New Article: James Madison, Federal Overreaching, and Amendments Conventions
The writings of James Madison still offer useful guidance for states seeking to restrain federal overreaching. Akron Law Review has just published my short article discussing the evolution of Madison’s thought on the subject—from Federalist No. 46, through the Virginia Resolution of 1798 and subsequent writings, to his final recommendation that states unhappy with federal […]
Latest Filings in Lobato Case Remind of Need for Real School Finance Reform
Ed News reports that the State of Colorado has laid out its detailed argument in the appeal of the Lobato school funding case. Former governors of both political stripes joined the University of Colorado Board of Regents and a coalition of business leaders in submitting their formal backing with the State and against the lawsuit:
The […]
The Stigma of Buses
Margaret Thatcher was once quoted as saying, “A man who, beyond the age of 26, finds himself on a bus can count himself as a failure.” In fact, according to Wikiquotes, “There is no solid evidence that Margaret Thatcher ever quoted this statement with approval, or indeed shared the sentiment.” Nevertheless, people still insist that […]
“Teacher Who Couldn’t Read” Addresses Literacy at Next Brown Bag Lunch
That last Brown Bag Lunch back in April — the one with Marcus Winters, author of Teachers Matter — was such a success that my Education Policy Center friends are excited to introduce the second Brown Bag Lunch, coming soon:
This year’s signature education legislation, the Colorado READ Act, has shined the light on the need […]
Colorado K-12 Education Spending
We’ve heard the narrative a million times before: Colorado just doesn’t spend enough on our children’s education. We are always ranked near the bottom on spending lists. But is this true? Senior policy analyst Ben DeGrow looks at the spending data over the last 10 years and discovers that Colorado has increased real dollars on every single measure of school revenue and spending over that time period.
Health Care is Neither a “Right” or a “Privilege”
Does the fact that health care is not a right reduce it to a mere privilege? No. A privilege is a special favor granted by a government (or other party). Continue reading
Douglas County Aftermath Means Time to Inform about Teacher Member Options
So no more union monopoly collective bargaining agreement exists for teachers in Colorado’s third-largest school district… Now what? Change certainly isn’t easy. And the group losing its prestigious status, in this case the Douglas County Federation of Teachers, isn’t just going to walk away quietly into the shadows.
The largest teachers union, NEA, already is […]
Obama Administration Health Care Rule Making Is a Disordered Mess
The Obama administration “overrode the normal checks and balances used to ensure that federal regulations impose the smallest possible burden on the private sector.” Continue reading
Entropy Killing DC Metro Rail
Washington Metro’s computers crashed twice this past weekend, forcing all trains to stop and stranding passengers for up to 30 minutes. This is just the latest example of how the aging transit system is slowly falling apart. It is hard to imagine today what kind of computers Metro used in 1976, when it opened DC’s […]
Kopel on Other Possible Legal Challenges to ObamaCare
The constitutionality of the “individual mandate” was at issue in the recent Supreme Court ruling. But other legal challenges are likely, argues Dave Kopel. Continue reading
California Rail Follies
The California legislature based its approval of the sale of billions of dollars of bonds to start construction of high-speed rail partly on claims that the rail line would help revitalize California’s economy. But now a study from UCLA finds that Japan’s high-speed rail line, one of the most popular in the world, failed to […]
Choice Media K12 Video Reminds Colorado It’s Time to Move Ahead on Digital Learning
Friday means I’m taking it easy, and leaving the work up to Choice Media TV’s Bob Bowdon, who interviewed Jeff Kwitowski of K12, Inc., to talk about online education in this 8-minute video:
K12’s Colorado Virtual Academy (COVA) is the state’s largest provider among many online schools parents can choose. COVA mom Lori Cooney notes that […]
