Opinion
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D.C. Scholarship Program Passes First Evaluation
Opinion -Increasing numbers of students and parents in the District of Columbia are taking advantage of the nation’s first federally funded scholarship program, according to an independent evaluation released April 5 by the U.S. Department of Education. -
Public Schools’ ‘Sacred Charge’
Opinion -Editor's note: Dana Rone, vice president of the Newark Public School Board, testified before the New Jersey Assembly Budget Committee on March 24 that although the state is spending increasing amounts of tax dollars on public education, the children -
Polls Show Solid Support for School Choice
Opinion -Despite the efforts of teacher unions and their allies to portray voucher supporters as extremists whose ideas are out of touch with mainstream America, the results of recent public opinion polls taken in three different states show solid support for -
Analysis: School Choice Improves Public School Funding
Opinion -One of the most controversial aspects of school vouchers and education tax credits is their potential effect on public school finances. On one side, critics charge vouchers will “drain much-needed resources from our public schools,” as Rep. -
Commentary: Current Public School Funding Is Unwisely Idolized
Opinion -Each season of the hugely popular Fox television series American Idol starts with a few episodes featuring talent-challenged but very entertaining contestants taking their shot at pop superstardom. -
Education Savings Accounts Could Expand School Choice
Opinion -For many Americans, the most important investment the government can make on their behalf--one that dictates much of the course of their lives--is the money spent to give them a quality education. But maximizing that investment can be a problem. -
Mental Health Screening Plan Coming to Illinois
Opinion -A controversial plan to screen all Illinois schoolchildren for mental health problems could become a reality June 30, when Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) reviews a proposal from the Illinois Children's Mental Health Partnership (ICMHP). -
School Choice a Hot Topic in State Legislatures Nationwide
Opinion -In state legislatures across the nation, battles over expanding families' access to educational choices continued to rage this spring. In Arizona, the legislature reached a budget agreement with Gov. -
Vouchers Better than NCLB Accountability
Opinion -A new study by two Harvard University scholars concludes the vouchers offered under Gov. Jeb Bush's (R) A+ Accountability Plan in Florida are spurring gains in student achievement. -
Welcome, New Readers!
Opinion -If this is your first issue of School Reform News, you are probably one of the 29,900 mayors, city council members, public school board presidents, and private school principals added to the complimentary mailing list for School Reform News. -
Vocational Education at the Center of Federal School Reform Dispute
Opinion -In his proposed 2006 budget, President George W. Bush seeks to re-route $1.3 billion, currently earmarked for the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Act, to his $1. -
District Consolidation Could Affect School Choice, Competition
Opinion -As per-pupil spending continues to rise and student achievement scores sink across the nation, legislators in several states are considering school district consolidation as a way to lower costs and deliver better education to students. -
Profile: Virginia Walden Ford
Opinion -How did Virginia Walden Ford, executive director of D.C. Parents for School Choice, follow up her successful legislative efforts? By writing a book to help other parents fight for school choice. -
National Certification Doesn’t Reward Best Teachers, Studies Show
Opinion -When K-12 public school teachers attain certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), they are rewarded with annual bonuses of up to $7,500. -
Disabled Students Lead the Way for School Choice
Opinion -Opponents of school choice programs that would allow parents to use a share of their children's public education funds to pay for attendance at private schools often argue disabled children would be left behind by such a system. -
High Schools Wrongly Blamed for K-8 Deficiencies
Opinion -Everybody who is anybody seems to have decided that the American high school is responsible for the failings of American students. The Bush administration, many governors, and even Bill Gates have now called for radical reforms. -
World-Class Standards: Rhetoric and Reality
Opinion -For several years, education policy analysts in the United States have been aware of the fact that students in the Four Tigers (South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore) regularly outperform U.S. students, especially in mathematics and science. -
School Choice Legislation Is All the Rage in 2005
Opinion -To date, 2005 has been a banner year for school choice legislation, with at least 17 states considering choice proposals. In addition, President George W. -
Distance Education on Rise in U.S., Study Shows
Opinion -A new survey from the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reveals approximately one-third of the nation's school districts offer distance-learning courses and 72 percent of them plan to expand their offerings. -
Study Shows Nevada Home, Private Schools Save Districts Millions
Opinion -A new study by the Nevada Policy Research Institute (NPRI) finds homeschooled students save Nevada taxpayers millions of dollars each year, refuting the notion that homeschooling costs school districts funding. -
States Legislators Group Calls for NCLB Overhaul
Opinion -In late February, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) issued a report challenging the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), strongly questioning its constitutionality and many of its provisions. -
Position Available: Independent Institute, Oakland, California
Opinion -The rapidly growing Independent Institute is currently seeking an Associate Director of Development. -
New Index Provides Efficiency and Effectiveness Ratings for Minnesota Schools
Opinion -A new study by former Minnesota Education Commissioner Cheri Pierson Yecke examines the state's school districts to identify how effective and efficient they are at directing money toward educational improvement. -
Goldwater Institute Creates Public Student Spending Database
Opinion -A January 19 report from the Goldwater Institute and Milton & Rose D. Friedman Foundation deconstructs Arizona's school funding formulas and translates them into per-student amounts every Arizonan can access.
