How Serious is Douglas County Union about Open Negotiations?
Originally posted at Colorado Peak Politics. Re-posted here with permission. By Ben DeGrow On February 21 a Douglas County grassroots citizen group came forward and urged the reform-minded school board to open union negotiations to public observation. Two weeks later the Douglas County Federation (DCF) surprised many by adding the union’s voice to support bargaining […]
Crafting Colorado’s Digital Learning Policy Roadmap
A number of policy obstacles stand in the way of Colorado having the kind of flexible and student-centered system that accommodates choice and innovation through the effective use of new technologies. Education Policy Center director Pam Benigno and the Donnell-Kay Foundation’s director of special projects Matt Samelson join senior policy analyst Ben DeGrow to discuss how Colorado online education leaders came together in support of key innovative ideas featured in the newly-released issue backgrounder “The Future of Colorado Digital Learning: Crafting a Policy Roadmap for Reform.”
The Future of Colorado Digital Learning: Crafting a Policy Roadmap for Reform
Nearly 50 Colorado online education leaders (including school district and charter school staff) and policy experts gathered Monday, January 23, 2012, to help craft a roadmap of digital learning policy priorities for the state. Participants worked together to help identify Colorado’s leading digital learning policy priorities in three major categories: Access and Eligibility, Funding, and Assessment and Accountability. Given a list of policy options that included Digital Learning Now’s recommendations, participants selected those they saw as the most important for Colorado to pursue in the near term and to offer additional ideas or suggestions. According to many of the state’s online leaders, the following policy changes would enhance opportunities for Colorado’s children to achieve educational success.
Is Someone Ready to Take Care of Colorado Teachers’ “Hotel California” Problem?
Quite awhile ago I highlighted the work of my Education Policy Center friend Ben DeGrow discussing the issue of union revocation periods. What is that, you say? Well, teachers in 30 Colorado school districts (and other school employees in 11 districts) have just a short window of time to cancel their membership dues deduction.
You read […]
Dougco School Board Approves Choice Program: Looking Back One Year Later
Can you believe it was one year ago today that the Douglas County Board of Education voted to adopt the groundbreaking Pilot Choice Scholarship Program? (Can you also believe that I was 5 years old then and am still 5 years old now? I need to talk to my Education Policy Center friends about this.) […]
Denver Mayor Hancock and Andre Agassi Discussed Education Reform: A Good Sign?
A couple weeks ago I excitedly tweeted about a great blog piece in which four of Colorado’s leading Democrats — Lt. Governor Joe Garcia, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, and State Senator Michael Johnston — explained why they support school choice.
Then today Todd Shepherd of Complete Colorado forwarded me an interesting […]
Let’s Look at the Other Important Part of Colorado’s Early Literacy Problem, Too
Colorado’s House Education Committee this week approved HB 1238, the most talked about education bill of the session, a bill aimed at improving early elementary literacy programs. The legislation’s focus on more effective intervention and greater accountability is certainly laudable. But research has shown that more work needs to be done preparing Colorado teachers to deliver scientifically-based reading instruction in order to best fulfill the hopes of HB 1238.
Hurray! Three Colorado School Districts Win National Transparency Award
Today the group Sunshine Review (“a national nonprofit organization dedicated to government transparency”) unveiled its 2012 Sunny Awards to the 214 government agencies that have the most transparent websites. Colorado is represented by six agencies, including three school districts:
Jefferson County Public Schools
Denver Public Schools
Mesa County School District 51 (Grand Junction)
All three earned grades of A-minus. […]
Colorado Teachers Unions Have Some Very Different Takes on Open Negotiations
When I wrote a month ago about how the old momentum for open Colorado school district-union negotiations had returned, what came out at last night’s Douglas County school board meeting was something I didn’t expect to happen — at least not so soon. Ed News Colorado’s Nancy Mitchell offers up the somewhat surprising scoop:
In an […]
3/7/12
Newsletter March 7 2012
School Reform News Bulletin: Can Bold Iowa Reform Plans Get Unstuck?
Hard to believe it was five months ago I asked the question: Is major education reform about ready to give Iowa a try? At the heart of the story is a local connection. Jason Glass, appointed the state’s education chief a little more than a year ago by incoming Governor Terry Branstad, has some notable […]
Happy Dr. Seuss’ Birthday: A Fun Friday NEA Tribute from Ed-I-Said
Today is the birthday of the late, great Dr. Seuss (aka Ted Geisel). Millions of school children across Colorado and the rest of the United States will hear one or more of his stories as part of the Read Across America campaign. The nation’s largest teachers union is one of the event’s key sponsors. Hey, […]
