Video: The Constitution and School Choice
What do the U.S. and Pennsylvania Constitutions say about school choice, teacher tenure, standardized testing, and more? The National Constitution Center hosted three events on November 2 exploring these questions.
If you would like to watch a video replay of the discussions, here are links to video along with a description of each event.
Event One: Education in Philadelphia
Mark Gleason of the Philadelphia School Partnership, Deborah Gordon Klehr of the Education Law Center, and Ina Lipman of the Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia examine the state of Philadelphia public education, what an “equal education” in Philadelphia would look like, and their specific proposals for getting there. They also explain what, if anything, the Pennsylvania state constitution says about these questions, and how state government interacts with local government in setting education policy. Kristen Graham, education reporter at the Philadelphia Inquirer, moderates.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN4c5eT5wOY
Event Two: A Perspective from the Field
The keynote presentation features Dr. William R. Hite, Jr., Superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia, who offers his perspective on the issues facing Philadelphia schools.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC3Z2H1lLDk
Event Three: Liberty and Equality in American Education
James Finberg of Altshuler Berzon and Joshua Lipshutz of Gibson Dunn—two attorneys involved in Vergara v. California, a landmark dispute over the legality of teacher retention policies—present the best arguments on both sides and discuss what’s next in the case. They also explain what the U.S. Constitution and major Supreme Court cases like Brown v. Board of Education, San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez and Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 say about education and our national debates. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the Center, moderates.
