Innovation and Autonomy Tie DeGrow’s New Op-Ed to State of the Union Address
So what does my Education Policy Center friend Ben DeGrow’s brand new op-ed in the Colorado Springs Gazette have to do with President Obama’s State of the Union address last night? Piqued your curiosity at all? Maybe just a tad?
A couple weeks ago I told you about what’s going on in Falcon School District 49 […]
1/26/11
Newsletter January 26 2011
Perfect for School Choice Week: Dr. Jay Greene’s Education Reform Agenda
In the second edition of special National School Choice Week blog posts, I’m mostly going to take a break and point you to another great video in reason.tv’s topical series. Last week it was former Florida governor Jeb Bush. Today it’s Dr. Jay Greene, a preeminent education scholar from the University of Arkansas — perhaps […]
School Choice Road Trip
Philip Brand talks about the lessons learned from his road trip experience that led to the 2010 publication of his book “The Neighbor’s Kid: A Cross-Country Journey in Search of What Education Means to Americans.” Then working for the Capital Research Center, Phil traveled from coast to coast visiting two schools each in 49 different states, to gain insights from a firsthand look at a diverse cross-section of American schooling.
Hey, It’s National School Choice Week!
Let’s see how many times I can say it between now and Friday: It’s National School Choice Week! January 23-29 is set aside “to shine a spotlight on effective education options for every child.” To celebrate the occasion, there are a couple big events going on here in Colorado that I know about.
Falling Enrollment Pushes Small Colo. School District to $46,000 Per Pupil
I’ve heard my mom say on more than one occasion that people come in all shapes and sizes. The same is true for school districts, too. Rebecca Jones at Education News Colorado provides some interesting insights with a story focused on Colorado’s smallest, and steadily shrinking, school district: Agate. When you see the numbers and […]
“What’s at the absolute top” of Jeb Bush’s Education Reform List? Digital Learning
Today I get to recommend to you a great video from reason.tv, as Nick Gillespie asks former Florida governor (and founder, board president and chairman of the Foundation for Excellence in Education) Jeb Bush, “What is at the absolute top of your education reform list?”:
For those of you too impatient to watch the video (or […]
Tearing Down International Education Myths
Dr. William Moloney, former Colorado education commissioner and author of the Centennial Institute’s new issue brief “Much Better Schools on Much Lower Budgets,” demolishes most of the chief myths used to excuse the United States’ underwhelming performance on international student testing comparisons. He argues that American K-12 learning productivity has plenty of room for improvement.
Colorado Voucher Bogeyman Story Makes Me Laugh… and Ask Serious Questions
Update: Thanks to quick help from staff at the Colorado Dept. of Education, I can tell you that Colorado public school agencies spent $7.9 million in 2008-09, and at least $6.9 million in 2009-10, on “tuition paid to private schools or non-approved agencies.” Now to figure out if that changes the nuance of CEA’s opposition […]
Online Schools and Otherwise, More Colorado Families Using Open Enrollment
This morning Education News Colorado has published an important story by Nancy Mitchell on the growing number of families opting to enroll students in public education programs outside their district of residence. As the story points out, the trend is accelerated by students selecting public online programs operated or chartered by another district. Online enrollment grew 14 percent from last year, more than 10 times the state’s total public school enrollment increase. Will school district boundaries even exist in the not-too-distant future?
Falcon Schools Move Toward Innovative Reform
On January 13, the Falcon School District 49 board voted to take the first major step in an innovative reform plan that would bring greater autonomy to school principals as “innovation leaders,” downsize the central office, and let funds follow students to the school of their choice. Board vice president Chris Wright explains how the process is expected to unfold, as well as the potential academic and cost-saving benefits of pursuing the innovation zone proposal.
Dear Wichita: Look to Colorado for Financial Transparency Examples
Today is one of those terrific days when I’ve discovered a great new education blog. I’m talking about Education Debate at Online Schools, authored by the mysterious Matthew. He got my attention by linking to a post I wrote and calling me “the sharpest 5 year old in the entire education debate.” Let me tell […]
