Excellent, detailed report, telling us what many missives have already stated: Iowa is diverting a growing percentage of its K-12 educational dollars to private schools, accelerating declining attendance at public schools and rising attendance at private, even though DOLLARS PER STUDENT to public schools is increasing. What is missing in all these laments, including this one, is "What's to be done about it?" Options--
1. Bad: Kill the ESA program? Good luck, given the lamentable political incompetence of Iowa D's.
2. Better: Require private ESA admissions to be subject to same criteria as public; i.e., take all willing comers, likely requiring a lottery to be fair? Sounds great, but would require legislation and bilateral support.
3. Best: Acknowledge the competition and rise to meet it like every other enterprise in America. Competition sharpens your game, forces one to meet the needs of your clients (students/families, not teachers/administrators), and display a detailed description of your final product--the high school graduate in all his/her dimensions--and follow the outcome of each. Hire administrators with outside-the-box ideas, energy and enthusiasm. The public schools have enormous built-in advantages over private--wake up to them and use them. End the wailing and start the work.
Excellent, detailed report, telling us what many missives have already stated: Iowa is diverting a growing percentage of its K-12 educational dollars to private schools, accelerating declining attendance at public schools and rising attendance at private, even though DOLLARS PER STUDENT to public schools is increasing. What is missing in all these laments, including this one, is "What's to be done about it?" Options--
1. Bad: Kill the ESA program? Good luck, given the lamentable political incompetence of Iowa D's.
2. Better: Require private ESA admissions to be subject to same criteria as public; i.e., take all willing comers, likely requiring a lottery to be fair? Sounds great, but would require legislation and bilateral support.
3. Best: Acknowledge the competition and rise to meet it like every other enterprise in America. Competition sharpens your game, forces one to meet the needs of your clients (students/families, not teachers/administrators), and display a detailed description of your final product--the high school graduate in all his/her dimensions--and follow the outcome of each. Hire administrators with outside-the-box ideas, energy and enthusiasm. The public schools have enormous built-in advantages over private--wake up to them and use them. End the wailing and start the work.
Great reporting! THANKS