Since Republican Gov. Tom Ridge took office in Pennsylvania in 1995, for example, he has championed private school choice. Two attempts to pass voucher bills that included private and religious schools have failed since 1994. But the issue is sure to resurface in a future legislative session. In Connecticut, Republican Gov. John G. Rowland also vigorously advocates vouchers and other forms of private school choice. Finally, a major obstacle to school improvement is money.
Some politicians argue that increasing education budgets means throwing good money after bad.
But educators in virtually every state report financial pressures. Many are struggling to hold their ground in the wake of booming student enrollments, rampant child poverty, and rising rates of violence and drug abuse in the neighborhoods surrounding their schools. School-finance lawsuits that challenge the equitable distribution of education spending are currently pending in a dozen states. Yet despite all these obstacles, there is enough research and anecdotal evidence about successful schools to tell us what is most likely to improve schooling and student performance. The problem is creating public awareness and support for these solutions, so that policymakers and educators will apply them and have the patience to stick with them.