http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/47966021.html

In the secret budget negotiations (the Assembly Democrats have closed their caucus) where the state budget is being hashed out, the Democrats have decided that they’ve had enough of the school choice program.  They originally wanted to cut the number to 20,500, but they “compromised” at 21,500.

First, this is policy and does not belong in a budget that is only half-heartedly being debated anyway.  This way, goes the thinking, no one has to really be responsible, because they can say things like “Oh, well, it was the best deal we could get.”

But more importantly, people are choosing to send their children to these schools.  If you believe people can make decisions for themselves and their children, this is ridiculous–Democrats want to take the option away to make sure union-run schools have a monopoly on education.  This would at least be arguable if MPS was a decent school district, but it is pretty apparent that it is not.  The people who are howling over school choice should take a long look at themselves in the mirror and ask themselves why 20,000 children are not coming to their schools and what they are going to do about it.