How Far Will Colorado Reform “Human Capital” to Win Race to the Top?
Education leaders here in Colorado have shown a great deal of interest in the federal Race to the Top dollars, a multi-billion dollar program that we are told is designed to spur reform. In order to be eligible for rewards, states will be rated according how well their policies and goals line up with innovative […]
Help Nuggets’ “Birdman” Support ACE Scholarships for Needy Students
Christmas is right around the corner (I can hardly wait). And while it’s very easy for me to be obsessed with expanding my own Lego collection, it’s also very important to remember to give those who are in need.
I like basketball a lot, and the Denver Nuggets are my pro team. That’s why I was […]
D.C.’s Magical Money Taking Slow Road to Colorado School Districts
I’m a little young to be growing so cynical, but how else would you explain why I’m not surprised by this recent story from Education News Colorado?
Only $7 million out of $312 million in federal stimulus funds for education has actually been allocated to Colorado districts.
Delays and changes in federal rules and the bureaucratic process […]
Don’t Let Union and Congress Grinches Stop D.C. Opportunity Scholarships
Remember the poor kids in our nation’s capital who benefit from the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program?
Last night D.C. Parents for School Choice Executive Director Virginia Walden Ford sent out an email alerting supporters about a new troubling development from Capitol Hill:
Just an hour ago, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the omnibus bill that kills […]
Stop! The “Witch-Hunt” Attacks on Charter Schools Really Creep Me Out
Okay, this is hard for me to admit because you’ll probably make fun of me. Here goes: I’m afraid of witches. Yeah, they really creep me out, especially that cackling old hag on the Wizard of Oz. But I learned about something this week that frightened me about as much, and that was an attempted […]
Charter School "Witch Hunt" Proposal Shot Down
A far-reaching proposed audit of Colorado’s public charter schools, described by Democrat State Senator Lois Tochtrop as a “witch-hunt,” was defeated earlier this week 5-2 by the Legislative Audit Committee. Colorado League of Charter Schools president Jim Griffin explains why the proposal went too far.
Colorado Still Strong in Charter School Law, But There’s Room to Improve
Every year the Center for Education Reform rates the quality of different states’ charter school laws based on their flexibility and equity. This week they released the new edition, and the news again is good for Colorado — one of only 13 states with “strong laws that do not require significant revisions.”
But I’m never satisfied […]
As Bad Schools Close, Milwaukee’s Voucher Market Shows It’s Working
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports some interesting developments in that city’s nearly two decades old voucher program (H/T Joanne Jacobs).
Four Milwaukee voucher schools — including the fast-growing independent Atlas Preparatory Academy — now have more than 750 students each. More than 21,000 students total are enrolled in 111 voucher schools this year. But what’s really […]
Maybe Cary Kennedy Can Have It Both Ways; I Don’t Want to Be a Politician
State Treasurer Cary Kennedy seems like a nice lady, and I think it must be hard being a politician in such an office — especially during the tough budget times faced by state government and the difficult decisions that requires. But does the current budget reality mean Treasurer Kennedy can have it both ways?
As the […]
All I Want for Christmas (OK, sort of) is an Edublog Award Nomination
You’ve all heard that little girl singing about all she wants for Christmas is her two front teeth. Well, forget her. All I want for Christmas (and I really, really mean it … no Legos, no Nintendo games, nothing else would matter) is to be nominated for the 2009 Edublog Awards — Best Individual Blog […]
Low Politics Marks Denver School Board Transition
The transition for the Denver school board was expected to be difficult already, when newly elected Andrea Merida decided to be sworn in early and bounced off outgoing board member Michelle Moss before key votes on the district’s reform plan were made. Eyewitness and Education News Colorado editor Alan Gottlieb recounts the dramatic confrontation and discusses what might be in store from the DPS Board in the near future.
Michigan Voters: Schools Underfunded — But Do They Know Actual Spending?
This week the Detroit News reported on one of the measured reactions Michiganders have to proposals to address that state’s budget crisis:
Local public school districts have too little funding to provide a quality education, according to 60 percent of voters surveyed in an exclusive Detroit News/WXYZ (Channel 7) poll released Tuesday.
Only 23 percent of respondents […]
