Carroll Invokes Center’s Charter School History Paper
In his June 5 column recounting when the good guys in education reform prevailed, the Denver Post‘s Vincent Carroll touted the Education Policy Center’s “painstakingly evenhanded” retelling of how Colorado’s 1993 Charter Schools Act — the third of its kind in the nation — came to be: [Authors Pam Benigno and Kyle Morin] give credit […]
Independence Institute Joins National Employee Freedom Week
DENVER – Today, the Independence Institute announced its participation in National Employee Freedom Week, a first-of-its-kind national campaign to remind union members about the freedom they have to leave their unions. National Employee Freedom Week (NEFW), which will run from June 23-29, 2013, will highlight how unionized employees often don’t know they have the legal […]
Amy Oliver Show: Colorado’s Charter School Law Turns 20
Commemorating the 20th anniversary of Colorado’s groundbreaking Charter Schools Act, Education Policy Center director Pam Benigno reflects on the parental demand, political drama, and personal tragedy that make a colorful tale of how the law came to be.
Discrepancies from Dougco Beg Question: How Many Union Members Remain?
Douglas County School District continues to move forward with major system changes that recognize and reward performance in meaningful ways. And the press continues to pump up the controversy while leaving factual disputes unresolved. Today’s Denver Post turns attention to a DCSD elementary school where a principal misapplied the new employee evaluation standards, creating a […]
06/03/13
Education Policy Center Newsletter June 3, 2013
— In Print and On TV: Colorado’s Charter School Law Turns 20
— Center Celebrates Lobato Ruling, Highlights Tax Hike
— Surveys Show Good School Reform News in Douglas County
— Colorado Kids Still Can Win with Scholarship Tax Credits
— Eddie Stays Up-to-Date on Digital Learning
On the Road of Innovation: Colorado’s Charter School Law Turns 20
In 1993 Colorado became the third state to adopt charter school legislation. Born out of frustration with lackluster school performance and limited options, the Charter Schools Act resulted from the hard work and dedication of many parents, educators, and political leaders. Careful and colorful recollections from many active, influential figures combine with other original sources to highlight the foundation and origins of the Act.
Disgruntled Union Claims about Dougco Innovation Add Up to Politics, Not Truth
It’s Friday! Which means it must be time to provide some more clarity on the bold innovations taking place in Douglas County. Today provides a great opportunity to highlight a fairly balanced 9News story, making sure to emphasize and elaborate on some key points and add one or two others that may have been left […]
Identifying the Good Kind of Disruption in (Colorado) Blended Learning Innovation
When is it okay to be disruptive in class? Most teachers rightly would frown on the idea of little whelps like me acting out or speaking out of turn when a lecture or other class instructional activity is taking place. But disruptive innovation via the blended learning strategy is an entirely different matter. I’m talking […]
Ray of Hope for True School Finance Reform in Post-Lobato Lawsuit Landscape
Understandably, some emotions have run high in the wake of the 8-year Lobato school funding case shot down by the Colorado Supreme Court. Taxpayers can be thankful that judicial sanity prevailed and a constitutional crisis was avoided, though, as the moment finally has come to look forward. Some say we need a billion-dollar education tax increase, but given a careful look at the funding facts, it’s time instead to take on the cause of real school finance reform.
Amy Oliver Show: High Court Overturns Lobato School Funding Decision
Senior education policy analyst Ben DeGrow and University of Colorado-Colorado Springs professor Joshua Dunn break down the Colorado Supreme Court’s landmark Lobato ruling. By a 4-2 margin, the Court overturned a 2011 decision that would have cost an additional $1.35 to $4.15 billion a year to fund K-12 education.
Scholarship Tax Credits Gain in Popularity? Sounds Like a Win-Win-Win for Colorado
You may have heard old adages like “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” and “Familiarity breeds contempt.” Well, here comes the young whippersnapper again, questioning longstanding wisdom. When it comes to tax credits for private school choice, I have to say the old adages just don’t work. So the Cato Institute’s Jason Bedrick points out […]
Disputed Dougco Evaluations? Don’t Turn Up the Heat, Just Share All the Facts
Update, 5/28: I took off for the long holiday weekend, and came back to learn that Our Colorado News had updated the article on the Trailblazer teacher evaluation controversy, addressing some of the shortcomings I identified. I’d like to thank them for making an effort to improve the story. If you can’t stifle dramatic local […]
