Quotations from Cut to the Chase: Reinventing
Public Education |
The world of the 21st century, which is rapidly unfolding before our very eyes, requires that we break away from constructs, systems, and methods that have outlived their usefulness. We must strive to develop new means-ends relationships for education that will give all of our children and youth, irrespective of their socio-economic background, a greater chance of making a better life for themselves.
From Al Fiorino, "Preface"A radical reconstruction of the educational system has the potential of staving off social conflict while at the same time strengthening the growth in living standards made possible by the new technology and the increasingly global market. In my view, such a radical reconstruction can be achieved only by privatizing a major segment of the educational system—that is, by enabling a private, for-profit industry to develop that will provide a wide variety of learning opportunities and offer effective competition to public schools.
The virtue of tax credits is that, unlike vouchers, they do not transfer money from the states, either to schools or to taxpayers. Therefore, they carry less threat of government regulation of private schools and less risk of entanglement between church and state.
From Milton Friedman, "How Can We Fix Our Public Schools? By Making Them Private"
From Lawrence W. Reed, "A New Direction for Education Reform"
In The Abolition of Man, C. S. Lewis points out the consequence of trying to use education to remake society: human beings don't reform; they disappear, along with their freedom. That's what's at stake in the fight over education. We must do what we can to curb the power of the engineers in the short term. Ultimately we must overturn them.
From Larry P. Arnn, "The Stakes are High"
In my view, given the consistency among the Canadian, American and international law on the point, the liberty interest in s. 7 of the Charter comprehends the right of parents to educate their children and establish private schools.
From Neil Finkelstein, "Legal and Constitutional Aspects of Public Funding for Private Schools in Ontario"
But education of the public does not necessarily mean public education, and public education does not necessarily mean public delivery. Government does not need to deliver education, but only provide the means for delivering it. It can do so most fully if it gives equal funding to all children directly to their parents so they can choose schools, whether public or private, which will best serve their needs, whether religious, academic or otherwise.
From Rose Andrachuk, "Our Children Deserve the Best"
Effective leadership and sound management are the result of a combination of ‘flesh and bones’, an active mind, and a restless spirit in search for answers and innovative solutions to human problems, be they individual or organizational. In times of rapid change, this mix of qualities is indispensable and augers well for that individual who possesses it.
From Al Fiorino, "Educational Leadership in Times of Rapid Change"
These systems have become over the years dysfunctional and are no longer capable of effectively meeting the needs of the learner and of the communities in which they operate. In a desperate effort to extend their life-span, they are resorting to a variety of methods by which to micromanage their internal environments to the detriment of learning, teaching, and the professional development of their personnel. The end result is the removal of any trace of spontaneity, enthusiasm, autonomy, self-expression, creativity from the learning and teaching process. This is happening in societies and states which purport to be at the same time advancing the cause of human liberty and democracy or championing the entrenchment of charters of rights and freedoms in their constitutions. We all seem to be oblivious to this blatant contradiction. We have lost sight of the essential link that exists between the building of a free society, the human person, and education.
From Al Fiorino, "Closing Thoughts"