Archive for the ‘Education’ Category

D.C. teachers pressed to perform

(NCAP) With a new union contract under her arm Chancellor Michelle Rhee, of the the District of Columbia, has fired 241 under-performing teachers. Recent teachers’ union negotiations have given teachers their own report cards, with large raises and the boot on either ends of the scale.  Read...
July 28th, 2010 | Accountability, Education | Read More

New Orleans Schools After Katrina

July 28th, 2010 | Education | Read More

The politics and policy of online education

(Reason Magazine) From the perspective of education reformers and policy wonks, beaten down by a decades-long war of attrition, online education has swept onto the scene with astonishing speed. Paul Peterson, the Harvard education scholar, calls the rate at which the online education sector has grown...
July 27th, 2010 | Education | Read More

Invisible Ink In Teacher Contracts

(Education Next) Across the country, many cash-strapped districts fretting over likely layoffs are eyeing seniority rules as they hammer out new contracts. To the surprise of some district superintendents, contract negotiations are not likely to offer much relief. In fact, when it comes to seniority...
July 23rd, 2010 | Education | Read More

Are Michigan Public Schools Underfunded?

(The Mackinac Center for Public Policy) A common claim by Michigan’s public school establishment and its political allies is that, despite spending $20 billion annually on education, our schools are “underfunded.” Comparisons to other states and to historical funding levels show that the claim...
July 20th, 2010 | Education | Read More

Education Vouchers Raise Property Values in Texas District

(National Center for Policy Analysis) The sudden increase in property values and demand for housing in Edgewood indicates the desire of parents to move into the district’s boundaries in order to qualify their child for the voucher program. While the exact number is unknown, many voucher users attended...
July 18th, 2010 | Education | Read More

Charter schools face uncertain future

(AlaskaWatchdog.org) Facing rising costs and limited room for expansion, Alaska charter schools may soon be a thing of the past. Mary Meade-Olberding, charter school supervisor for the Anchorage School District, said charter schools face a number of district-imposed restrictions that make expansion extremely...
July 13th, 2010 | Education | Read More

Group claims exemption from open records law

(The State) A state education association has asked a federal court to decide whether South Carolina freedom of information laws violate the group’s First Amendment rights. The case centers on whether the South Carolina Association of School Administrators must comply with an open records request....
July 12th, 2010 | Education, Transparency | Read More

New education stimulus to complete the first’s task

(Heritage Foundation) Congress will soon consider a $23 billion spending measure for public education. This money comes on the heels of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)—the so-called stimulus bill—which contained $80 billion in K-12 education funding. Further, President Obama’s...
June 24th, 2010 | Accountability, Education, Fiscal Policy | Read More

Audio: Anchorage School District’s next big spending project

David Boyle from the Alaska Policy Forum asks how the West Romig renewal will affect student achievement. (5:40) ASD's next big spending project - Click here to listen
June 22nd, 2010 | Education, Recent News | Read More

Is the Anchorage School District focused on its mission?

On June 14th at 6:30, the Anchorage School Board will consider approving a master plan to rebuild West High School and Romig Middle School into a community center school. The projected cost is nearly $300,000,000. This “vision” includes fitness centers, one natural and two artificial turf...
June 14th, 2010 | Education | Read More

The promise of virtual learning

Leaders of online education gathered Thursday to discuss the role that virtual learning must play in our nation’s future, saying brick-and-mortar classrooms won’t become obsolete but will be complemented by blended and virtual learning models. Despite its promise, the panelists said they...
June 2nd, 2010 | Education, Recent News | Read More

Do charter schools have flexibility?

(Thomas B. Fordham Institute) For those who are concerned about unfunded mandates, what about inflexible mandates? No one disagrees that charter schools should be held accountable for their results. But, do charter schools have the flexibility to adapt and change to fit the individual needs of a child?...
May 26th, 2010 | Education | Read More

Public needs more time to learn about ASD contracts

By David Boyle May 20, 2010 The Anchorage School District (ASD) will soon consider the tentative teachers (AEA) contract for approval. This contract will cost the taxpayer $166,968,000 for health care insurance alone over the three year period. And this is only for the 3,600 teachers. Salary benefits...
May 23rd, 2010 | Education, Recent News | Read More

Ohio Senate moves to improve school-age obesity

(Cincinnati Enquirer) The Ohio Senate approved a bill that mandates a 30 minute exercise period in schools, among other nutritional requirements. Ohio, with one in three children obese, aims to monitor and control each student’s body weight. Read the article <here>
May 20th, 2010 | Education, Health Care, Recent News | Read More

Texas schools improved with voucher system

(National Center for Policy Analysis) The University of Texas-San Antonio studied the effects of the voucher program in the Edgewood school district. The Texas Education Agency uses student performance on standardized tests to classify each public school as exemplary, recognized, acceptable or unacceptable....
April 22nd, 2010 | Education, Policy | Read More
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