Opinion
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Classroom Teachers Call for School Choice
Opinion -Dismayed by how little improvement in the quality of public education has taken place in the 15 years since publication of A Nation at Risk, a group of nationally acclaimed teachers has declared that the time has come for fundamental reform of the -
Overcoming Opposition to School Choice
Opinion -"I'll start representing kids when kids start paying union dues." Al Shanker, former AFT President California Gov. -
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. -
“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. -
It’s Hard to Go Back to Building Widgets
Opinion -"Just a kid from the streets of Philadelphia" who put himself through eight years of night school, A.J. "Jack" Clegg truly understands the value of education in changing the lives of city children. -
We Cannot Afford to Wait Any Longer
Opinion -While the clout of most politicians declines after leaving office, just the opposite is happening to former Democratic Congressman Floyd H. Flake. -
Strap on the Armor and Go: Never Give In!
Opinion -Starting this month, Quentin L. -
The British Are Coming … and Bringing School Reform Lessons
Opinion -Although Americans rejected certain aspects of the British system of government more than two hundred years ago, it is still instructive to compare how the two countries view the appropriate role of government in areas of common interest. -
Outcome-Based Education: Remaking Society One Child at a Time
Opinion -Marguerite Anna McKenna "Peg" Luksik is well known to her neighbors in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where she's actively involved in community service work, including Mom's House, a comprehensive service network she founded for single parents and their -
Restoring the Urban Advantage with School Choice
Opinion -Now in the middle of his third term of office, John Norquist was elected the 37th Mayor of Milwaukee in 1988 after serving in Democratic leadership positions in both the state assembly and senate. -
Empowering Principals the Key to Improving Education
Opinion -Nina Shokraii, The Heritage Foundation's leading education policy analyst, is School Reform News' newest contributing editor. -
Ten Ways to Improve Public Schools …That Don’t Cost a Penny
Opinion -Year after year, the tune is the same: "We need more money to pay our teachers what they are worth" or "we need more money to build a new school or addition. -
Competition in Education: Does it Make a Difference? An exclusive interview with Dr. Paul E. Peterson
Opinion -Dr. Paul E. Peterson's recent studies of voucher programs in Milwaukee and Cleveland have propelled him to the forefront of the educational choice debate. -
Ready to Learn What? Is the Key to Education Reform
Opinion -In his 1987 book, Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know, educator E.D. Hirsch demonstrated that literacy has two key components: the ability to read, and an assumed base of shared factual knowledge conveyed by the words being read. -
Chicago: Still the Nation’s Worst Public Schools
Opinion -In 1988, then-Secretary of Education William Bennett came to Chicago and declared its schools to be "the worst in the nation." Events since then suggest that the trend has been to even lower depths. -
Responding to the Critics of Vouchers: What about the Kids?
Opinion -School Reform News contributing editor David Kirkpatrick is uniquely qualified to speak as an advocate of school choice. -
A New Strategy for Property Tax Relief
Opinion -Another year has passed without reform of the state's system of financing schools. Republicans once again stopped a "tax swap" plan to lower property taxes by raising the state income tax, this time despite sponsorship of the plan by Governor Edgar. -
Chicago: Viewing Education through a Performance Prism
Opinion -Appointed by Mayor Richard M. Daley, Paul C. Vallas took over as Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Public Schools on July 1, 1995. Within three weeks, Vallas had hammered out a new four-year teachers' contract. -
Idaho’s Voice for Parents in Education
Opinion -Dr. Anne C. Fox was elected the state of Idaho's Superintendent of Public Instruction in 1994. -
Death of Tax Hike Is a Victory for Kids
Opinion -Too bad Bernie wasn't here to see it. Last week, a plan to increase Illinois' income tax died in the Revenue Committee of the Senate.
