he narrative of people who oppose ‘school choice’ is well documented. The same talking points are brought up again and again and usually dominate the conversation. It’s time to re-frame the narrative, get real about the misinformation being spread and lead these conversations with a children-first line of thought. Here are Citizen Stewart‘s 26 new rules for the education reform debate:
1. If you’ve never agonized about selecting a school for your kid, don’t oppose choice.
2. If you aren’t currently responsible for closing the achievement gap, shut up about those who are – you are not an expert. Just listen.
3. If you don’t believe that poor children and children of color can learn at high levels, don’t teach in their schools.
4. If you benefited from a private school education, don’t come up with fancy reasons to deny others the same.
5. If your only experience in teaching low-income students is bad experience, don’t write a book about education.