Legislature will consider charter schools

I have previously written about Charter schools, public schools which are freed from much of the problematic central regulation which makes it so difficult for good teachers to educate kids beyond test taking skills. I have said that I did not think Alabama would ever have the opportunity to try them. I may have been wrong. There is a new bill coming in front of the legislature in two weeks that has Gov. Bentley's support and the support of the republican held majority. Locally Phil Williams is behind this bill. The AEA and the superintendents are against it. It will be very interesting to see what will happen. I am told that it will only be for a certain population of students and that Birmingham and Montgomery are the favorites to get a nod to try some pilot schools. Politics come to bear in all things. Of course, my personal preference has always been that parents get vouchers to send their child to whatever school they feel will educate them best....public or private. This was a serious consideration during Bush One and I can only wonder how much better off the state of American education would be right now if it that had been allowed to happen.