Governor Crist: Don’t Sign That Bill
Gary Fineout, in the Miami Herald, writes about the virtual education bill that is now on Florida Governor Charlie Crist’s desk. Florida is not only the fourth largest state, but also a trendsetter for...
View ArticleThe Right Moves?
Community colleges have become the new policy darlings over the last year-plus. Their lower price tag makes them an attractive place to begin a postsecondary education before transferring to a more...
View ArticleCan Florida Race to the Top II Application Fix SB 6?
Earlier this month, Governor Crist vetoed SB 6, the most far reaching teacher reform bill this country has seen. Among other things, the bill would have eliminated tenure and the salary schedule,...
View ArticlePensions, Polls and Politics in New Jersey
In Greece, the two-day general strike called in response to the Parliament’s vote to slash spending to avoid defaulting on international loans turned violent, with clashes between police and protesters...
View ArticleBucking the Extended Time Trend
Marion County, Florida is the most recent district to announce plans to cut its weekly school schedule to 4 days (they have a lot of company). Starting next fall, in 2012, schools will add 75 minutes...
View ArticleFew Students Received NCLB Tutoring Money
Eleven states yesterday applied to the federal government for relief from much of the law formerly known as No Child Left Behind, including the law’s demand that all students be proficient in reading...
View ArticleWhen Publicly-Funded Schools Don’t Act Like Public Schools
Tres Whitlock has cerebral palsy. It’s a disabling condition that affects his speech–he can’t speak on his own. It also affects his movement. But it doesn’t affect his mental abilities. So what is he...
View ArticleQuick Hits (12.14.11)
Profiting from state dollars without state oversight. The Miami Herald has produced an investigative series on Florida’s charter school movement, which has grown into a $400-million-a-year business...
View ArticleQuick Hits (12.19.11)
Dream deferred? In 1988, two wealthy businessmen gave a fifth-grade class in a poor Maryland county a big promise: their college education would be paid for. Twenty-three years later, did it matter?...
View ArticleThe Declining Legacy of the Land-Grant Act
In July 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Act, which granted land to states for the creation of agricultural colleges. The law, which created the modern-day land-grant colleges that...
View ArticleQuick Hits (7.2.13)
Education and learning at Aspen Ideas Festival. “Is America still the land of opportunity? Who is responsible for making our schools better? What skills do you really need to compete and succeed in...
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