Conclusion
As part of a weekly series exploring the policy positions of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, this article examines Mitt Romney's education plan: what it claims, what it promises, and whether it delivers. Make sure to check back on Wednesday for a full analysis of Barack Obama's education plans, and follow PoliticOlogy for weekly analyses of the candidates' positions.
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Aside from the occasional report from partisan non-profits, like the Reaganesque Center for Education Reform, there is no research to prove the value of choice systems in schools. While most people will acknowledge that the status quo is certainly not serving a significant portion of the population, education reform experts will be disparaging of vouchers and charters, arguing instead for a more holistic approach to education.
So, briefly, here’s why Romney’s planned voucher system won’t work: choice rarely applies to low-income families, there is a cap on school capacity, perfect mobility and information don’t exist, and test scores rarely correspond to the quality of teaching. (Whew, glad to get that off my chest.)
What, then, are the options?
Larry Mischel, Helen Ladd Pedro Noguera and Tom Payzant have organized an initiative to support a Broader, Bolder Approach to Education (BBA), which focuses on early childhood development, building connections between schools, communities and local businesses, and improving schools through Peer Assistance and Review rather than test-based teacher evaluations.
At Brockton High School, similar approaches have been extremely successful. But it has been hard for reformers to galvanize widespread, systematic changes. Why? Because there is almost no political will or money. In a recent interview, Dr. Noguera pointed out "there is difference between policy advocacy and implementation," highlighting the practical issues surrounding education reform. He said that BBA has had some success in Newark, NJ, mostly by improving the test scores. But political leaders have not latched on to the idea of a comprehensive/holistic approach to education.
When he unveiled his plans for education reform, Romney made it clear that he would be adopting Milton Friedman’s idea from the 1950s. Focusing on the choice and freedom associated with vouchers, Romney failed to mention that choice systems have had negligible effects on student academic achievement. More to the point, he failed to mention that vouchers, plain and simple, don’t work at all.
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Related Post: Romney’s Bold, Unprecedented Plan To Do Nothing About Education
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