Seymour Invites Obama to Visit Charter School
Seymour Invites Obama to Visit Charter School
ACT Leader David Seymour has invited former US President Barack Obama to visit a charter school during his upcoming visit of New Zealand.
“Charter schools were a fundamental part of President Obama’s education reforms. He perfectly summed up their logic during 'National Charter Schools Week' in 2012:
'Charter schools serve as incubators of innovation. These institutions give educators the freedom to cultivate new teaching models and develop creative methods to meet students' needs. This unique flexibility is matched by strong accountability and high standards, so underperforming charter schools can be closed, while those that consistently help students succeed can serve as models of reform for other public schools.'
“President Obama didn’t approach charter schools as a left-right issue. He knew that a child’s education was far more important than ideological purity and kowtowing to vocal interest groups.
“In the US, teachers’ unions, and some Democrats, are bitterly opposed to charter schools. Obama stared them down and expanded charter schools anyway.
“New Zealand can learn from the US charter school experience. I genuinely hope that President Obama can visit one of these popular and successful schools“, says Mr Seymour.