No reform allowed, just send money

"This week’s education rally may have provided an unintended lesson on how not to win friends and influence people," The Oklahoman editorialized today.

Participants lobbied for increased school funding. Rep. Lee Denney, R-Cushing, has sought to earmark additional money to schools. So how did the assembled teachers and administrators respond when Denney addressed them? The Associated Press reported that Denney “drew boos and was heckled repeatedly after she mentioned charter schools in her speech.” In contrast, House Democratic Leader Rep. Scott Inman of Del City was cheered as he urged participants to vote out politicians who fail to pass bills like Denney’s funding measure. So: A Democrat who criticizes lawmakers for failing to pass a Republican’s school-funding bill is treated like a hero, while the author of that funding bill is treated like a leper? Apparently, supporting a $600 million increase in school funding, as Denney has, isn’t enough for the union groups that dominated the rally. You must also oppose implementing any education change, no matter how slight, especially new approaches that generate dramatically improved results among low-income students, as charter schools have done.