Black leaders rethink vouchers

What's happening in Florida mirrors the same in South Carolina (see my email of July 25th: http://edreform.blogspot.com/2007/07/blacks-rethink-school-choice.html): more and more black politicians are embracing parental choice as an option for kids trapped in failing schools.  From John Kirtley:

Whitney, as a founder of DFER I thought you would be  interested in the article. Unmentioned in the article is the fact that Mrs.Meek, an icon of the Democratic Party and a champion of the poor, has started  her scholarship effort in partnership with the Black Alliance For Educational  Options. This is similar to an effort by Dwight Evans, Chairman of the House  Appropriations Committee in Pennsylvania and current candidate for Mayor in  Philadelphia.
 
Also omitted is the fact that at our rally this spring,  which brought over 4,500 to our distant capitol, one of our speakers was Rev.  H.K. Matthews, the most revered civil rights leader in Florida who marched  with King at Selma and was jailed 35 times in Florida in his efforts to bring  equality to Florida. You can also see him and Senator Lawson  address the crowd in this video:  http://www.youtube.com/flacetampa <http://www.youtube.com/flacetampa>  

    We believe that all of this is further evidence that parental choice for  low income families in Florida will have broad bipartisan support.

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Black leaders rethink vouchers:
A longtime politician has broken ranks, and others may follow.
By RON MATUS, Times Staff Writer
Published August 12, 2007

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/08/12/Hillsborough/Black_leaders_rethink.shtml
 
 
For years, teachers and others who opposed private school vouchers in Florida could count on black lawmakers to stand with them. But there are signs that support may be cracking.