The NEA’s letter [to U.S. Senators claiming erroneously, according to the WSJ, that the D.C. voucher program lowered student achievement] was a pre-emptive strike against the possibility that 750,000 students in military families would benefit from vouchers. That idea was raised in a Senate hearing this month, when military families explained that frequent moves and inconsistent schooling was harmful to their children. “The creation of a school voucher program should be considered,” Air Force wife Patricia Davis dared to say.
President Obama pledged to support whatever works in schools, ideology notwithstanding. But neither he nor Mr. Duncan have dared to speak truth to the power of the NEA. Military families can join urban parents on the list of those who matter less to the NEA than does maintaining the failed status quo.
Wall Street Journal Editorial on the NEA’s opposition to allowing military families to use school vouchers.