Colorado Schools and Association Release Time: Making the Privilege Accountable to Citizens
For the sake of public accountability and transparency, Colorado needs more effective oversight of education employee association leave. Through locally negotiated policies, many Colorado school districts grant release time privileges to local employee associations. Teachers and classified employees are excused from professional duties to serve extended periods as association officers or to spend particular days performing various association-related activities.
Independent Thinking: Can The State Be as Transparent as Jeffco Schools?
Watch this 3-part YouTube replay of the February 5 broadcast of Independent Thinking with host Jon Caldara, as Jeffco Public Schools CFO Lorie Gillis and our own policy analyst Ben DeGrow discuss the growing trend of local governments opening up their checkbooks.
Colorado Needs to Improve Teacher Policies
Though a few Colorado policies promote quality teaching in our K-12 schools, the state has plenty of room to improve in this area. Sandi Jacobs from the National Council on Teacher Quality explains how Colorado stacks up in her group’s new comprehensive 2009 State Teacher Policy Yearbook, and what the state can do to get better than its current D+ grade.
2/3/10
Newsletter February 3 2010
1/27/10
Newsletter January 27 2010
With Jeffco in Front, Colorado Can Lead on School Financial Transparency
Update: House Bill 1036 passed unanimously out of the House Education Committee this afternoon. Ben’s report and testimony added some important information and perspective to the discussion. Now the legislation heads to the floor of the lower chamber for a full 65-member vote. Stay tuned as I continue to cover the two school transparency bills […]
What Should School District Financial Transparency Look Like?
Jeffco Public Schools has become a national leader among school districts by creating a top-notch financial transparency database. Colorado lawmakers have introduced two new transparency bills in 2010. As proposals are debated and initiatives implemented and upgraded, both state and local policy makers can benefit by understanding the criteria of effective financial transparency.
“Race to the Top” Consensus Approach Disappoints: Who Really Wins?
Yesterday the state of Colorado turned in its Race to the Top grant funding application to the U.S. Department of Education. Missing the opportunity to do something bold, Colorado instead opted for “consensus” and “collaboration” — as reported by Jeremy Meyer in the Denver Post. Some of my older friends in the Education Policy Center […]
Georgia Performance Pay Proposal: Duke Boys Not in Trouble with Law?
Education Week blogger Stephen Sawchuk reports that Georgia may be taking a bold step in reforming teacher compensation:
Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue has announced plans to support legislation that would overhaul the statewide teacher-salary schedule and allow teachers to opt into one that determines pay partly on performance-based measures.
States have tried to do statewide performance-pay before, […]
On 850 KOA, Pam Benigno Directs Parents to School Choice for Kids Site
My mom and dad like to listen to Colorado’s Morning News on AM 850 KOA in Denver. So how excited I was on Thursday to tune into the show and hear the “Your Health / Your Kids” segment with Robbyn Hart. Why? Because she was interviewing my Education Policy Center friend Pam Benigno.
Follow this link […]
I Guess Some People Are Still Offended Parents Can Choose to Homeschool
It’s important to recall from time to time that there are so-called intellectual elitist types out there who are uncomfortable with families exercising an educational choice they don’t agree with. Such appears to be the case with Robin L. West who wrote an article titled “The Harms of Homeschooling” (PDF) for a university publication.
There isn’t […]
One Big Reform Speech from Teachers Union Leader Doesn’t Change Much
So American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten, leader of one of the national teachers unions, gives a big speech this week on how her group is interested in reforming the tenure system and is willing to accept student performance as part of meaningful teacher evaluations.
New York Times columnist Bob Herbert gives Weingarten a […]
