Want real education reform? Then Sacramento policy makers need a way around local union contracts that prevent the dismissal of ineffective teachers, the leading barrier to improved student performance. School choice is the only real answer.

School choice opponents demand parental responsibility but deny the parental rights necessary to fulfill it. Real parental involvement requires freedom to choose their children’s schools. Until parents can exercise that freedom, stop blaming them for the failures of schools others chose for them.

A special commission of the National Association for College Admission Counseling met last week to discuss the usefulness of standardized tests in college admissions. According to an article in Education Week, the commission would not vote to remove the SAT as an admissions requirement. However, there were many who advocated making the test optional and some who did suggest its removal as a qualification for admission.

Democratic Congressman George Miller of California is chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. As a Democrat in charge of an education committee, one would think Miller would be cozy with teachers unions.  Recently, however, he has sponsored a proposal that has the unions up in arms.

District-run schools see much higher rates of dissatisfaction than charter schools.