Will Teachers Save Public Schools?
As alternatives like vouchers and charter schools gain momentum, time may be running out
Congress plans to forward the education savings bill this week to President Clinton, who has vowed to veto it on grounds it amounts to a federal subsidy of private and parochial schools. Clinton has promoted a range of reforms to strengthen public schools, from higher and tougher standards to performance-based pay and other teacher reforms that clash with union policies. He has drawn the line, however, at backing reforms that would siphon public monies away from public schools.
No deal. Clinton's opposition to the education savings bill is so strong that he recently turned down a GOP offer of support for his own reform proposals in return for his signing the bill, according to a senator involved in the negotiations. Clinton's reform proposal would provide federal funding for 100,000 new teachers and $22 billion in bonds for new schools construction. White House spokesman Joe Lockhart denied that the White House received an "explicit" offer from Republicans on school bonds and funds for new teachers, but said there was a "very high degree of probability" that the White House would reject any deal from Republicans that forced it to accept education savings accounts.
Congressional Republicans say they aren't very troubled by Clinton's likely veto. Sensing voters' frustration with public education, they are eager to use the veto against the president and the Democratic party. Says Rep. Mark Neumann of Wisconsin, who is challenging incumbent Democratic freshman Sen. Russ Feingold: "Education is the No. 1 issue when we discuss social policy." Neumann plans to run television and radio ads accusing Feingold of denying families an opportunity to save for their kids' educations.
The national leaders of the NEA and AFT face a difficult future. They can fight competitive alternatives to traditional public schools. But in the absence of major reforms that restore confidence in the traditional school system, their battles won't amount to much more than a rear-guard action.
Public education's troubles Over half of the 1,795 teacher candidates in Massachusetts failed a test of basic skills. An international study found that the longer U.S. students stay in school, the further they fall behind their counterparts abroad.
Recent milestones June 9: Financier Theodore Forstmann and retailing heir John Walton pledge $100 million to establish private voucher programs in cities. June 10: The Wisconsin Supreme Court upholds the use of vouchers to send low-income Milwaukee students to parochial schools.
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