Fordham’s Checker Finn: School Districts Ready to Go the Way of Horse & Buggy
Fordham Institute president Checker Finn asks the provocative question: Are local school district boards and the 19th century governance structure they represent about ready to wither away and disappear? The Education Policy Center has raised the issue before, saying we need more local control by students and parents. Could such a change be in Colorado’s future?
Former Education Policy Center Intern Makes Splash on School Choice Week Blog
Little Eddie finally has a run for his money. What do I mean? In lieu of diving into another deep topic on a Friday, instead let’s take a look at the school reform blogging debut of a recent Education Policy Center intern, Devan Crean. Writing on the School Choice Week blog, she asks the ever-important […]
Is It Really Time to Re-think Education Reform Focus on The Achievement Gap?
What’s going on in the world of education reform? Every once in awhile, even a precocious 5-year-old like myself can benefit from stepping back to try to get a better look at the big picture. With a penetrating eye and a nuanced approach, the prolific Rick Hess takes on one of K-12 reformers’ sacred cows–the […]
Utah Lawmaker Charts Bold Plan to Empower Students for Excellent Education
Over and over again I have said that serious outside-the-box thinking is needed to push American schooling toward excellence that affords families a wide array of challenging and effective options to serve them best. In that light Matt Ladner brings our attention to a bold and visionary education transformer, who just so happens to be […]
The Cartel Creator’s New Choice Media Site Fills Valuable School Reform Niche
I’ve got a new, exciting addition to the blogroll to tell you about. Today marks the launch of Choice Media, described in its first official media release as “a non-profit news service devoted to covering all facets of K-12 education quality and reform.” It’s no amateur operation, either. A look at the website will tell […]
Good News to End the Week: Indiana Choice Program Growing at Record Pace
While the Douglas County Choice Scholarship Program is on hold due to a court-ordered injunction, its Indiana cousin is the source of good news for students and families seeking to exercise more beneficial educational choices. An Indianapolis TV station reported on Wednesday:
The Department of Education said 3,800 students are receiving vouchers, a program created and […]
Education Policy Center Briefings Bring Out School Board Candidates Across Colorado
During the month of September the Education Policy Center hosted a series of four briefings on key Colorado education topics and local reform opportunities, specially designed for school board candidates. Center director Pam Benigno and senior policy analyst Ben DeGrow gave two presentations at the Independence Institute offices and one each in Colorado Springs and […]
New Research Adds to “Master’s Bump” Blowout; Time for More Performance Pay
How about a little “dog bites man” story for education policy geeks? A new study by Marcus Winters makes it 34-0 for high-quality research showing no relationship between teacher master’s degrees and student achievement. If this were a football game, it would be a blowout. So why does Colorado still spend nearly 2 percent of its total K-12 operating dollars each year on ineffective “master’s bumps”?
Productive K-12 Spending Ideas in Award-Winning Book and Citizens’ Budget
Last December I suggested to you four education reform books as stocking stuffer ideas. One of the books on the list was an important volume edited by Frederick Hess and Eric Osberg, titled Stretching the School Dollar: How Schools and Districts Can Save Money While Serving Students Best.
In September my Education Policy Center friends […]
Hooray! Douglas County, Institute for Justice Appeal Anti-Voucher Ruling
I’ve been told (no, really, I have!) that for a little kid blogging about education policy, I have a lot of appeal. Embarrassing: at first I thought it had something to do with bananas. But you know I was so much younger then. Anyway, I don’t want you to slip up before I get to […]
DeGrow Criticizes Tax Hike Proposal for Education Funding
Senior policy analyst Ben DeGrow’s commentary on a Colorado education tax hike proposal is featured this week on American Family Radio News (One News Now). DeGrow explained to reporter Bob Kellogg that Proposition 103 — a ballot proposal sponsored by State Senator Rollie Heath (D – Boulder) to raise sales and income taxes for the […]
Indiana Teachers Union Secedes; Some Colo. Teacher Member Options Limited
Colorado teachers have options. That’s why I’m interested by stories like a new one from Fort Wayne, Indiana, where local teachers decided to secede from the state and national teachers union (H/T Education Intelligence Agency Communique):
President of the Northwest Allen County Education Association Alan Bodenstein told NewsChannel 15, they’ve been talking about it for about […]
