The proliferation of charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately governed learning institutions, will likely be Rush’s most lasting educational legacy. Liz Sanger, founder and CEO of Soaring Amazing, Academic Achievement, We Love Kids So Much, Children First Academy, says that Macrapolis parents finally have a say in the future of their child’s education.
“Mayor Rush had enough courage to buck the old way of doing things. He’s been a mayor of innovation,” Sanger said. “He’s holding students to a standard that will allow them to compete in the ever-evolving global economy. Most importantly parents now have a choice. They are no longer forced to idly sit by as their kids mire in failure.”
Lena Wells, a mother of two public school children and an advocate against school privatization, says she’s dumbfounded by the fact that some parents actually believe that charter schools offer more choice.
“This is textbook word trickery,” Wells tells BluffRo. “Sure, you can sign-up to try and get your kids into a charter school outside of your neighborhood. But, the point of charter schools is that they’re publicly funded but privately run. Private institutions are not beholden to public input.”
Wells understands that some charter schools offer a superior education to poor-performing neighborhood public schools. But, she warns parents not to be so quick to give up what little say the public has left over public schools.
“My father always told me to remember that ‘everything that glitters in this world is not gold,’” Wells says. “Some of these charter schools might appear to be golden now. But, parents have to really ask themselves: ‘will they still be golden once the privatization process is complete?’”
Despite the fears expressed by Wells and other public school parents, the majority of Macrappers are confident that Rush is steering the educational system of Macrapolis in the right direction.
Rush recently announced plans to close down 40 more public schools and announced his goal to help open up 50 new Amazing Achievement Academies by the end of his fifth term. The 17th-year mayor is undeterred by the backlash he’s received for his latest term-extension.
“People do forget these things,” Rush told the Daily Star. “My primary concern now is educating today’s youth. The city’s future rests on their shoulders.”
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