Working Together to Enhance the Cyberschool Experience
Judith Stokes of the Colorado Cyberschools Association and Lori Cooney of the Colorado Coalition of Cyberschool Families discuss how their two groups are working together to benefit students in the online education setting. Colorado’s fast-growing cyberschool sector and strong, effective collaboration between groups representing families and providers has become a model for other states across the nation.
Stapleton School Shortage Needs Creative Thinking
With future Stapleton schools seemingly unaffordable for Denver Public Schools, many moms and dads in the booming neighborhood wonder where they will enroll their young children. Parent power and public-private partnerships offer some promising solutions.
Drafting New Colorado Social Studies Standards
The state of Colorado is working on a major revision of preschool-through-12th grade academic standards for Social Studies (i.e., History, Civics, Geography, and Economics). The Education Policy Center’s Pam Benigno and Ben DeGrow discuss the process of drafting the standards, offer some of their initial impressions, and encourage citizens to share their feedback directly with the Colorado Department of Education.
A Growing Membership Option for Colorado Teachers
Colorado teachers aren’t required to join or pay fees to a union. What other membership options do they have? Megan Leatham, director of membership for the two-year-old Professional Association of Colorado Educators, explains what her fast-growing organization offers (and does not offer) to professional teachers for a fraction of the annual union cost. More information on teacher membership options is available at IndependentTeachers.org.
Latest End Run Around TABOR Weakens Taxpayers’ Say Over Local School Funding
State lawmakers have stacked the deck against voters and their authority to decide how to fund local schools. Signed into law this spring by Governor Ritter, Senate Bill 291 weakens taxpayers’ rights by limiting voter options and evading the clear intent of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) to provide reasonable limits on government growth.
8/13/09
Newsletter August 13 2009
Can Technology Liberate Learning from Union Political Power?
Hoover Institution senior fellow Dr. Terry Moe discusses the potential of technology to transform not only the delivery of education but also the politics of education. In his new book Liberating Learning, which he co-authored with Dr. John Chubb, Moe argues that innovations like cyber charter schools and school data transparency could ultimately help overcome the power of entrenched interests – especially the teachers unions – to block school choice and other student-friendly education reforms.
NEA Honest about Its Priorities, Takes Flak from the Left
The National Education Association has been very candid lately about its priorities as a union first over the interests of students. Education policy analyst Ben DeGrow joins Amy Oliver to discuss Bob Chanin’s revealing speech at the recent NEA Assembly, as well as a recent report from the Left-leaning Citizens Commission on Civil Rights that takes the NEA to task for obstructing important reforms in the area of accountability and teacher quality.
Indiana Adopts New School Choice Program
After a long battle, Indiana school choice supporters are victorious! Robert Enlow, President and CEO of the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, joins Pam Benigno to discuss Indiana’s new K-12 tuition scholarship tax-credit program. Hear about how the program works and how supporters joined together to fight on behalf of Indiana’s low-income children.
7/14/09
Newsletter July 14 2009
Helping Colorado Students Build Brain Power
Cognitive First founder Larry Hargrave explains how his nonprofit group is working to bridge an important educational gap in Colorado. Learn how to promote help for at-risk and other students, many diagnosed with dyslexia or other learning disorders, to greatly improve their learning capacity and potential for academic success through online brain skills testing and interventions.
6/11/09
Newsletter June 11 2009
