New Evidence that Charter Schools Help Even Kids in Other Schools

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703574604574499592392782438.html

Stanford economist Caroline Hoxby recently found that poor urban children who attend a charter school from kindergarten through 8th grade can close the learning gap with affluent suburban kids by 86% in reading and 66% in math.

School Choice

Since when does a politician know what's best for a child that they have never met, don't know the needs of, and only invoke the name of in the hope of garnering votes? You hear many politicians today speak about choice and the right of people to make their own decisions. Why is it that choice and personal decision making only apply to certain issues? If we triumph the ability to go to Walmart, Target, etc. depending on what quality and price we want, why can't we choose the type and quality of education we want for our children?

D.C. Opportunity Scholarships Boost Reading Scores, Family Satisfaction

http://www.heritage.org/Research/Education/wm2391.cfm

"The third-year evaluation reports that the weighted mean tuition of participating private schools was $6,620. But even if private schools charged the full $7,500, that amount is still less than half of the $15,315 that D.C. taxpayers spent per pupil in the 2004–05 school year."

Ahh, the power of the free market: increased quality for less money.