Idaho Voters to Consider Tossing Out Yummy Education Reform Tater Tots0

• September 14, 2012

Progress in education reform, like so many other areas, is never final. Just as bad policies can be undone, so can good policies. Simply put, we can’t rest on our laurels.
I’m sure that Idaho superintendent Tom Luna and the team behind his Students Come First program are well aware of that reality now. Last year […]

What the Smart Experts Are Saying about the Chicago Teachers Union Strike0

• September 12, 2012

No time to opine today, but the attention of the K-12 education world is on the continuing Chicago teachers strike. A lot of pixels are being used to cover the topic, but I believe the following are the most informative and insightful:

Dr. Terry Moe, one of the nation’s foremost experts on teachers unions, writes at […]

Upward Spending, Revenue Trends Add Context to Tax-Hiking School Districts0

• September 11, 2012

At least 23 Colorado school districts are going to local voters this year to ask for some kind of tax increase. Five of the nine largest districts are seeking a mill levy override to boost operational funding. But a closer look at the state’s numbers shows the five districts experienced significant growth in most areas of revenue and spending over the past decade.

What Do Dougco Reform Foes Think of Chicago Teachers Union Tactics, Remark?0

• September 10, 2012

Today’s big education news comes from The Windy City, where thousands of Chicago Public Schools teachers have walked out on strike. Students pay the price as the American Federation of Teachers union affiliate turns down an offer to boost an average salary of $71,000 (or $76,000?) by 16 percent over the next four years.
Even […]

Douglas County Stopped The Machine, Why Can’t Other School Boards?0

• September 7, 2012

It’s Friday, so instead of making you read a lot, kick back and enjoy this 4-minute video from Reason TV, explaining how teachers unions’ influence on education politics works like a well-oiled machine:

Earlier this week, the Douglas County Board of Education officially put an end to the automatic dues collection service that helped to power […]

Winters’ Work on VAM Adds Value to Colorado Educator Effectiveness Policy0

• September 6, 2012

I’m guessing that 2012 has been fairly busy for education policy researcher Dr. Marcus Winters. He started with the launch of his book Teachers Matter, which included visiting Denver as the first-ever speaker in the Independence Institute’s Brown Bag Lunch series. And he since has published work on school innovation and productivity, and the […]