Citizen Magazine Features Education Center Remarks on Colorado Reform Successes
The March 2014 cover story of Focus on the Family’s Citizen magazine highlighted the education-themed results from Colorado’s November 2013 election–including Amendment 66 and school board results in Douglas County, Jefferson County, and Thompson. “A Good Night for School Reform” by Matt Kaufman featured quotes from the Independence Institute. Among other points, Education Policy Center […]
School Choice Legislative Debates Spread Across Map; Time for Colorado Kids to Win
The effort to recognize and support families with wider ranges of educational choices continues to move in different states (just not Colorado… for the moment). Empowering parents with options is one side of the coin to get parents motivated and engaged. And the research continues to show choice programs help improve results in what students […]
More Time to Study the K-12 Testing Issue Would Be Greatly Beneficial
I’m not sure whether to breathe a grateful sigh of relief, or to sit on the edge of my seat in curious anticipation. Maybe I can do both. Several weeks ago I told you about a possible approaching education reform collision, as the outside-the-box thinkers in Douglas County pushed a bill to give high-performing districts […]
Three Online Learning Items Blended Together for Your Friday Enjoyment
It’s Friday, time for my version of the Dagwood sandwich, the supreme pizza, or burrito with everything (please!). The only difference is this hodgepodge is going to be about online and blended learning. I’ll leave it up to you to find a way to “blend” all the pieces together before pouring some chili sauce on […]
Amy Oliver Show: Some Denver Area Schools Keep Beating the Odds
Tom Kaesemeyer talks about the Foundations for Great Schools’ fourth annual awards to Denver-area schools that are getting great results with challenging student populations.
School Boards Push Teacher Accountability
Union leaders are actively challenging school principals’ newfound authority to keep the worst teachers out of their classrooms. The state legislative majority has shrunk from the chance to reward the best teachers. But some local school boards have begun to take the reins of reform. Research shows teachers who get the most out of students […]
“Student Success Act” or “Dingelhoffer”, Let’s Make Bolder School Finance Proposal
“What’s in a name?” Shakespeare’s Juliet famously asked. She had a point. If I decided to call a rose a dingelhoffer, it wouldn’t affect the beauty or scent of the flower in any way. Nor should we be distracted by the name given to Colorado’s finally released HB 1292, known as the Student Success Act. […]
Choice Media: Experts Set President Straight on School Voucher Research Claims
I know it’s kind of a cute novelty to have a little kid talk to the leader of the free world. It’s not surprising, though, that when I joined the Wall Street Journal‘s Jason Riley a few weeks ago in asking President Obama if he would set the record straight on how school choice has […]
Give Me Colorado, Not California: A Tale of Two Teacher Tenure Court Cases
“It was the best of education lawsuits, it was the worst of education lawsuits….” Well, not exactly. Some well-publicized legal action in California is trying to achieve a (much better) policy goal that runs counter to a Colorado lawsuit I’ve talked about before. Still, there is the fundamental problem of trying to change education policy […]
Amy Oliver Show: Teacher Tenure and A Tale of Two Court Cases
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Prof. Joshua Dunn talks about the Colorado Education Association’s lawsuit to protect teacher tenure, contrasted with a California court case brought in the name of students to force reforms of teacher tenure.
HB 1262 Incentive to Reform Educator Pay Certainly Has Caught My Attention
Do you want to know how to get my attention? (Besides gift-wrapping a new Star Wars Lego set, bringing home a box of piping hot pizza, or asking if I want to go to the Colorado Rockies game, that is.) Write something like this in the introduction of your education policy report: If a rational […]
A Beautiful Day to Celebrate Coming Major School Choice Victory in Mississippi
It’s a busy (code word for nice weather to play outside) Monday. But I do have enough time to run around inside and celebrate some very promising news out of Mississippi. Big news… yes, very promising news… in Mississippi? You betcha. First, a quick reminder for those who may not be up to speed. The […]
