EDUCATION - Blogs - Independence Institute

Jefferson County’s Ongoing Case of the Blue Flu 0
- September 29, 2014
Whatever Jeffco’s teachers have, it seems to be pretty contagious. First it spread like wildfire through two high schools, then it infected thousands of Jeffco high school students. Now, it’s made its way to teachers in two more schools. We should probably start making warning posters: “The blue flu is active in this area. Symptoms […]
READ MORE
How Much Video Fun is an Education Policy Wonk Allowed to Have?0
- September 26, 2014
Thanks to Choice Media for making my Friday life easier. It’s been a crazy week with the Jeffco union using kids as pawns. More on that later, but for now, here’s a 5-minute video from the American Enterprise Institute to catch your attention: Yes, the video features a ghost-girl. Yes, there are more policy wonk […]
READ MORE
More Research Could Highlight Real Promise of Blended Learning 0
- September 23, 2014
Today seemed like a good day to get out of the hot kitchen and look at a topic I haven’t addressed in awhile: blended learning. You know what I mean. According to the Clayton Christensen Institute, it’s: a formal education program in which a student learns at least in part through online learning, with some […]
READ MORE

Jeffco Teacher “Sickout” Has Me Feeling Sick… And Confused 0
- September 19, 2014
Having to write this kind of post makes me feel a little sick to my stomach. Why would some teachers walk out on kids, enough to close down two Jeffco high schools? The headline from a 9News story points to the only two possibilities I can see: AP US History or teacher pay raises. What… […]
READ MORE
Russian Dolls and Education Policy: New Study Looks More Closely at Teacher Evaluations 0
- September 17, 2014
Ever heard of a matryoshka doll? You may not have heard the name before, but I bet you’ll recognize the concept. You start with a big doll, break it open, and discover a smaller doll inside. That doll contains a still smaller doll, and inside that one is an even smaller one. You’ve got to […]
READ MORE
Task Force Talks Testing: The Challenges Ahead 0
- September 16, 2014
As you may have noticed, I’ve been talking a lot about testing recently (see here and here). I thought I got it all out of my system, but it turns out blogging about testing is a little like eating potato chips—it’s close to impossible to stop yourself once you’ve opened the bag. It’s like cracking […]
READ MORE

Contribute