Opinion
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Superintendent Plans Revamp of Miami-Dade School Construction
Opinion -In his first few months as the new superintendent of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Rudolph F. -
Think Tank Helps Teachers Avoid Unwanted Union Political Spending
Opinion -In December 2004, the Independence Institute, a free-market think tank in Colorado (where the author serves as a research associate), sent emails to nearly 40,000 public school teachers across the state. -
U.S. Students Flunk Math Again
Opinion -PISA 2003 Mean Scores in MathematicsOECD CountriesFinland 544Korea 542Netherlands 538Japan 534Canada 532Belgium 529Switzerland 527Australia 524New Zealand 523Czech Republic 516Iceland 515Denmark 514France 511Sweden 509 -
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False Rigor: 8th-Grade Math Test Requires Only 3rd-Grade Skills
Opinion -The dramatic gains in student test scores on a national math exam over the past decade are being called into question by an analysis from the Brookings Institution's Brown Center, which found questions on fourth-grade and eighth-grade tests to be -
Tiny Gains Trigger Large PR Effort by National Teacher Certifiers
Opinion -The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) is touting the results of a new study as proving that its performance-based system of national certification identifies effective teachers who deserve rich bonuses because their students show -
Ethnic and Gender Diversity Lacking in Teaching Profession
Opinion -Although white students made up about 60 percent of the student body in public schools in 2001, white teachers made up 90 percent of the teaching corps in those schools, according to a new analysis of teacher diversity prepared by the National -
Test Yourself: NAEP’s ‘Hard’ 8th-Grade ‘Algebra and Functions’ Questions
Opinion -The National Assessment of Educational Progress Web site offers the following questions as examples of "hard" eighth-grade "algebra" problems. Answers are on page 18. 1. The lowest point of the St. Lawrence River is 294 feet below sea level. -
How Do I Educate Thee? Let Me Count the Ways …
Opinion -Laptop Learning: St. Joseph High School Goes Wireless On September 17, 2004, St. -
January 2005 Friedman Report: Profile
Opinion -When Lindalyn Kakadelis became director of the North Carolina Education Alliance, she had a passion for school choice and a background that made her uniquely qualified for the job. -
Teacher Unions Fail to Spread the Blues in 2004 Election
Opinion -Rhetorically, the teacher unions framed the 2004 election as the "most important election of our lifetime." They swore they wouldn't allow the 2000 Florida debacle to happen again. -
Three Cheers for Rod Paige
Opinion -Outgoing Education Secretary Rod Paige is a great education reformer and distinguished public servant who leaves office after four years of accomplishment, candor, nonstop dedication to America's children, and loyal service to the Bush administration. -
Fordham Foundation Honors Brandl, Joseph, and Moe as Education Change Agents
Opinion -The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation has named John E. Brandl, Marion Joseph, and Terry M. Moe as recipients of its third annual Fordham Prizes for Excellence in Education. -
Does Public Education Need a Witness Protection Program?
Opinion -In Spring 2004, the Texas office of Americans for Prosperity initiated the Educators Witness Protection Program Web site to allow individual educators, taxpayers, and others to report instances of alleged wasteful spending in the public school system -
Attack on Milwaukee Voucher Research Comes Up Short
Opinion -An attempt by a self-described "non-partisan" organization to discredit a voucher researcher's results showing higher graduation rates for voucher students came up short recently when it was pointed out that not only was the criticism unfounded, but the -
January 2005 Friedman Report: School Choice Roundup
Opinion -California * Colorado * New Mexico * New York * Texas Utah * Virginia CALIFORNIA California Test Scores Influence Real Estate Market California's Academic Performance Index (API) allows home buyers and real estate agents to identify homes -
Conference Quotes
Opinion -"Stop worrying about whether school choice proposals are radical--worry about whether they are radical enough." Clint Bolick, president Alliance for School Choice "When legislators try to regulate homeschoolers, it's like hitting a hornets' nest. -
Answers to problems on page 7
Opinion -1. 1,571 Low elevation = -294 High elevation = 1,277 Difference = 1,571 2. e) 29 3. e) L - 3 4. 8 X + Y = 14 .20X + .33Y = 3.84 Therefore, .20X + .33(14 - X) = 3.84 Solving, X = 6 and Y = 8 5. -
Thanks for the Front-Row Seat!
Opinion -The current issue of School Reform News--the 87th since Heartland first started monthly publication in January 1997--is my last as managing editor. -
Hispanic CREO: Awakening the Power of Parents
Opinion -When Hispanic CREO convened its second annual conference, "Activate the Latino Voice," on October 21, 2004 in Westminster, Colorado, the 400 attendees were ready to celebrate the many achievements the organization had made during the previous year. -
Spellings May Replace Paige as Head of Department of Education
Opinion -The expectation was that if President George W. Bush won re-election, he would "stay the course" with implementation of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), his signature school reform law. -
Greene Disputes Florida’s Increased Graduation Rate
Opinion -Just because Manhattan Institute researcher Jay Greene agrees with Gov. Jeb Bush (R) on the value of school choice doesn't mean Greene endorses everything Bush says. -
Appeals Court Strikes Down Florida Vouchers
Opinion -In a ruling the dissent characterized as driving "a semi-truck" through a "small window" in the U.S.
