Election Day and Public Education 

In addition to electing a president, citizens of states like Georgia and Massachusetts will have to vote in favor for or against potential  laws that can change the make up of their public school education systems.

Massachusetts’ voters have to answer the following question, known as Question 2:

Can the state add up to 12 charter schools (or expand existing charter schools) a year?

At first, I was indifferent to the result, as charter schools in Massachusetts tend to perform better than district schools and none of them are for-profit.

But, at the end of the day, public schools are closing because of the increase charter schools. How can e create a system such that students and teachers aren’t harmed due to diverted chart school funds? Charters schools may be considered “winning,” but we should acknowledge that there are serious losers in this unfortunate race, which include dedicated teachers who would like to be protected by a union or students who want to stay at their community school.

In Georgia, voters are being asked whether or not they want the State to intervene in the State’s poorest performing public schools, relinquishing local control.

It would seem that low performing schools need new leadership, so having the State step take on some accountability makes sense. After all, if success isn’t happening at the local level, then who should the baton be given to?

The issue with State control is that, historically speaking, it hasn’t worked.

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