Tom Coyne Smart Jeffco Whistle Bomb
Every now and then, an op-ed drops from the sky like one of those whistle bombs in the movies. The resulting explosion gets folks all riled up, and usually leads to some highly entertaining (though not terribly productive) conversations. Today is one of those days, with a Denver Post op-ed that sees Jeffco’s Tom Coyne outlining […]
Colorado Looks Terrible at K-12 Spending (If You Fudge the Numbers)
Perhaps you’ve heard the famous expression: “If it bleeds, it leads.” The K-12 education policy version of that axiom recently played out in a recent Colorado Public Radio (CPR) story under the heading of “Colorado per-pupil spending lags US average even more, report says.” The report referenced comes from the Colorado School Finance Report (COSFP). […]
Ding Ding Ding! JCEA’s Round Two Battleflop
Not too long ago, John Ford of the Jefferson County Education Association told us that “the fight would start in January.” I wrote about his inspiring speech recently, but here’s the video in case you forgot: And if that weren’t enough to get this little guy scared, Complete Colorado broke the story that he’s been […]
Despite Satisfactory Resolution, Jeffco Curriculum Controversy Limps On
If there’s one thing being a perpetual five year old has taught me, it’s that you have to know when to let something go. Continually bringing up the same thing may get you some attention, but in the long run it’s likely to do more harm than good. That’s especially true when you’ve already gotten […]
A Show in Jeffco: Last Week’s Meeting and What Lies Ahead
As you may recall, I went to a party last Thursday night. Sadly, I didn’t find the snacks I was promised (though not for lack of trying). What I did find was a relatively small room absolutely packed with cameras, tension, and people wearing cheaply designed custom t-shirts. And snacks or no snacks, I got […]
Jefferson County’s Ongoing Case of the Blue Flu
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 […]
A Billion Dollars Worth of Bad Ideas: Amendment 66 Tax Hike
Amendment 66 would replace Colorado’s flat income tax of 4.63 percent of federal adjusted gross income with the two bracket system shown in Table 1: Colorado Income Tax Rates if Amendment 66 Passes. Passing Amendment 66 also passes SB13-213, the new 141-page state school finance law.
Douglas County: Building a Better Education Model
Effecting successful suburban school reform poses an authentic challenge. Many students do well compared to their peers in neighboring districts, but overall test scores conceal shortcomings. The U.S. spends more per person on education than any other country, yet even middle-class students academically lag their peers in other countries. The fast-growing Douglas County School District (DCSD) south of Denver, Colorado, has attempted a different approach to aim higher.
DC Unions Bankroll Colorado Campaign Against Health Care Choice
By Linda Gorman People who need to spend $100,000 to interpret 90 words of a ballot initiative, that the Blue Book interprets for free, shouldn’t have much credibility when it comes to controlling health care costs. That’s how much the campaign against the health care choice amendment, Amendment 63, spent on fancy campaign consultants. The […]
