Discuss Amongst Yourselves: Hess on “New Normal,” Petrilli on “Parenting Gap”
Update, 11/9: Peter Meyer has provided a great response to Petrilli’s piece. In the end, I don’t think the two are that far apart in their views on this. But it’s an important conversation to join.
It’s a “discuss-amongst-yourselves” Tuesday in little Eddie’s world. Fortunately, I have two terrific, thought-provoking articles to share. Without further ado, […]
Ed News Colorado Highlights I.I. Report on State of Local K-12 Financial Transparency
Led by Ed News Colorado, local media cover the release of the new Independence Institute report on the state of financial transparency among local K-12 agencies.
Teacher Reform Message Carried to CU-Boulder Film Event
On November 3, Ben DeGrow participated on a discussion panel at CU-Boulder following the Colorado premiere of the documentary film American Teacher.
New I.I. Report Shows Colo. Local K-12 Agencies Have Lots of Room to Follow the Law and Improve Financial Transparency
So here we are, almost a week after the election here in Colorado that got a lot of big people’s attention. Prop 103’s “for the kids” tax hike went down in a ball of flames. A record number of local school tax and debt elections ran headlong into defeat. In at least one case, “negative […]
New AAE Member Survey Shows Again that Teacher Opinion Isn’t Monolithic
Who knew it would be such a busy week? Before I head off to go play in the snow or jump in a pile of leaves or two — you never know with the weather here in Colorado — I thought you’d like to see the new results from the Association of American Educators nationwide […]
Time to Show the Money: Complying with Colorado’s Public School Financial Transparency Act
Today it is more important than ever for governments to be financially transparent. The funds of public K-12 agencies in particular should be spent wisely to improve student learning. Colorado’s 2010 Public School Financial Transparency Act requires local education providers to post specified financial information online. Out of 178 school districts, 16 BOCES and the Charter School Institute, only 25 websites were fully compliant with the law’s requirement 90 days after the July 1, 2011, deadline to post expenditures through check registers and purchase card statements.
Need to Keep Hope Alive? Choice Media TV Highlights Dougco Program
Yesterday I mentioned the banner news from Douglas County, where the pro-voucher slate of school board candidates prevailed in a high-turnout election. To help keep your spirits up, you simply have to watch this excellent 8-minute Choice Media TV video feature on school choice in Douglas County, and not just because it features my Education […]
Reveling in Election Results? New NAEP Scores Mixed Bag for Colorado & Nation
With all the important results related to education in last night’s election here in Colorado — hooray, the only dominoes that toppled were the ones supporting the Prop 103 tax increase on families like mine, AND the school choice champions in Douglas County all won — it would be easy for me to overlook some […]
Local Mich. Teacher Evaluation Innovation Could Be a Money Maker (Gasp!)
Today across Colorado, the last ballots are coming in to help determine who will serve on many of the state’s 178 local boards of education (some have no competitive races, and therefore no election). It may not be the most thorough or reliable way to bring about needed reforms, but opportunities exist for some positive […]
Interesting Idaho Teacher Merit Pay Plans Inspire Idea for Potato Head Costume
This spring I told you about some yummy tater-tot-like education reform laws passing in Idaho. Seriously. Well, now Jessie Bonner of the Associated Press reports that one of the key reforms is coming to life throughout the Gem State:
A database compiled by the state Department of Education shows schools districts have adopted a mixture of […]
A Big “You Got It, Dude” to Pennsylvania Senate for Passing School Choice Bill
You’ve seen me write before about 2011 as the “Year of School Choice”, right? That summertime proclamation came about the same time as the Pennsylvania legislature stalled on a major proposal to create school vouchers, though so many other states created or expanded educational choice programs. Well, maybe — and let me emphasize maybe — […]
Cookie Monster Invoked Again, in Great Public Radio Prop 103 Takedown
When it comes to invoking the great Cookie Monster in blogging about public policy, who is the king? That’s right. I hate to toot my own horn, but you may remember such famous Eddie posts as:
K-12 Officials Blaming Special Education is Sort of Like Me Blaming Cookie Monster; and
Ben DeGrow (and Cookie Monster?) Talk Falcon […]
