Dick Morris on School Choice

At FreedomFest in July, Reason's Matt Welch talked with political consultant and Fox News contributor Dick Morris about the school choice movement.

Morris argues that past reforms - such as increased spending, changes in curriculum, and standardized testing, have failed because they don't create the sort of competition and innovation that would come with the implementation of robust school choice that is already happening around the country. The former adviser to Bill Clinton believes school choice is a "game-changer" regarding partisan voting patterns, with Democratic-leaning women voters increasingly interested in broadening the ways in which K-12 education is delivered. As important, he says that the once-immoveable object of the teacher's union "ain't so immoveable."

Shot by Jim Epstein and edited by Anthony L. Fisher. About 2.30 minutes.

Held each July in Las Vegas, FreedomFest is attended by around 2,000 limited-government enthusiasts and libertarians a year. Reason.tv spoke with over two dozen speakers and attendees and will be releasing interviews over the coming weeks.

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Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• dick morris
• school choice
• freedom
• liberty
• standardized testing
• reform
• Bill Clinton

[elricmlbone]

Just listened to that interview with Peter Schiff, Reason shame on you to even validate this asshole!!!

[Buergs323]

To all the haters: I agree Dick Morris is a tool. But I, for as long as I am politically active, will always welcome others to agree with me. Coalitions are wonderful - coalitions of compromise. Compromise is what's destroyed this country. Period. So, to thank, I welcome and thank Dick Morris, even if he's a total tool in many other respects

[UTubekookdetector]

Some have mentioned this, but some voucher laws aren't all they're cracked up to be. Some states are enacting voucher programs, but with strings attached & the state Dept. of Ed looking over their shoulder. AZ's tax credit program (which was upheld by the SCOTUS) is a good start.

[58robbo]

vouchers= the education industrial complex! i cannot grasp how Reason can support this boondoggle?!

[mitziedoll]

Hmm 5% of charters are good? Where would you find quantitative data to support that? Diane has spoke out against using standardized testing as a measure. On that account, I agree with her. But without a state mandated curriculum, how does one suppose that students without those restrictions on their teachers perform. When public schools mold the curriculum around the test in order to receive more funding? As

[robertmike57]

@dogagas I go with Diane Ravitch's assessment that 5% of charter schools are good, she's the expert, I do my own reading/vids reaching a similar conclusion. I have never said all charter schools are bad, know a few are good. Nor KIPP is bad, it's just no better than its additional funding & propaganda. The faux libertarian goal (Reason TV is a Koch front) is to destroy public education by any means necessary . When Reason TV does a 10 minute interview with Ravitch, I might change my mind.

[dogagas]

@robertmike57 the fact that you feel the need to throw out all the good charter schools are doing, and demonize all that support them shows that youre ideologically driven, not result oriented. KIPP improves the academic performance of many of its students. Studies have shown this. Your criticisms are valid, and should be adressed, but you shouldnt skew the impact of a basically good organisation. Nothing is perfect, honest conversation will lead us to a better tomorrow. Abandon ideology tho.

[robertmike57]

@dogagas Trigger in California is mostly about hucksters and conmen coming in school districts and getting a few parents to help make them rich. And KIPP hasn't worked miracles on kids deemed unteachable, it boots those kids out.

[dogagas]

@robertmike57 no, all you've done is point out the flaws of a system that has had many benefits for many kids. Your only argument against KIPP is that it doesnt extend its benefits to all kids, yet even you cannot deny the fact that it has worked miracles on kids who were previously deemed unteachable. . ANd the parents of California voted for the Trigger, a law that allows parents a lot more control over schools, and forces some schools to turn charter, I am not lying about parental support.

[Jidster01]

I wonder if that interview was awkward for Matt Welch to conduct.... I Imagine that it was as excruciating as having his nuts in a vice. That's at least how it would have felt for me. I'm guessing it was more of a promotional thing for searches on youtube to gain more exposure with the right...

[robertmike57]

@dogagas A public common is public education, it's not buying a sack of groceries from a better supermarket. Hell, you can toss bad groceries, but you charter school idiots love tossing children future for the rich hedge fund managers and millionaire school profiteers, which self promoting KIPP does as well with 60% dropout rate. And you're a fucking liar about parents wanting school choice in underprivleged areas, it's schools to be as good as what better areas get.

[robertmike57]

@dogagas Way to go with your non sequitar. I didn't criticize KIPP school teachers, hell, don't know or care if they're union, didn't say there weren't kids who improved performance . What you do is to show your hated toward unions, that's consistent with the Koch Brothers assault on america . I explain why KIPP is shit, you refute none of it.