by Joseph L. Bast and Joy Pullmann
Sometimes, it seems as though the debate over school reform takes place in an alternate universe where time passes but nothing really changes. Complaints about the quality of public education were widespread in the 1980s and even in the 1950s and before, and they sound surprisingly similar to those heard today.
Thankfully, new ideas occasionally penetrate the fog of politics. One such idea is the Parent Trigger, the notion that if a majority of parents and guardians of children
attending a particular public school sign a petition demanding reform, then the school district must do as the parents ask. Seven states have adopted some version
of the Parent Trigger and some 20 states have seen bills introduced.
