I hear from friends in Tennessee that the main reason the state legislature strengthened its charter school law recently was the arm-twisting of Democratic legislators by Arne Duncan and the arm-twisting of Republican legislators by Lamar Alexander. The old double-secretary-of-education one-two punch!
Some will call this federal intrusion, others will celebrate a creative use of the bully pulpit. Either way, charter schools--and kids in Tennessee--are the victors.
