Transparency and a Collaborative Mirage: A Tale of Three Colorado School Districts
A clever wag once famously said: “Democracy is two wolves and a sheep deciding what to eat for lunch.” Some other smart-aleck might have reason to make a similar remark about K-12 education: “Collaboration is district leaders and union leaders deciding how to spend taxpayers’ money.” Except that those taxpayers too often are left in […]
Latest Dougco Lawsuit Suggests Little Beyond Need for Presidential Limelight
Since it’s Presidents Day today, it seems somewhat fitting to write about a local teachers union president seeking some limelight with a Friday lawsuit: The Douglas County Federation of Teachers filed two lawsuits Friday, alleging that the Douglas County School District illegally didn’t consider teachers for job openings after being laid off and that it […]
Heartbroken by Choice Bill Defeats, Hoping for Some Scholarship Tax Credit Love
It was heartbreaking to see the death of a couple more Colorado bills that would have expanded choices for parents and opportunities for students. But we would love to see leaders embrace scholarship tax credits, for all the benefits they have been shown to bring in other states. Those benefits Colorado might enjoy include improved achievement, satisfied parents, and tax dollar savings.
Research Ought to Give Second Thoughts about Government Preschool Programming
It’s been almost two years since I last brought your attention to the overwhelming research findings that the nearly-50-year-old Head Start program has not made a real difference in education outcomes. But a new Wall Street Journal story by Stephanie Banchero points out that some federal officials appear intent on doubling down. In an article […]
Use Real School Funding Facts and Tell the Story that Empowers Families
A few weeks ago an article by the I-News Network (“an independent, nonprofit journalism project that creates long-form investigative reports, in partnership with major daily newspapers and has recently accepted significant funding from wealthy Democrat activist Tim Gill”) portrayed Colorado minorities as victims of inadequate tax funding of education: Regardless of which way the causal […]
Amy Oliver Show: How Can Colorado Improve Teacher Preparation?
Sandi Jacobs from the National Council on Teacher Quality discusses how Colorado can improve its D letter grade in preparing effective teachers and providing accountability to colleges of education.
DougCo Board Opponents’ “Crazy” Real Estate Rumor Debunked By Facts
These are momentous days in Douglas County, Colorado. A 60,000-student school district charting new horizons for parental choice and academic excellence through cutting-edge, performance-based systems? An organized labor interest group frustrated at being stripped of monopoly power? Yes and yes. A lot of eyes are watching what unfolds in the growing suburbs south of Denver. […]
Rick Hess Slam Dunks for Colorado with Call for Cage-Busting Can-Do
Local education leaders want to transform a rigid, bureaucratic system — re-imagining the delivery of instruction, giving more freedom, flexibility, and accountability to teachers and principals at the school level. But then some interest groups or just plain old naysayers come along to protest, saying “We’ve never done it that way before.” Or maybe a […]
Substitute Teacher Policies? No One Else Could Cover It Quite the Same
Truth be told, I tried to find someone else to fill in and do the blogging for me today — a substitute, if you will. It’s Friday, one of the more common days for teachers to get a classroom substitute, at least according to a Harvard study cited in a new Education Week piece by […]
02/07/13
Education Policy Center Newsletter February 7, 2013
— Digital Learning Celebrates Innovation, Calls for Policy Changes
— DeGrow Addresses Looming School Finance Debate
— Independence Institute Celebrates School Choice Week (en español)
— Citizens Seek Union Transparency in Thompson Schools
— Grading Colorado and More: Eddie Rounds Up K-12 Scene
Digital Learning Day Could Help Propel Colorado to Student Course Choice
Believe it or not, Digital Learning Day is upon us again. A day to celebrate Colorado blended learning innovations like Rocky Mountain Prep and to look forward to more options in the future. Not just “school choice,” but “course choice.” Colorado leaders have a policy road map to follow that can help generate such an effective liberating change for students. Will we make progress in 2013?
Amy Oliver Show: Rocky Mountain Prep Pioneers Blended Learning Innovation
James Cryan, founder of Denver’s Rocky Mountain Prep charter school, talks about the innovative formula his school is using to serve a diverse and challenging population of young learners. Rocky Mountain Prep employs a blended learning model that rotates students between educational skills software and more personalized small group instruction of high-quality teachers.
