Can’t Contain My Excitement: Dougco Case Reaches Supreme Court Today
Don’t get me wrong: Christmas will be great when it comes in a couple weeks, but there’s only one Douglas County Choice Scholarship Program hearing before the Colorado Supreme Court! Following a great amicus brief and a terrific Denver Post op-ed written by a Dougco dad, a positive ruling sometime in 2015 could open doors and break down more barriers in parts of Colorado and beyond, giving students and families access to more educational options than ever before. Power to the students and the parents!
CRPE’s Latest Report Reminds Me That We Still Need More Choice
Last week, I gave you quick rundown (okay, it wasn’t that quick) of two big charter reports. But a little guy can only write so much in one sitting, and there was still one more big report on public school choice from the Center for Reinventing Public Education to cover. We’ll do that today. The […]
Devil’s Advocate: Colorado Teachers Can Get a Refund
Ben DeGrow sits down with host Jon Caldara to discuss how Colorado teachers can get some of their union dues back via a simple refund. Teachers must submit their form by December 15.
Among New School Awards, Jeffco’s Edgewater Elementary Stands Out
It’s Friday, time to stick to something a little lighter and perhaps more upbeat. This week the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) publicly celebrated its annual award winners. While 27 districts, including Douglas County, earned recognition for topping the state’s accreditation system, today I particularly would like to bring attention to the school-level results from […]
Report Madness! A Breakdown of This Week’s Charter School Reading
As a junior education policy explorer, I’ve noticed a couple of things. First, education stuff is complicated. Second, complicated education stuff leads to a whole bunch of reports and studies. Lastly, those reports and studies tend to come in spurts—a fact that often results in a whole lot of reading for yours truly. Let it […]
It’s Good to Let Teachers Choose, Too: Because One Size Doesn’t Fit All
We often talk about the value of educational choice for students and parents, and rightly so. Less frequently do we strike the theme of the importance of letting teachers choose. As I am fond of doing, a spate of recent stories today presents me with the opportunity to tie this theme together with a big […]
The Death of Snow Days
I really love snow days. Every time a storm rolls into town, I wake up, rush to the window, and rip the curtains open, hoping to see those tiny, beautiful flakes of hope drift past my wide little eyes. And while my dad usually grumbles to his coffee about the morning commute as he surveys […]
One More Year: Districts Take Different Paths as 191 Closes In
It’s almost Turkey Day, and that means it’s time to start thinking about the things we’re thankful for. At the top of my list are my dog, my parents, and pumpkin pie with Cool Whip on it. But while I sit here smacking my lips at the thought of tomorrow’s pie, some school districts are […]
Thankful Not to Have Unions’ Political Spending Record, Long-Term Prospects
‘Tis the week of Thanksgiving, which allows me the chance to express my gratitude about many things. One of those is that I didn’t spend nearly $70 million on the 2014 elections and yet lose so badly, as the two national teachers unions did. The holidays are supposed to be a time of reflection. Yes, […]
Sticky Numbers: Making Sense of Dougco’s Pay System and Its Outcomes
Like Elmer’s glue, numbers get sticky when misused. And just like glue is tough (but fun!) to peel off your hands, it can take a little while to clear up sticky number messes. Yet clean them up we must, and so I dedicate today’s post to clearing up some numerical confusion surrounding Dougco’s pay-for-performance system. […]
Teacher Training, Licensure, Evaluation, Pay: Fix ‘Em All (and Do It Right)
It’s been more than a week now since I thankfully resisted the urge to “blow up” education schools. In the meantime, my remarks about teacher preparation have been vindicated — both the tone of urgency and the “moderate” but serious approach to addressing the issue. Let’s start with the urgency. The National Council on Teacher […]
Positive Movement in Jeffco: A Welcome Change
It’s Thursday, and that means it’s Jefferson County day for yours truly. Okay, I made the Thursday thing up just now, but we are indeed going to talk about Jeffco. Don’t suit up and brace yourselves for more negativity quite yet, though; today’s post will isn’t about teacher sick-outs, student protests, or an inexplicable disdain […]
