Louisiana Successfully Revamps Course Choice: Pay Attention, Colorado!
After an earlier hiccup left the innovative program’s status in doubt, I’m excited to see creative Louisiana leaders get the go-ahead for a new plan to launch Course Choice in 2013-14. The state’s Board of Education yesterday approved $2 million in funding for a pilot program that enables secondary students in schools graded C or […]
NCTQ’s Report on Teacher Prep Programs Must Do More Than Rattle a Few Cages
Any large-scale effort at serious reform or innovation in K-12 education eventually leads to the vexing question of what to do about teacher preparation, ensuring there are enough effective instructors available. The consensus is fairly widespread that broadly speaking, today’s schools of education just aren’t getting the job done. Released this week, the National Council […]
“Particularly Odd” Logic in New Hampshire Ruling Sets Back Tax Credit Choice
At the risk of putting everyone on a neck-jarring roller coaster of education policy emotions, I have to follow up yesterday’s good school choice news from Arizona with a brief account of a New Hampshire disappointment. Whereas the uplift came from an elected state legislature, the downer emerged from the courts. New Hampshire Judge John […]
Good Summer News: Two Arizona Choice Programs on Verge of Expansion
There’s no time like summertime to focus on some good news, even if it comes from some place even hotter than home: Arizona. Thanks to Matt Ladner guest-posting on Jay Greene’s blog, I learned that the Grand Canyon State is a small step away from creating more opportunities for students and families after the legislature […]
Attacks against Dougco Market-Based Pay Miss Economic Mark, Educational Reality
A few days ago I told you about the national attention attracted to Douglas County School District’s market-based pay system. That was before Choice Media highlighted the story on its Ed Reform Minute, or the Education Intelligence Agency’s Mike Antonucci linked to the Reuters story with the quip: In Douglas County, Colorado, they are actually […]
Amy Oliver Show: New Statewide Online School Breaks Innovative Ground
Falcon School District 49 innovation zone leader Kim McClelland discusses the newly-approved statewide Colorado Prep Online Academy, a K-12 school. Authorized by the Colorado Digital BOCES, the first to focus solely on high-quality digital learning, CPOA will provide both online and face-to-face instruction, including opportunities for concurrent enrollment.
Wisconsin Looks at K-12 Tax Deductions: One Better for Colorado?
Governing magazine reports today that Wisconsin wants to join the cadre of states that offer private school tax deductions: Last week, the Wisconsin legislature’s Joint Finance Committee approved new tax deductions for families that put their kids in private school as part of its 2013-2015 budget. The plan allows for families to deduct up to […]
Dougco’s Market Pay Innovation Draws Attention, Gives Hope of Progress
Education Transformers may get impatient at the pace of progress. Douglas County may be unique among school districts in taking the commonsense approach of differentiating teacher pay based on how hard it is to find someone to fill the position. While the rarity of such policies in K-12 may be frustrating, it’s encouraging to see national attention on the plan, like the new Reuters story.
Numbers Tell Part of the Tale: Drilling into Census Bureau’s Colorado K-12 Data
Mike Antonucci is doing yeoman’s work at the Education Intelligence Agency, going state by state to update K-12 student, employee, and spending data from the U.S. Census Bureau. I’ve called on his helpful charts that show the relationship of pupil enrollment to teacher hiring, and how states (and even districts) are doing financially compared to […]
Walk Down Colo. Tax Hike Memory Lane Fails to Inspire SB 213 Confidence
Yesterday I took a glance back at how Colorado’s charter school law came to be, a truly fascinating story that’s worth the time to check out. To keep the history kick going, today I’m turning my attention to an Ed News Colorado story by Todd Engdahl about Colorado voters’ “habit” of rejecting education tax increases. […]
Devil’s Advocate: Colorado Charter Schools Turn 20
Education Policy Center director Pam Benigno and longtime Colorado League of Charter Schools president Jim Griffin reflect on the 20th anniversary of Colorado’s Charter Schools Act, the third of its kind in the nation. The guests share colorful stories from the past and discuss some of the state’s charter successes.
Better Than Dusty Old History: Learn How Colorado Got Its Charter School Law!
Just a short one today. Because it all has to do with things that happened in the way-back long ago dark ages of 1993 (before my time), I defer to my Education Policy Center friends. What better place to start than today’s Denver Post column by Vincent Carroll, who writes about when the good guys […]
