Opinion
Families & the Community Letter to the Editor

‘Parent Trigger’ Measures Are About Opportunity

April 23, 2012 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

Regarding Diane Ravitch’s blog post “The Lesson of Florida” (March 20, 2012), the goal of every educator and advocate of education should be to ensure that all children receive a high-quality education.

It is unfortunate that an achievement gap still exists; however, this gap was much wider before such leaders as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush started taking meaningful actions in education reform.

Contrary to critics’ claims, reforms like “parent trigger” bills are not rooted in advancing the interests of charter schools and for-profit entrepreneurs. No, they are focused on providing every child an opportunity to attend a school that will properly prepare him or her for success in college and a career.

If a school can accomplish this lofty, yet essential, goal and at the same time directly contribute to rebuilding America’s tattered economy, then kudos to it.

However, operating in the black is not the prerequisite for educating the future of our nation. Achieving significant gains is. And what our children desperately need is the opportunity to attend schools that foster significant gains—regardless of whether they’re for-profit or not-for-profit schools—if the schools that students’ ZIP codes assign them to are not getting the job done.

Ms. Ravitch is right about one thing: Democracy did live in Florida this year. Our Founding Fathers would have been proud at the opportunities for discourse and debate from proponents and critics and, ultimately, when a simple majority was not reached on the state Senate floor, the bill died—or at least went into hibernation.

But this begs one question: If democracy lives in state politics, why then can it not find a home in state education? If a simple majority is good enough for politicians to have their voices heard and their presence felt, why is it not good enough for parents at failing schools to have their voices heard and their presence felt?

Matt Minnick

Tallahassee, Fla.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the April 25, 2012 edition of Education Week as ‘Parent Trigger’ Measures Are About Opportunity

Events

School Climate & Safety Webinar Engaging Every Student: How to Address Absenteeism and Build Belonging
Gain valuable insights and practical solutions to address absenteeism and build a more welcoming and supportive school environment.
Student Well-Being K-12 Essentials Forum Social-Emotional Learning 2025: Examining Priorities and Practices
Join this free virtual event to learn about SEL strategies, skills, and to hear from experts on the use and expansion of SEL programs.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Inside PLCs: Proven Strategies from K-12 Leaders
Join an expert panel to explore strategies for building collaborative PLCs, overcoming common challenges, and using data effectively.
Content provided by Otus

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Families & the Community Leader To Learn From From Haircuts to Home Language, One District’s Approach to Family Engagement
Miranda Scully takes an all-hands-on-deck approach to parent engagement in her Kentucky district.
8 min read
Miranda Scully, Director of Family and Community Engagement (FACE) for Fayette County Public Schools, assists students during a ACT prep class held at the Family Connection Center on Dec. 12, 2024, in Lexington, Ky. The Family Connection Center offers programs like ESL classes, college preparation, and household budgeting and money management classes.
Miranda Scully, the director of family and community engagement for the Fayette school district in Kentucky, helps students during an ACT prep class held at the Family Connection Center on Dec. 12, 2024, in Lexington. The Family Connection Center offers programs including English classes for non-native speakers, college preparation, and household budgeting and money management classes.
Michael Swensen for Education Week
Families & the Community Q&A Family Engagement Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All. Here’s How to Do It Right
This Kentucky district leader emphasizes meaningful family engagement training for educators.
4 min read
Miranda Scully, Director of Family and Community Engagement (FACE) for Fayette County Public Schools, stands for a portrait outside the Family Connection Center northern facility on Dec. 12, 2024, in Lexington, Ky. The Family Connection Center offers programs like ESL classes, college preparation, and household budgeting and money management classes.
Miranda Scully, the director of family and community engagement for the Fayette school district, Public Schools, stands outside one of the district's family connection center's on Dec. 12, 2024, in Lexington, Ky. The center offers programs like ESL classes, college preparation, and household budgeting and money management classes.
Michael Swensen for Education Week
Families & the Community Parents Think Their Kids Are Learning a Lot at School. What Do Students Say?
The perception gap between parents and their kids widens as students get older. Does it matter?
5 min read
A student sits quietly, contemplating life while others chat nearby in a bustling school hallway.
iStock/Getty
Families & the Community Language Barriers Keep Parents From Attending School Activities, New Data Show
New data show how big the gap in parental involvement is between Spanish- and English-speaking parents.
3 min read
A photograph of the back of a Hispanic family (mother, daughter, son, and father) walking together in a school parking lot. Both kids are wearing winter hats and carrying bookbags on their backs.
E+