Education reform is not just for the rich

“With the passing of the “historic educational reform bill,” Republicans have proved once again that they “are only for the rich.” True education reform comes with school choice and the only part of the bill relating to school choice had to do with home schooling. With the middle class shrinking in America, how many families can afford to have one parent at home?

There are benefits to home schooling because it allows children to learn at their own pace, allowing every child to express their uniqueness with no core curriculum. Not every child learns the same nor do they learn at the same pace. There are no gaps in their learning, and there is no need for remedial courses as they advance.

In fact, research done at the University of Iowa called “A Nation Deceived” concluded that if a child were allowed to learn at his or her own pace, they would complete two grades a year, and slow down as they progressed in their education.

True educational reform allows parents to decide what is in the best interest of their children. Our laws on charter schools need to be modified, so that parents and students are empowered. Massachusetts is No. 1 in education because of school choice and charter schools.

Michael Anthony

Waterloo