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Patrick Halpin hosts CER’s Jeanne Allen & Michael Cohen, Special Advisor to the US Secretary of Education under “Goals 2000” in discussing and answering several callers’ questions regarding the falling American educational standards, the mass exodus of teachers from the public school system and the rise of crime in student life & in and out of the classroom, including a look at the different approaches to where federal funding should go and parents’ involvement in their children’s education.

Goals 2000 was part of the the The National Educational Goals were set by the U.S. Congress in the 1990s to set goals for standards-based education reform. Many of these goals were based on the principles of outcomes-based education, and not all of the goals were attained by the year 2000 as was intended.

Following Zelman v. Simmons-Harris, 536 U.S. 639 (2002), a case decided by the United States Supreme Court that tested the allowance of school vouchers in relation to the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, in which a divided Court chose to uphold an Ohio school voucher plan, some 20 states plan to introduce bills that would allow taxpayers’ money to pay for tuition vouchers that parents would be able to use to pay for participating non-public schools.

Florida’s voucher program is cited as being shut down, according to judge’s ruling (citing state constitution), “No revenue of the state… shall ever be taken from the public treasury directly or indirectly in aid of any church, sect, or religious denomination or in aid of any sectarian institution.” These laws and establishment laws similar to it are called “Blaine Provisions”, named for the racist legislator who originally proposed the law.

While voucher proponents claim the law to outdated citing its basis as bigoted & draconian, those who oppose vouchers say the law’s origin doesn’t matter; it still must be followed and that the voucher law undermines public schools.

CER Founder Jeanne Allen gives commentary on the law’s foundations in this coverage of the growing movement of school choice.

CER President Kara Kerwin discusses the education crisis in America and the need for reform to the current establishment.

Clint Bolick speaks to Empower America and The Center for Education Reform in 1995.

Sam Brownback speaks to Empower America and The Center for Education Reform in 1995.

Dr. Yvonne Chan’s successful Los Angeles charter school, the Vaughn School (Next Century Learning Center), serves as an example to the power of autonomy in schools. Dr. Chan, along with Vaughn parents and teachers talk about why their school is performing.

CER Founder Jeanne Allen and Boston radio-host Nancy Skinner discuss the controversy surrounding the NEA convention and the larger National Education Association agenda, including the organization’s resistance to education reform across the country.

Leah Vukmir, President and Founder of Parents Raising Educational Standards In Schools (PRESS), helps parents become better informed of the education their child receives, from understanding the issues to organizing community committees.

A case study of the positive effects of school choice on Milwaukee, Wisconsin, sponsored by the American Education Reform Council. With commentary from Spence Korte, Ph.D. — Former Superintendent, Milwaukee Public Schools, Howard Fuller, Ph.D. — Former Superintendent, Milwaukee Public Schools, John Norquist — (former) Mayor of Milwaukee, Caroline Hoxby, Ph.D. — Professor of Economics, Harvard University, and others.

Center for Education Reform founder Jeanne Allen and Mark Egan of the Nation School Boards Association discuss Pell grants for K-12 students in failing and under-performing schools. The proposed plan would allow students with a grant to attend a private school that they choose.