The American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, released its 19th annual report card on American education late last month.
Lindsay Russell, Director of the ALEC Task Force on Education, says the organization tracks state education performance and progress over time. Russell says the report card ranks education policy based on six areas.
"State academic standards, charter school laws, home schooling regulations, private school choice programs, overall teacher quality and digital learning opportunities. This year Nebraska received a D+ in ALEC education policy grade and was ranked 35th by the NAEP, National Assessment of Educational Progress.”
Russell says the report gives states a good snapshot of where they are with their educational policy especially in terms of school choices. She says the report card also gives states some ideas of where there are opportunities for improvement.
Jay Sears is Program Director of Instructional Advocacy for the Nebraska State Education Association. He says the report is flawed, and the organization has an agenda.
“Their agenda is charter schools, and choice, and letting anyone in to the profession to teach, and so we take what their reports are with a grain of salt but realize that they help write legislation that some of our legislators will try to introduce in Nebraska.”
Sears says charter schools don’t do better than public schools. He says ALEC is also supported by big business interests.