Amy Oliver Show: School Finance Report Light on Details
Senior education policy analyst Ben DeGrow explains his disappointment with a report that is short on details from the education establishment on how to reform Colorado’s School Finance Act.
Local Breakdown of Colorado K-12 Spending Further Highlights Need for Reform
Since I got so long-winded yesterday (and because I know you’re tired of me hammering on the school funding issue once again), today’s post is going to be a short one. I’ve recently pointed out that the statewide K-12 financial trends are not quite as dire as some have proclaimed. But what about at the […]
Colorado School Finance Partnership Report Fails to Inspire Real Reform Hopes
I’ve recently been asked whether I actually take the time to read every piece of hate mail, er, fan mail that I receive with not only compliments but also with thoughts and suggestions to improve this blog. Let me tell you, I’ve never let a piece go unopened. And yes, all your suggestions have been […]
AFT National Teachers Union Resolved to Protect Power in Douglas County
Summer vacation is almost over (for some students, it already is). Any reason why I can’t write about Douglas County again? That’s what I thought. So here goes…
Education Week’s Stephen Sawchuk reported last week from the annual the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) convention that members sounded off on a local Colorado issue:
The union passed, […]
Thompson School Board Mulls Paying Directors to Cover Official Expenses
Here’s a good question I haven’t thought a lot about before: What kind of payments should school board directors be eligible to receive? I’m not talking about campaign contributions, which most districts unfortunately allow from groups that get dues collection services from government payroll systems. Special interests stopped Colorado from cleaning up that unethical cycle […]
Literacy Champion John Corcoran Shares Inspiring Tale of Triumph
On Thursday, August 2, the Independence Institute Freedom Embassy hosted its second Brown Bag Lunch event with a compelling personal story highlighting the need to improve literacy in Colorado and nationwide. Addressing an audience of more than 50 Colorado educators, officials and other interested citizens, John Corcoran, president and CEO of the John Corcoran Foundation, […]
Fordham Reports Adds Popular Views to Debate on K-12 Budget Realities
I need a sidekick. No, I really, really do. Someone maybe a little naive and idealistic (even more than yours truly) who can feed me lines like these:
Sidekick: What are we going to do today, Eddie?
Me: Why, same thing we do every day: Blog about education, of course!
Sidekick: Oh, yeah. Of course. But what exactly […]
Amy Oliver Show: Dougco Union Took Two Sides of Reform
Senior education policy analyst Ben DeGrow reveals that the Doug Co teachers’ union privately coordinated with the ACLU to thwart educational reforms while publicly appearing to support them.
Emails Expose Dougco Union’s Voucher Opposition
In 2011, when the Douglas County Board of Education adopted a groundbreaking private school choice program, the few public comments made by local union officials expressed a measure of approval. However, two newly disclosed emails strongly suggest the same officials (paid at the time by taxpayer funds) were cheering for and coordinating with the ACLU, as the organization filed a lawsuit to shut down the program.
7/31/12
Education Policy Center Newsletter July 31, 2012
— Space Available Thursday for John Corcoran Brown Bag Lunch Event
— Dougco Teachers Union Still Waiting for Governor’s Decision
— DeGrow Comments, Adds Context to School Funding Debates
— Eddie Returns from Vacation, Blogging Strong
Let’s Treat Irreplaceables (Teachers, Not Cartoon Superheroes) Accordingly
One of the themes my Education Policy Center friends and I like to harp on is how poorly most of our K-12 system does in distinguishing high-quality educators from their low-performing counterparts. And the problem is especially pronounced in low-income urban communities, where tremendous need exists for great instruction to compensate for the challenges more […]
Let’s Put Together Good Ideas to Improve How We Hold K-12 Schools Accountable
More than 10 years after Washington, D.C., gave us the No Child Left Behind era, the issue of educational accountability is returning to the forefront. How do we measure and attribute school success (or failure)? Who should be held accountable, and how should that accountability be shared? What should be the consequences, both positive and […]
