The Bush administration is all about providing school choice in education. Hence charter schools, the transfer option in the federal No Child Left Behind Act and Republicans’ annual (but mostly unsuccessful) federal push for vouchers. But some argue that parents, particularly those from the neediest families, don’t have the information they need and aren’t equipped to make complicated decisions about the best schools for their children. What Would You Say If You Weren’t Afraid lets loose on this one, disputing that stereotype. The Quick and The Ed opine here about all manner of parental involvement, including the school choice aspect.
One little-discussed part of the No Child Left Behind Act is its requirement that federally-funded Parental Information Resource Centers, or PIRCs, help provide parents with the information they need to make school choice decisions, among other services. This Education Week commentary outlines just why the PIRCs and parental involvement are crucial to the success of the law. But the PIRCs have been under fire in the past and President Bush has consistently tried to cut funding for PIRCs. President Bush’s proposed 2008 budget would again eliminate funding for the program.