SCHOOL FOR THOUGHT

Choice is for the few—for now

Seems that People for Education have been reading the pages of the Society for Quality Education all along!  This National Post article about the York Region school board’s decision to possibly axe an elementary arts school program makes me wonder.

The quote that is used, and highlighted in the print version (“Choice is open to those with the capacity to choose.”) is taken almost verbatim from a speech given by renowned black educator and school choice advocate, Dr. Howard Fuller, during an SQE-sponsored Toronto trip.  It’s not the first time either.

Fuller’s full speech to the Economic Club of Toronto can be found on our website here.  Here is the pertinent excerpt:

        “Those of us with money have the capacity to choose and the great hypocrisy that operates are those individuals who would never put their own children in certain schools denying poor parents the capacity to do it. We have teachers who teach in schools they would never put their own children in, demanding that other people’s children stay there. I find that to be hypocritical. We’ve got politicians running around talking about how important the public school structure is and then you ask them, ‘Well, where do your children go to school?’”  — Dr. Howard Fuller, January 2008 address to the Economic Club of Toronto.

That is particularly interesting since Ms. Kidder herself has taken advantage of similar public alternative schools for her own children—to which she has always admitted.

It is not clear if People for Education is advocating for alternative schools or opposing them?  Do they want to retain the status quo, where only the wealthy can pay tuition or afford a house in a pricier neighborhood?

Of COURSE people with money have more options. That is self evident.  The Society for Quality Education has been a long-time advocate for parental school choice so that ALL parents have access to mechanisms that allow them to choose the sort of schooling they want for their children, especially disadvantaged and low income families. 

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PS to the above post:  This is the same school board that closed Flowervale traditional model school in Thornhill.  See Malkin’s past post here and our original newsletter story on Flowervale here.

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Quick note to readers: Cathy Cove and Elizabeth Bundy-Cooper have co-edited a book of first-hand stories of victims of the Goderich, Ontario tornado.  Not Like Any Other Sunday can be purchased by emailing: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  Proceeds go to Victim Services of Huron County.  You can read more about the book in Moira MacDonald’s SUN column here.