Opinion
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12/1998 Parental Freedom in the States and Nation
Opinion -Illinois . . . Only days after he was endorsed by the Illinois Education Association (IEA) for this year's gubernatorial race, Secretary of State George Ryan (R) announced his support for tuition tax credits. -
Aligning K-12 Standards with College Placement
Opinion -"We must adjust, and even overhaul, the current mélange of K-16 education policies that sends confusing signals to students and schools about what knowledge is worth knowing," says Stanford University education professor Michael W. -
How Teachers Would Reform Public Schools
Opinion -The following reforms are endorsed by teachers who signed the 15-point "Letter to the American People" developed at the National Summit of Teachers for Education Reform: Restore proven traditional curricula and shared civic values; End -
Is Choice the Answer?
Opinion -Until the University of Chicago's James Coleman published his study on the superior performance of Catholic schools, the general impression was that Catholic schools were not as good academically as public schools, according to Harvard University -
Issues in the Choice Debate
Opinion -Policymakers are often placed in the position of having to choose between two opposing assertions with scant factual support for either. -
State Science Standards
Opinion -While a B is not a bad grade, it should not satisfy those who are responsible for educational standards, points out Lawrence S. -
Secular Blasphemy
Opinion -The importance of government-run schools in producing democratic values is of such emotional significance for most people that it "has achieved its place in our secular faith in much the same way that the Constitution and the flag have," notes Jay P. -
Private Schools Better Promote Civic Values
Opinion -"Do you think private or church-related schools that accept government tuition payments should or should not be required to accept students from a wider range of backgrounds and academic ability than is now generally the case? -
Battling the Public Education Empire
Opinion -In the battle against government control of public education, advocates of parental control have unleashed several weapons: a drumbeat of criticism against the performance of public schools; growing support for school vouchers, particularly -
The Empire Strikes Back
Opinion -The public education "empire" is striking back on several fronts, launching a broad counterattack to fend off threats to its exclusive $300+ billion franchise for delivering K-12 education to America's 50 million schoolchildren. -
Girls Are Not Shortchanged by Schools
Opinion -Most people take it for granted that "schools shortchange girls. -
Credibility Gap Grows Wider in NYC Schools
Opinion -It all began in June 1998, when New York City Schools Chancellor Rudy Crew “found” $63 million in his supposedly cash-strapped budget, allowing him to prevent an expected $1,000 a year cut in teacher salaries. -
“The More Choices We Have, the Better Off We’re Going to Be”
Opinion -As Arizona's State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Lisa Graham Keegan serves as CEO of the State Board of Education and oversees the $2 billion budget of the Arizona Department of Education. -
Focus on the Dream
Opinion -In the 35 years since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. -
NYC Schools Get Failing Grade from Business Leaders
Opinion -Whatever other skills students can thank their New York City public school teachers for, math isn't one of them, according to a recent Public Agenda survey of the city's business leaders. -
Gallup Poll Shows Lower Ratings for Public Schools
Opinion -An annual public opinion poll reveals that while fewer Americans than ever before would award the nation's public schools an A or B grade, more are beginning to favor taxpayer-funded access to the education alternative provided by private and -
11/1998 News Briefs
Opinion -Study Deflates Risk of Second-Hand Smoke A 10-year study of European smoking recently released concluded that the risk of second-hand smoke is far less than previously asserted, and is nonexistent for children. -
DOE Unit Seeks $64 Billion Hit to US Economy
Opinion -The impact on the US economy of meeting the Kyoto mandates for reducing greenhouse gas emissions is far greater than asserted by the Clinton administration or partisans of the climate-change treaty, a new forecast by an independent government agency -
Shooting a Grizzly in Self-Defense
Opinion -Created by Congress in 1973 to protect imperiled animal and plant species, the Endangered Species Act remains a well intentioned but confusing law that leaves environmentalists and developers baffled. -
How Alton Jones Foundation Switched from Art and Culture to Radical Green
Opinion -The metamorphosis of the W. Alton Jones Foundation has transformed the 54-year-old charity from supporting the arts and culture to warning of environmental Armageddon. And because of its new mission statement, Americans now are saddled with an “ ... -
Overly Optimistic Outlook Drives White House Model
Opinion -Citing several flaws in the Clinton administration's assessment of the impact of the Kyoto climate-change treaty, a new study by an outside consulting firm argues that the annual costs to the U.S. -
Kyoto Pact Goes Where Scientists Fear to Tread
Opinion -Proponents of the Kyoto treaty on climate change have failed in their basic responsibility: To prove, based on present knowledge, that the benefits of implementing the treaty outweigh its costs, a prominent free-market environmentalist contends. -
New Data Cools Global Warming Alarmists
Opinion -The Clinton Administration is dodging more than just economic reality when it comes to activist efforts to impose mandatory emissions curbs on industrialized nations via the Kyoto treaty on climate change. -
New Urban Planners Can’t Define Suburban Sprawl, But They Hate It When They See It: an exclusive interview with Sam Staley
Opinion -“Stop suburban sprawl” is fast becoming the rallying cry of central planners, command-and-control regulators and a growing number of elected legislators. What’s remarkable is that “suburban sprawl” has no universally accepted definition.