Argue Policy, Not Philosophy
Some things don’t mix well. Mustard and chocolate cake, seafood and ice cream, bacon and vegetables—all of these make me wrinkle my nose. As it turns out, hard-nosed philosophy and education policy also do not make a good pair. Last week, Andy Smarick wrote about the problems that arise when philosophical views collide with education […]
Douglas County, Falcon 49, Eaton Top Colorado in K-12 Productivity
For some people, the term “productivity” doesn’t belong in K-12 education discussions. They think it’s too scary because it sounds like businesses that make money by selling goods or services. And we know that while education could learn a few more things from the competitive world of independent businesses, the two spheres don’t perfectly equate. […]
Blended Learning Takes Flight in Colo. Districts: How High Will It Soar?
The great blended learning experiment continues its historic ascension in our beautiful Rocky Mountain state. Independence Institute education senior fellow Krista Kafer has documented it better than anyone. Last year it was The Rise of K-12 Blended Learning in Colorado. Apparently, the not-so-long-ago, cutting-edge sphere of blended learning has not just made it past the […]
School District Partnerships Help Colorado K-12 Blended Learning Take Flight
This paper focuses on system-wide blended learning efforts in three Front Range school districts and a group of rural districts in the San Luis Valley. The report also provides a list of state and national resources for schools and districts looking to implement blended learning techniques on a limited or system-wide basis and questions to consider prior to starting. Blended learning implementation in Falcon School District 49, Greeley-Evans School District 6, St. Vrain Valley School District, and in the San Luis Valley varies from the degree of centralization to the use of partner organizations to how districts are building on existing resources.
Can Someone Help Me Understand this Third Way on Masters Bumps?
It’s been awhile, but one of my favorite K-12 topics to share with you is the need to change the practice of automatic pay raises for master’s degrees. As recently as 2011, the high-quality research was unanimous (34-0) on the ineffectiveness of awarding teachers masters degrees. As recently as last month, it remains “one of […]
Union Leaders Miss Bus as Union Bus (Thankfully) Misses Me
Usually I’m reluctant to cross into the intersection of education policy and national politics. But when I do, I lean heavily on the trusted big people in my life to walk me across the busy lanes of scary-looking traffic. The aftermath of the NEA Assembly in Denver is one of those times when I’m reaching […]
School Choice Supply and Demand: Improving Both Sides of the Equation
Promoting school choice is a means to an end. Namely? Opportunity for all kids to learn and meet their potential in an educational environment that best suits them, accelerating them toward their maximum academic and social potential. I talk here a lot about school choice, and the power of my parents being able to select […]
Union Flailing against Improved Student Outcomes, Empowered Teachers
The thousands of delegates who gathered in Denver last week for National Education Association’s annual Representative Assembly felt more than just the summer heat. A continuing loss of members and some major rebukes from the courts has kept on the pressure. Still, the nation’s largest teachers union refuses to change its tune. Rather than police the profession and respect individual teacher rights, the politically powerful NEA is trying to change the subject.
Colorado Starts New School Finance Lawsuit: How Different than Lobato?
Back at the end of May I told you about another school finance lawsuit looming in Colorado. Even as my Education Policy Center friends were helping me write that, I could almost hear the distant strains of anguish. Lobato was floating out there for nearly eight years… do we really have to endure the same […]
Amy Oliver Show: What Do Americans Think About Standardized Tests, School Choice?
What do Americans think about standardized testing, Common Core, vouchers, and charter schools? Paul DiPerna shares insights from the Friedman Foundation’s new K-12 education national survey.
07/03/14
Education Policy Center Newsletter July 3, 2014
In this issue
— Colorado, California Tenure Rulings Take Center Stage
— DeGrow Challenges Jeffco Anti-Reform Crowd
— New Reports Strengthen Case for Scholarship Tax Credits
— State-Level Reforms Stay on Radar for 2015
— Center Welcomes Ross Izard, Celebrates Independence Day
Dougco Choice Spirit on Display with Aspiring Florida School Board Leader
Writing over at redefinED today, Travis Pillow features a Floridian named Brian Graham, a school choice supporter who is running for his local Board of Education: If he’s successful this fall, he will join the small but growing ranks of school board members around the state – including his friend Jason Fischer in neighboring Duval […]
