Not Louisiana, Too! Judge Striking Down Vouchers Bad Start to Weekend
Just the kind of glum news you (don’t!) want to hear before your weekend gets rolling, from the Wall Street Journal:
A Louisiana district court judge ruled Friday that the state’s school-voucher program is unconstitutional, dealing a blow to one of the nation’s most expansive efforts to let students attend private schools at taxpayer expense.
Judge Tim […]
The Democrats’ Fallback Plan For When Obamacare Inevitably Fails
Will Single Payer Healthcare Emerge as the Next Battleground? Continue reading
Colorado K-12 Funding Debates REALLY Could Use Some Accepted Facts
A new Cato Institute education blogger, Jason Bedrick, highlights the work of the Independence Institute’s Education Policy Center in a posting today with a message that certainly needs to be repeated: “Public schools cost more than Americans think.” Bedrick cites Ben DeGrow’s recent interview with 9News disputing Colorado school funding figures, and makes a couple […]
Bans on Political Party Endorsements of Judges Held Invalid
A federal appeals court has struck down a Montana law forbidding political parties from endorsing candidates in non-partisan judicial elections. The court order does not affect the system by which candidates for judgeships run without party designation. But it does affirm the right of political parties to speak their minds about those candidates. Non-partisan elections […]
Growing Support for Dougco Pay-for-Performance Suggests Staying Power
According to a school district dispatch yesterday, Douglas County’s visionary, cutting-edge work in performance-based educator pay and evaluations has received a key nod of community support:
The Castle Rock Economic Development Council (EDC) has endorsed the Douglas County School District pay-for-performance program.
“We know excellent schools are one of the top reasons that companies choose to locate […]
Amy Oliver Show: Falcon 49 Continues Advancing Innovation
Senior education policy analyst Ben DeGrow guest hosts a conversation with school board member Chris Wright about Falcon School District 49’s innovative changes they’re doing to promote teacher professionalism, parental involvement and fiscal responsibility — culminating with the University of Innovation idea to empower teachers on a professional track with best practices and mentorship opportunities.
Food for Thought as Colorado Grinds Ahead Reforming Teacher Evaluations
With so much going on in Colorado’s world of education reform — and all sorts of new and shiny things taking place — it can be easy to forget the state is in the middle of a large-scale change to teacher evaluations.
The highly-charged debates over SB 191 in 2010 seem like a distant memory. […]
11/26/12
Education Policy Center Newsletter November 26, 2012
— December 6 Panel Event Tackles Student-Centered Funding
— DeGrow Gives Fuller Picture of Colorado K-12 Dollars
— December 15 Deadline for Teachers Union Political Refund
— Dougco School Choice Program Gets Appeals Court Hearing
— Eddie Rounds Up Education Reform Scene
Republican governors have power to disarm the health-care law
The majority of state governors are Republicans, and they have the power to disarm the health-care law. Continue reading
Did You Receive a Postcard About Every Member Option? December 15 Deadline Approaching
Updated for 2013
Did you receive a postcard like this in the mail? Click on the image for all the information and links you will need to request one or more Every Member Option (EMO) political refunds from the Colorado Education Association and its local affiliates:
You can also watch the 1-minute animated video on the EMO […]
What States Should Build Instead of Obamacare’s Health Insurance Exchanges
“Without a state-based alternative, Obamacare’s individual mandate will force many state residents to purchase expensive exchange-based coverage. If that system fails, with no viable fall-back option, expect calls for true single-payer health care to escalate.” Continue reading
Can We Drop the Fantasy That Transit Is Green?
Atlantic blogger Eric Jaffe asks, “Can we stop pretending cars are greener than transit?” It’s a pointless question because no one really says that cars are greener than transit. On the other hand, claims that transit is greener than cars are vastly overblown. Jeffe makes a few duffer mistakes that show he hasn’t thought this […]
