SB 172 Testing Consortium Dispute Colors Last Days of Legislative Session
Phew! There are only a few days left in Colorado’s legislative session, but there are still education bills left that deserve our attention. My new grown-up friends at Parent Led Reform today have their sights set on stopping Senate Bill 172, one of the shortest pieces of legislation you may ever lay eyes on:
The bill […]
A Chronology of School Choice in the U.S.
The report highlights the evolution of school choice in American history, from the colonial era to the present. Krista Kafer examines the trends, policies, laws, and court cases that have marked the nation’s progress toward educational freedom.
New Study: Sleeping In, Starting Late Helps Middle Schoolers Learn a Little More
I write here about a lot of different issues related to education and education policy. But this one may be a first for me: How early should school start? When it comes to the bigger kids, middle school and high school students, new research by Finley Edwards featured at Education Next suggests it may actually […]
DeGrow Comments on Denver Charter School Network Success
Quoted in an article for School Reform News, an Education Policy Center expert commented on a 2012 Donnell-Kay Foundation study identifying success among Denver charter schools.
Devil’s Advocate: Tim Farmer Touts HB 1333 Options for Teachers
Tune in to Devil’s Advocate as host Jon Caldara is joined by Tim Farmer from the Professional Association of Colorado Educators (PACE) explains Colorado House Bill 1333, which sought to allow educators to make union or professional membership choices on a month-to-month basis. He explains how many teachers are adversely affected by current policies and what the simple legislative proposal would have accomplished.
Parent Led Reform Steps Forward in Colorado
Karin Piper, a Douglas County mom and the founder and executive director of Parent Led Reform (PLR), explains the vision of broad educational choice that unites the growing network of parents. In its early stages, PLR already has effectively taken on several school-related issues at the state and local level.
Go to Choice Media TV’s “Reform School” for Your Education Viewing Enjoyment
To all my fellow education policy geeks out there, it appears that national TV executives have heard our cries and given us what we wanted. I’m not talking about the recent two-hour NBC Education Nation teacher town hall in Denver. However, you really ought to listen to the podcast interview with Branson Online elementary teacher […]
Nearing Falcon Innovation Crossroads: Proposals Approved, Opposition Strong
The groundbreaking innovation process in Colorado’s Falcon School District 49 is fast approaching another important crossroads. The issue at hand is local empowerment. Awakened to the realization that too much power has been ceded and delegated to professional administrators, parents and the classroom teachers with whom they choose to partner are taking ownership and gaining the responsibility that comes with self-government. But the school board stands closely divided, and with a vacancy soon to be filled, innovation rests precariously in the balance.
Transparency for Higher Ed Struggles, Bears Fruit in K-12
While the education transparency locomotive hasn’t been derailed, the engineer has pulled the brakes a couple times. Open union negotiations legislation was sent to its death in a Democratic-controlled Senate committee. Meanwhile, a key higher education transparency bill has spent many weeks accumulating dust while the session clock quickly approaches midnight.
Union Leaders Bullying Teachers Is Not Something We Have to Accept, Either
There’s a lot of talk these days in education about dealing with the perennial problem of school bullies. Not long ago an acclaimed movie was released, and President Obama spoke out against it, while new research suggests that it leads victims to hurt themselves more and special-needs students to suffer from anxiety and depression.
Hey, I […]
DeGrow Touts Case to Expand Colorado Teacher Options
School Reform News editor Joy Pullmann quoted senior policy analyst Ben DeGrow in a national story about Colorado’s House Bill 1333, which would allow school district employees the freedom to opt in or out of union or professional membership with 30 days notice.
Advancing Digital Learning Reforms Means Hard (and Smart) Work Lies Ahead
Digital learning is much more than a buzzword. It’s a real trend in K-12 education that’s growing faster than any single person or entity can keep up with. The effective use of technology in instruction to enhance student learning experiences takes on a variety of forms — including full-time online education programs and numerous blended […]
