Florida's court decision

News this morning was that Florida's supreme court banned that state's voucher program which gave students in schools judged failing the right to attend other schools, including private schools. Following the court's reasoning observers speculated that charter schools and a program of scholarships for disabled students could also be at risk.

The court's decision was based on a provision in the state constitution that the schools be "uniform," which the court interpreted as meaning the schools should all be the same. In doing so the court seems to have adopted the one size fits all model of education that says one kind of school should meet the needs of all students. The court ignored the constitution's admonition that the system of education should be "excellent."

The list of plaintiff organizations is ironic--and sad. Ironic because the American Civil Liberites Union has adopted the position that the way to defend liberty is to restrict choices. The NAACP, as in Milwaukee, has become an implacable foe of the interests of black parents in improving educational choices for their children. Sad because each organization has historically played a vital role in expanding the rights of Americans.