Ex-Education Secretary William Bennett Visits Dougco, “Very Impressed”

Colorado’s non-union teacher group PACE today posted some more of the results from their recent member survey. Roughly 3 out of every 4 expressed support for “a pathway for career advancement outside of the traditional, seniority-based salary schedule,” often known as a career ladder. One of their members hit the nail on the head: A […]

Amy Oliver Show: Colorado Charters on the Rise

Jim Griffin, president of the Colorado League of Charter Schools, talks about a new report that documents the growth of the state’s public charter school movement, and the better academic outcomes their schools are getting with less funds.

04/30/13

Education Policy Center Newsletter April 30, 2013
— New Colorado Kids Win Site Highlights Scholarship Tax Credits
— DeGrow Tackles Big School Finance Reform Debate (Cont.)
— Center Covers Teachers Union Showdown in Adams 12
— Raaki Garcia Show Covers KIPP, Parent Resources, Dougco
— Confused about Weather, Eddie Rounds Up April K-12 Topics

Three Decades After “A Nation at Risk,” Incredible Theories Live On: Who Knew?

Talk about ancient history for a kid like me. On Friday the Fordham Foundation and American Enterprise Institute commemorated the 30th anniversary of the landmark A Nation at Risk education report with this 23-minute video documentary: It may be a lot to take in for those with shorter attention spans (wait, is that a squirrel??), […]

II in Denver Post: RTD FasTracks is still a boondoggle

The Denver Post has published an op-ed co-authored by Independent Institute Fellow Randal O’Toole & Brian T. Schwartz. It begins: With great fanfare, RTD opened its West Rail Line for business on Friday. This light-rail line was a boondoggle when it was first planned in 1997. Its even worse today. Read more: Has RTDs FasTracks been […]

Adams 12 Negotiations Reconsider Tax-Funded Teachers Union Release Time

Interesting news this week out of Phoenix, Arizona, where a judge ruled it unconstitutional for taxpayers to fund police union “release time” activities, and put an injunction on the practice. We’re talking about two different states, and two different sectors of government, but one has to wonder whether a similar case could be made about […]

Don’t Punish Students in American Indian Charter Success Story for Controversy

A sad education story is emerging from Oakland, California. Poor kids soon could be deprived of the option of attending the city’s top-performing high school and producing some of the best results nationwide. Why? Because a state audit found financial mismanagement by Ben Chavis, charismatic leader of the successful American Indian Charter, and lack of […]

Gallup Poll: Put brakes on gas tax

Two-thirds of Americans oppose increasing gas taxes, even if it means the revenue would go toward improving roads and bridges, a new polls shows.