New Colorado School Grades Website Offers Important Info to Families
Having more educational choices by itself is a good thing. Yet without enough accompanying information for families to make wise and effective choices, a lot of potential is lost. That’s one of the reasons why my Education Policy Center friends continue to offer the fantastic School Choice for Kids (SCFK) website, with all its helpful […]
Please, Please, Stop the Taxpayer-Funded (Colorado Teachers) Union Madness!
Sometimes you have to look outside the world of education to capture attention for issues affecting Colorado schools and the students and taxpayers invested in their success. Two headlines in particular popped up this week. The first comes from the Goldwater Institute in Arizona, which is litigating Cheatham v. Gordon, a troubling case of wasted […]
12/8/11
Newsletter December 8 2011
Colo. Public Radio on Denver School Choice Expo: Beautiful Real-Life Chaos
Colorado’s public school open enrollment season is fast approaching. Colorado Public Radio’s Jenny Brundin attended a school choice expo in Denver Public Schools. Her report about “The Middle School Freak Out” shows the beautiful chaos of educational choice – as students find more effective learning options, parents take additional responsibility and schools respond to attract and serve new customers.
More Families Flocking to Public Charter Schools, as Successful Models Improve
Today’s Denver Post features a story by Yesenia Robles that notes significant growth in public charter school enrollment. Here in Colorado, 13 new charter schools opened and 8,500 students were added to the rolls, marking an increase of nearly 12 percent. Nationally, charter school enrollment surpassed 2 million as 500 new charter schools opened and […]
Still Unclear on What Blended Learning Is? Here’s a Fun, 5-Minute Video for You
One of my big themes for 2011 has been on the growth of blended learning opportunities. “Blended learning” is a difficult term to define precisely. Several months ago I told you about the Innosight Institute’s report The rise of blended learning: Profiles of emerging models, which introduces readers to a wide array of innovative programs. […]
Tell Hoover Institution Your Best and Worst Education Events of 2011 (Vote #1)
One thing December brings is the obligatory year-end lists. If you are even a casual reader of this blog, then you should be interested in taking a moment to vote on the “Best and Worst in American Education, 2011″ — brought to you by the Hoover Institution’s Koret Task Force on K-12 Education.
Being of […]
Take Heart as Arizona Goes to Court Once More in Defense of Educational Freedom
Earlier this year Arizona broke down another barrier in the ongoing struggle for educational freedom by enacting the revolutionary “Empowerment Savings Accounts” for special-need students:
The state will deposit 90 percent of the student’s funds into an account parents can use for a variety of educational expenditures, including textbooks, therapy services, tutoring, and even tuition for […]
Colorado K-12 Funding: Follow the Money
In this 20-minute podcast presentation, senior policy analyst Ben DeGrow addresses where Colorado’s K-12 education dollars come from, as well as how much is spent and where the dollars go. A link to the accompanying PowerPoint presentation is provided to make it easier to follow along.
How Would Colorado’s Largest School Districts Fare on Brookings Choice Index?
The Brookings Institution has released a new “Education Choice and Competition Index” (ECCI) to rate the availability of schooling options for families in the nation’s 25 largest school districts (H/T Eduwonk). RiShawn Biddle has a great breakdown of the index’s strengths and shortcomings, including the need for a clearer picture of the quality of choices […]
Critics Ought to Stop Bashing Straw-Constructed Online Education Facsimiles
With all the breathless attention on K-12 online education these days, you’d almost think it was a brand-new phenomenon — not something that got its start in Colorado more than a decade ago. This time it’s the Washington Post, chiming in to note that some are questioning the educational value of cyberschools.
Am I surprised? No. […]
Seven Things Eddie Can Be Thankful For, 2011 Colorado Education Edition
Pretty much nobody is in school today, as we all gear up for the big turkey feast tomorrow. Eddie’s parents constantly remind him that the fourth Thursday in November is about more than food and football. While he could have gratefully mentioned the standard fare, instead you can read about seven timely items to be thankful for in Colorado K-12 education.
