NY NAACP Lawsuit and Lobato Ruling: Don’t Let the Outrage Get You Down
Has it really been almost three months since I told you about a new Choice Media video on the Douglas County Choice Scholarship program injunction? Well, award-winning director Bob Bowdon has triumphed again with this hard-hitting, six-minute video about the New York City NAACP’s lawsuit trying to remove a charter school that successfully serves inner-city […]
Lobato Judge’s Anti-Constitutional Opinion is Politics, Not Law
In a 2001 interview, a little known state senator and law school professor from Illinois cautioned that courts are “poorly equipped” for making public policy. Pointing to problems with the legitimacy and ability of courts particularly in the field of education, he advised seeking change through politics rather than litigation. Sadly, both concerns of Barack Obama were exemplified in a Colorado state court decision last December.
Guess Implementing Digital Learning Policy Changes in Colorado Not as Easy as It Looks
As last year was winding down, I told you that the issue of K-12 online and blended learning would be a big one going forward for Colorado in 2012. With the legislature now in session and the first-ever Digital Learning Day just around the corner, I found a timely article that deserves some attention here […]
Friday the 13th Brings Bad Indiana Judicial News for Anti-School Choice Crowd
While I sit and wait and tap my feet for some word on the appeal of the Douglas County choice scholarship injunction, here’s some important good news for you. A very similar statewide program enacted last year in the Hoosier State has been upheld in a January 13 decision:
A Marion County judge ruled Friday that […]
No Excuses Time: Attend a Colorado School Choice Week Event (January 22-28)
The second annual National School Choice Week is coming up soon. For most of my fellow Coloradans, there aren’t any good excuses to not be able to attend even of the numerous events going on during the week of January 22-28, from a Kids Aren’t Cars movie night at the Independence Institute’s new Denver digs to two American Exceptionalism townhalls with nationally-known speakers and a special Saturday morning event designed just for teachers. Perhaps we’ll see you at one of them.
A+ Denver Report Gives More Evidence that Charter Franchises Are Getting It Done
Just a quick post today. More good news emerging from DPS today. Ed News Colorado highlights an intriguing new report from A+ Denver that breaks down some key performance data from the state’s second-largest school district:
This report shows that Charter Management Organizations (charter organizations that manage more than one school, currently DSST, West Denver Prep […]
DeGrow on One News Now: Lobato Decision Misses Real Problems with “Broken” Education Funding
Senior policy analyst Ben DeGrow’s insights on a recent major Colorado school finance court ruling are featured this week on American Family Radio News (One News Now). In an interview with reporter Bob Kellogg, DeGrow highlighted some key basic problems with the Denver District Court ruling in Lobato v State: “First of all, this is […]
Bring Out Your Dustbins for the Overhyped 65% Solution (at Least in Georgia)
Education policy gurus, brandish your dustbins. Last week Mike Antonucci brought attention to a report from Georgia that the state is looking to abandon the once vaunted “65% Solution,” the idea (popular circa 2005-06) that schools should be required to spend 65 percent of funds “in the classroom.” Antonucci writes:
This made for useful sound bites, […]
Bob Schaffer Looks Back at 10 Years of NCLB Federal Education Failure
Yesterday I peered ahead at the upcoming legislative session. Today I take a look back at a landmark piece of national education legislation. Yes, I sometimes get confused like that. Anyway, it was 10 years ago this week that then-President George W. Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). A whole […]
K-12 Issues in Colo. Legislative Session Figure to Be Busier for 2012
If I were to write “it’s that time of year again”… again, you’d probably be ready to chew me out. And my little ears are too sensitive for that. So I’ll just take note that Colorado’s legislative session kicks off on Wednesday. Which naturally means (pardon me if you’ve heard this before) get ready and […]
West Denver Prep or Wherever, It’s Now for Colorado Public School Open Enrollment
The hubbub about New Year’s is past, the Christmas toys have grown old and boring. What’s to get excited about around here — except for maybe the Denver Broncos in the playoffs? Well, ’tis the open enrollment season for families in many Colorado school districts who are looking for a better, more effective educational option […]
Rick Hess’ Edu-Scholar Public Presence Rankings Point to My Indirect Influence
From time to time you’ll see me write about or reference the work of scholars who research the nitty gritty of education policy. These are the high falutin’ number-crunchers with big degrees who work at universities. Well, the venerable Rick Hess has revealed his 2012 Edu-Scholar Public Presence Rankings to measure more than 100 American […]
