate as it is what we don’t communicate. #educationalleadership #organizationalcommunication #education #publiceducation #equityineducation #learningforall #accesstoeducation

#publiceducation #uspolitics #election2024 Teach Your Children Well Why Tim Walz is the perfect antidote to Project 2025 Dan Rather and Team Steady "If you are a seasoned reader of Steady, you know how I feel about public education. I believe it is a civil right and a great equalizer. I also feel strongly that teachers are some of the most important public servants in our society. Preserving a robust public school system is vital to the well-being of our citizens and the health of our democracy. To see two products of public education as the Democratic nominees for president and vice president of the United States does my heart good. Vice President Kamala Harris attended public schools in Oakland, California, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz not only attended public schools through graduate school but also taught in Minnesota public schools for decades. Theirs is the ultimate American dream — and validation that our education system can work. It is a system that is far from perfect, but please understand there’s a plan being promoted by the MAGA right that will gut it dramatically, minimizing the federal government’s role in education."

Charter schools seem like the education world’s bad boy with a report card full of potential. Three decades in, the shine is wearing off, with critics firing accusations of profiteering and segregation. #CharterSchools Remember the original dream? Community-run schools breaking the mold, igniting innovation, and giving kids a fighting chance? The brightest stars like @chartercollab in the charter universe are still shining. They’re the ones with the multiple accountability measures, the ones empowering communities, the ones obsessed with transforming lives, not lining pockets. Dynamic public education needs renegades AND reformers. The renegades push boundaries, the reformers hold them accountable. So, let’s ditch the misinformation and have a real conversation. Can charters be the future of education? Absolutely, but only if they get back to their roots. Thoughts?🤔 #TheFutureIsNow #PublicEducation #DynamicDuo #AccountabilityWins #EmpoweringEducation #CommunityControl #EducationRevolution #charterschoolsweek #blackeducators https://lnkd.in/eTDVFQ3U

Yes, the politics around public charter schools have become more challenging, especially in the blue-hued cities where most of the media lives and works. But across vast expanses of urban and semi-urban America, and especially in Black and brown communities where charter schools have proven most popular and effective, there’s still plenty of room to grow, and few policy barriers standing in the way.

Explore this article that delves into the potential student impact should Texas embrace #SchoolChoice, featuring insights from Laura Colangelo, the Texas Private Schools Association's Executive Director. https://lnkd.in/gDmNNYsf #parentalchoice #txlegee #EducationMatters #parentalchoice #txlege #studentsfirst #options #education #EducationMatters #empowerment #EducationForAll

What? You can leave a group that doesn't align with your values and fails to consider or represent your beliefs? Really? Seems like something Joseph Turner should try. I expect more rural Virginia school boards will choose to move toward the new entity, highlighting a pretty clear urban-rural divide with more social issues defining the break than policy issues. The math, though, continues to be in favor of the larger municipalities and urban counties in the I-95/I-64 crescent, and will be until we can find more common-ground education issues. I expect the short-term implications to be bad for policies rural localities want. https://lnkd.in/ewfN3QHX

"School boards across America are under attack." The recent disruptions at school board meetings are more than just conflicts over educational policies; they're indicative of a larger struggle over the future of public education. Dig into the deeper story behind these clashes, their impact on our educational landscape and how we can better engage with them.👇 #schoolboards #usc #education