MAINE CENTER for CONSTITUTIONAL STUDIES
Your Parental Rights and School Choice
Within the next few weeks, the Maine
Legislature will make decisions critical to your child's education
and your rights as a parent to choose what mode of education works best for
your child.
On April 28, the future of a digital
learning bill (Sen. Alfond) will be decided. It is
the opinion of many education advocates that virtual schools are the
cost-effective personalized education model for the future - one which has the
possibility of restoring America to global competitiveness. MCCS agrees!
On Monday, May 2, public hearings are scheduled at 1:00pm
on bills which would enhance your choices as a parent. LD-0250 An Act To Permit Tuition Subsidies by
Municipalities would allow towns to offer tuition
subsidies for parents who choose to send their children to schools
other than free public schools. LD-1424 An Act To Enhance Parental Roles in
Education Choice is a bill intended to empower parents to force a public
school to make improvements by petition. As strong supporters of Parents Right
and School Choice, MCCS finds both of these pieces of legislation are the right
direction for Maine education. Both bills are sponsored by Rep.Amy
Volk of Scarborough.
The
message of School Choice is very simple: let parents decide which kind of
school works best for their child. It might be a charter school (which
is just another type of public school), a cyberschool, a private school, a
religious school, or a traditional public school. Whichever option they choose,
parents should have the right to decide which school will best help their
child to learn and grow ... and succeed..
In support of the May 2 bills and other efforts at
School Choice, MCCS has invited an expert in education
reform to testify. Bruno Behrend, Esq., is Director of Education Reform
for The Heartland Institute. He is a strong supporter for enabling parents
and students to choose for themselves which education model works best for
them.
Open Discussion Forum
MCCS wants to give you a chance to
meet Mr. Behrend in an open discussion forum. You're invited to join Bruno on
Sunday, May 1, at Becky's Diner on Commercial Street in Portland - any time
between 2:30pm amd 5:30pm.
Who: Bruno Behrend, Esq., is Director of Education Reform for The Heartland InstituteWhere: Becky's Diner on Commercial Street in PortlandWhen: Sunday afternoon, any time between 2:30pm and 5:30pmWhat: Q&A open discussion on School Choice, Maine's current legislative proposals, what's happening around the Nation to reform and improve education
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Schedule Opportunities
Mr. Behrend will be in Augusta most of Monday, May 2. We have
reserved some times for other interested groups to meet with him directly.
Sunday morning, May 1; Monday morning, May 2; and Tuesday late morning,
lunch and early afternoon are available. Please contact kcapron@maineccs.org ASAP if you would
like a close encounter.
Note: tentatively we will be meeting with charter school advocates on Tuesday Morning in Augusta. Time and Place still pending.
Sincerely,
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Kenneth A. Capron, Founder, CEO Maine Center for Constitutional Studies 1375 Forest Avenue D-11 Portland, Maine 04103 Phone: 207-797-7891 Email: kcapron@maineccs.org |
FACT: The State of Maine spends $11,644 to educate each child in the public
school system. (Fiscal year 2007, NCES Report Released 2009).
School
Choice
Opportunity
Scholarships (School Vouchers)
School vouchers give parents the freedom to use all or part of the tax funding set aside for their children's education to send their children to the public or private school of their choice. Vouchers can take different forms - including universal voucher programs, income-based voucher programs, vouchers for children performing poorly in public school or who are attending failing public schools, or special needs vouchers.
School vouchers give parents the freedom to use all or part of the tax funding set aside for their children's education to send their children to the public or private school of their choice. Vouchers can take different forms - including universal voucher programs, income-based voucher programs, vouchers for children performing poorly in public school or who are attending failing public schools, or special needs vouchers.
Virtual
Schools and Online Schooling
Virtual schools are institutions that teach students entirely or primarily through online curriculum. They provide flexibility and allow for highly individualized, personalized instruction. In some states, virtual schools must have a brick-and-mortar location where children go to receive online instruction. In other states, online instruction can be done from home.
Virtual schools are institutions that teach students entirely or primarily through online curriculum. They provide flexibility and allow for highly individualized, personalized instruction. In some states, virtual schools must have a brick-and-mortar location where children go to receive online instruction. In other states, online instruction can be done from home.
Homeschooling
Parents who choose homeschooling educate their children outside of public or private schools, typically within their own homes. This method of education is becoming more and more common in the United States, growing from about 15,000 students in 1970 to approximately 1.5 million as of 2007, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Many states require standardized test scores, curriculum approval, and regular professional evaluation of students.
Parents who choose homeschooling educate their children outside of public or private schools, typically within their own homes. This method of education is becoming more and more common in the United States, growing from about 15,000 students in 1970 to approximately 1.5 million as of 2007, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Many states require standardized test scores, curriculum approval, and regular professional evaluation of students.
Charter Schools
Charter schools combine the accountability and oversight of traditional public schools with the flexibility of private schools. Charters are tuition-free independent publicly funded schools that are freed from many state and local rules and regulations in exchange for increased financial and academic accountability. Parental involvement is strongly encouraged. Charters are open to all children - students are selected at random. The schools are accountable for results-based student achievement. As of 2010, 39 states and Washington, D.C., have charter school laws. There are currently more than 4,000 charter schools in the United States.
Charter schools combine the accountability and oversight of traditional public schools with the flexibility of private schools. Charters are tuition-free independent publicly funded schools that are freed from many state and local rules and regulations in exchange for increased financial and academic accountability. Parental involvement is strongly encouraged. Charters are open to all children - students are selected at random. The schools are accountable for results-based student achievement. As of 2010, 39 states and Washington, D.C., have charter school laws. There are currently more than 4,000 charter schools in the United States.
Section 1. Legislature shall require towns to support public schools; duty of Legislature. A general diffusion of the advantages of education being essential to the preservation of the rights and liberties of the people; to promote this important object, the Legislature are authorized, and it shall be their duty to require, the several towns to make suitable provision, at their own expense, for the support and maintenance of public schools; and it shall further be their duty to encourage and suitably endow, from time to time, as the circumstances of the people may authorize, all academies, colleges and seminaries of learning within the State; provided, that no donation, grant or endowment shall at any time be made by the Legislature to any literary institution now established, or which may hereafter be established, unless, at the time of making such endowment, the Legislature of the State shall have the right to grant any further powers to alter, limit or restrain any of the powers vested in any such literary institution, as shall be judged necessary to promote the best interests thereof.
Tinkle,
pp 127. 'The section is said to vest "wide authority" in the legislature to
carry out the "all-important" policy of ensuring an educated populace.'
Bruno Behrend, J.D. is the
Director of the Heartland Center for School Choice. He comes to Heartland with a
strong background in public policy, communications, as well as experience in the
political arena.In 2008, Mr. Behrend co-authored Illinois Deserves Better - The Ironclad Case for an Illinois Constitutional Convention, which coincided with a campaign to pass a referendum calling for a Constitutional Convention. He also served as an adviser various groups seeking to rewrite the Legislative article of the Illinois Constitution, an effort which may be voted on in the 2010 election.
In 2009, Mr. Behrend served as the Policy Director/Strategist to a Gubernatorial Candidate in the Illinois Primary election.
From 2006 through 2008, Mr Behrend hosted a radio show in the Northern Chicago Metropolitan area. The show showcased various authors and policy specialists, ranging from publisher, Steve Forbes, Phoenix University Founder John Sperling, columnist Mark Steyn, author Shelby Steele, and Heartland Senior Fellow Jay Lehr.
He is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, where he earned his degree in Finance. He earned his J.D. from IIT-Kent College of Law in 1990, and is licensed to practice law in the state of Illinois.