Ben DeGrow Highlights School Vouchers at "DIRECTION 38!" Monument Community Forum
Senior education policy analyst Ben DeGrow gave a presentation on how school vouchers work, with special emphasis on Colorado’s groundbreaking Douglas County Choice Scholarship Program, as part of a community-sponsored panel presentation on July 18 in Monument, Colo. The event was sponsored by Lewis-Palmer Direction 38 — a citizen group committed to successful schools — to discuss the theme of “School Choice and Building Community Relations,” and hosted at Monument Academy K-8 charter school
Wired Article: Khan Academy Is Boosting More Kids Into Advanced Math and Science
Don’t ask, because I don’t know what happened to all my time today. Rather than go in depth and expound on something profound, I will just direct you to this fascinating story in Wired magazine about “How Khan Academy is changing the rules of education”:
“This,” says Matthew Carpenter, “is my favorite exercise.” I peer over […]
Parents for Choice in Education's Robyn Bagley Discusses Utah's Digital Learning Law
On July 13, 2011, Parents for Choice in Education board chair Robyn Bagley shared with Colorado online educators, state officials and education experts a presentation about Utah’s groundbreaking, paradigm-shifting Senate Bill 65. With the passage of this 2011 law, her state became the first to turn the recommendations of the Digital Learning Council into a […]
NYC Study Shines Positive Light on Core Knowledge Program Reading Success
Learning to read is essential to a quality education. Kind of goes without saying, doesn’t it? There has been increased attention in recent years on the importance of phonics and scientifically-based reading instruction. These are crucial features of instructing students in the early grades, ensuring they get off to a strong start in their educational […]
New I.I. Video Highlights Douglas County Vouchers for Nate Oakley, 499 Other Kids
Today I’m going to step back and let someone else do the talking. You’ve probably been following the developments surrounding Colorado’s groundbreaking Douglas County Pilot Choice Scholarship Program. I’ve covered it a lot here. Since the promising program was approved in March, 500 students have won vouchers worth about $4,600 to help cover the cost […]
Utah Education Reform Leader Shares Insights on Cutting-Edge Digital Learning Law
On July 13, 2011, Parents for Choice in Education board chair and Digital Learning Council member Robyn Bagley shared with Colorado online educators, school leaders, experts and officials about Utah’s groundbreaking, paradigm-shifting Senate Bill 65. With the passage of this 2011 law, her state became the first to turn the recommendations of the Digital Learning Council into a comprehensive state policy.
School Districts “Eager” to Help in Educator Effectiveness Pilot, Questions Linger
Ed News Colorado and the Denver Post both report that 41 school districts have applied to participate in the pilot for the state’s new educator effectiveness law (aka SB 191). It’s not the first Colorado major education reform program of the year in which participation has exceeded all expectations. Yet, based on reports, questions still remain about when teacher tenure will begin to be affected by the new performance evaluations.
Massachusetts Innovation Schools Expand, But Colorado Needs to Take a Close Look
(H/T Adam Emerson, RedefinED) From yesterday’s Boston Globe, the innovation school idea is starting to take off in Massachusetts:
“It’s really catching fire,’’ said Paul Reville, the state’s education secretary. “I would predict innovation schools in a relatively short period of time could surpass the number of charter schools in the state if the growth continues […]
New Jay Greene Book, Dougco Site Brighten School Choice Landscape
It’s July. School is out for the summer. Education news tends to be slow. To top it all off, your local edu-blogging prodigy is spending extra time at the swimming pool, and occasionally gets wrapped up in frustrating games of Angry Birds on his dad’s iPhone. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few things […]
Colorado Education Association Sues to Stop Telling Parents of Teacher Arrests
This hasn’t been one of the big issues on my education transformer radar, nor is it one I’ve covered before. But it does bring out an interesting point of clarity for those who are interested in our K-12 schools and the politics that surround them. The Coloradoan in Fort Collins reported yesterday that the state’s […]
Anti-Douglas County Choice Groups Seek to Stop Education Liberty Bell from Ringing
A couple weeks ago I filled you in on how there are two separate groups that have filed their legal complaints against the Douglas County Choice Scholarship Program. Well, as Ed News Colorado reports, now they’ve taken the next official step:
Plaintiffs in two lawsuits challenging the Douglas County voucher pilot are asking for an immediate […]
Serious Atlanta Test Cheating Scandal Generates Predictable Overreaction
The big, hard-to-ignore education news of the week comes from Atlanta, Georgia. The Christian Science Monitor’s Patrick Jonsson reports that 178 teachers and principals have been formally implicated in a cheating scandal. Some accountability opponents are overreacting with predictable calls to throw out high-stakes standardized tests. If students cheat on a test or plagiarize a book report, do we give up grading? Let’s get real: There are responsible solutions to the serious problem.
