On Friday, August 17 In Merrimack, New Hamphsire, New York's former mayor restated his longstanding support for k-12 vouchers. According to Libby Quaid of the Associated Press:

Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani on Friday argued for taxpayer-funded vouchers for private elementary and secondary schools, saying school choice works for the nation's colleges and universities.... "How is it that we have the best higher education in the world and a weaker K-through-12 system?" Giuliani said. "What's the difference? Why does one operate so well and the other not nearly as well? American higher education is based on a quintessential American principle -- choice."... As mayor of New York, Giuliani backed vouchers for private and parochial schools in the face of opposition from his own schools chancellor.... "I'd give parents control over their children's education.... We've got to have competition operating. If we don't do that, our education system is going to deteriorate."

The effect on our industry's inside baseball:  Expect kudos from right-of-center policy wonks Checker Finn, Jeanne Allen and Rick Hess. Expect the spirits of the rather small, but vocal and media-attracting pro-voucher wing of the school improvement industry to be lifted. Undoubtably Giuliani's remarks will give them all the heart to continue a level of activism that pushes the public image of private involvement in public education in the direction least likely (over the long run, anyway) to bring the school improvement industry into the policy mainstream or financial prosperity.

The Republican nomination: Reiterating his decade-old support for vouchers may win Giuliani something with the Republican right he courts - although maybe not enough to counter his pro-choice stance on abortion. It may require Mitt Romney, who supports vouchers - but has been far more eager to respond to k-12 policy questions with a "states rights" theme - to match hizzoner's endorsement. 

The election: If GOP candidates chose to highlight vouchers, it will give voters a clear difference on at least one domestic issue with whoever gets the Democrat's nod. Your editor's guess is that the division will favors the Democrats. Still, whatever the outcome, it is unlikely that education will decide the election.

After the election: Still, the election does have an impact on federal k-12 policy. If a pro-voucher Republican wins the White House, the political situation will be closer to that of Bush I - a President with something to trade for higher levels of accountability. and so maybe more likely to lead to something like NCLB I than otherwise appears likely today. Paradoxically, a Republican President who is more centrist on education issues, may well be more likely to give us a reauthorization closer to what otherwise appears likely with NCLB reauthorization. But if the Republicans lose the White House, traditional k-12 interests will probably feel even more emboldened to dismantle NCLB I - and a Democratic President and Congress will feel under greater pressure to do so.

Huh? If this logic seems abstruse or even convoluted, your editor can only agree, and accept that he owes readers a more complete description of the school improvement industry's broader political context.