If You Think Elections Are Scary...
...Try Ignorance
Welcome to Forza’s Halloween Special!
In this quick and pithy issue, you’ll find plenty of reason to turn your attention to what should really scare you this coming week. Yes, sure, the usual - death, taxes, living in poverty - but what if you could turn fear into action, anxiety into joy, loathing into love? All Hallow’s Eve is the perfect time to remind yourself what your real fears in life should be about, and then rather than planning to ring your hands if Tuesday doesn’t go your way, resolve to do something about the challenges that persist even when your favorite candidates get elected.
How the Feds Make Career Pathways More Difficult
There’s not one smart pol out there that doesn’t mention helping our young people or struggling adults to reconnect to education and career pathways. More programs and more money are promised year after year after year to make it easier to receive critical education and training necessary to achieve a career trajectory that is satisfying and that fills a national need. And yet, according to the report by AEI’s Michael Brickman, 11 Ways the Federal Government Is Making It More Difficult to Access Career Pathways, well-intentioned supporters of the education and workforce regulatory state have created a system that seems almost purposely designed to kill innovation and opportunity.
Alabama Aerospace & Aviation High School, Bessemer, AL, top, and Build UP Community School, Birmingham, AL, above.
We must abandon our obsession with trying to bubble wrap learners in protective regulations and instead embrace a flexible structure that allows anyone to serve learners, with additional funds flowing to only those who succeed in doing so.
The reality is that it’s the K-12 providers who focus on skills and future-looking education and workforce development that show the way. These education models
from among the Yass Prize awardees are all using innovative approaches to develop early workforce models outside the existing system, but they all have to fight to be recognized and supported by government programs. Workforce programs are not only misplaced but underfunded. Now that’s scary.
Republicans and Democrats alike agree about the importance of workforce training. They’re right: Despite a recent labor-market cooling, there are still 7.7 million unfilled jobs in the United States.
Unions Cheering They May Kill Education Opportunity?
Isn’t it really scary to consider there is a group there who’s primary focus isn’t fixing issues like what is outlined above, but killing education opportunity? While education freedom has been sweeping the country in the past three years, giving families the opportunity to give their children their education that fits them best, the teachers unions are focused on rolling it back. Taking away opportunity? Incredible. Even ghoulish, one might say. Why would anyone want to see schools like SOAR Academy, SailFuture, Onward Learning, St. Mary’s Academy, OptimaED, Valiant Cross Academy, Urban Prep and so many others not be able to serve the most vulnerable among us?
There are several initiatives on the ballot box the Blob is most interested in. And they may very well win, not because the people do not want education choices, but because ballot initiatives are historically a loss for choice supporters. I’ve been studying this phenomenon since one of the first, in 1991 in California. Unions control how a huge block of people vote - teachers. (At least they did until Covid.) Their apple-shaped sample ballots are solace to people who aren’t involved in the nitty gritty of policy. Unions have money to create and campaign and cajole while parents are busy feeding their families.
That’s why legislative efforts are more informed and more democratic. People have time to get to know their candidates and decide if they represent them or not. A legislator’s primary job is to know the issues, so we do not have to become experts on everything. Those that do, even when we disagree sometimes, keep getting elected. Integrity works that way. It isn’t the same with initiatives.
So don’t assume the worst if school choice fails at these ballot boxes this year. It’s the people you elect that can undo any treachery and tricks the union ghosts deploy to fight opportunity.
Run Don’t Walk - It’s the Blob!!!!!!!!!!
People ask why they do it; the opponents of change. To explain, back by popular demand we reprise this oldie but goodie, our annual short Halloween flick, which explains why we call it the Blob.
Click and watch. Then put on your superhero costume and vow to fight for justice and the American Way, starting with education opportunity for everyone.
The Pastor and the Politician
Thankfully after a scary week we can look forward to All Saint’s Day on November 1, a day to remember and try to model ourselves who, like us, walked the earth yet lived a life worthy of Heaven.
You often hear people say about folks who do good things, “Oh he’s a saint!” Indeed, there are saints among us every day, flawed humans that do good things for others amidst their daily life.
Pastor Josh Robertson is one such little saint, who gave up a comfortable perch as a popular pastor to open a school for his flock, and to advocate for school choices for people precisely like them. It has cost him friends and drawn enemies, but he perseveres.
This past week, the Pastor hosted VP Candidate JD Vance to talk about education. (He invited Tim Walz, too). While Vance’s interview was interesting, it was Pastor Josh’s part that makes this video worth your while. Would all leaders of local community groups and churches be bold enough - and able to enough - to share the stage with such high level elected officials.
I can just hear some of my detractors now. “Gee, that hat fits her just right!” 😇😂
Halloween is such fun when you have little kids. At home, in the community and at school the nonsensical holiday is just a great little break from it all, a time to be creative, to have fun, to be treated or enjoy some old fashioned tricks. For some, the fright is the fun.
We are just a few days away from a very big election day, and what I, like many of you fear most is that friends, family and colleagues - not to mention our nation’s new leaders - will behave more like children than adults at a time when everyone will need to come together regardless of outcome and move forward on the paths that unite us. I’m hoping that’s a path toward education opportunity and innovation for you and all of us.
So put your extra candy aside and let’s watch the ensuing events unfold together! Will be back post-election with reports of where we go next, fresh from the Power of Innovation Summit. It’s not too late to join us!
Happy Halloween!
Peace. Jeanne