When I saw this link on Edspresso, I thought, “Great. The federal government is, as usual, telling the states how to run schools — which neither state nor federal government can do very well.” Then I read Arne Duncan’s statement on charter schools:

He wants Illinois to lift its cap on charter schools. State law says there can be no more than 60 charter schools in the state, but there is demand for more than that. Why the cap? Because charter school teachers usually don’t have unions, and the teachers unions see that as a threat.

“Great charters make a huge difference in kids’ lives. What I loved about charters is they’re a school of choice,” Duncan said. “If kids stop showing up, we’ll take the school out. The money follows the kid.”

Hear, hear. I still don’t think the federal government should tell states how long their school days or years should be. Nonetheless, enthusiasm for charters and choice is welcome from all corners.