Merry Christmas: Ending 2009 on a Positive Education Reform Note
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2010 to my mom, a few random basement-dwellers, and the handful of my other regular readers … I will be back on this space on January 4! (Yes, that’s a picture of the world-record largest Lego Christmas tree from Oberhausen, Germany, in 2003. Can you imagine how many presents […]
12/17/09
Newsletter December 17 2009
Santa Visits Cole: Christmas Comes to Inspiring Denver Innovation School
Today’s Denver Post has an excellent story about a generous Christmas deed performed at a truly inspirational school:
Millionaire businessman Tom Gamel stood before a classroom of sixth-graders at Cole Arts & Science Academy on Wednesday, about to blow their minds with a nifty gift, but first, he wanted to impart some wisdom.
“I am a very […]
JCEA Notices Our Political Refund Message to Teachers
Every year the Independence Institute notifies teachers across Colorado of the availability of the Every Member Option political refund. Listen as Jon Caldara and education policy analyst Ben DeGrow discuss the refund option and the flattering reaction of the Jefferson County Education Association (JCEA), the state’s largest local teachers union.
How Far Will Colorado Reform “Human Capital” to Win Race to the Top?
Education leaders here in Colorado have shown a great deal of interest in the federal Race to the Top dollars, a multi-billion dollar program that we are told is designed to spur reform. In order to be eligible for rewards, states will be rated according how well their policies and goals line up with innovative […]
Help Nuggets’ “Birdman” Support ACE Scholarships for Needy Students
Christmas is right around the corner (I can hardly wait). And while it’s very easy for me to be obsessed with expanding my own Lego collection, it’s also very important to remember to give those who are in need.
I like basketball a lot, and the Denver Nuggets are my pro team. That’s why I was […]
D.C.’s Magical Money Taking Slow Road to Colorado School Districts
I’m a little young to be growing so cynical, but how else would you explain why I’m not surprised by this recent story from Education News Colorado?
Only $7 million out of $312 million in federal stimulus funds for education has actually been allocated to Colorado districts.
Delays and changes in federal rules and the bureaucratic process […]
Will Colorado Republicans Show Fiscal Leadership On Prison Spending?
Republicans often claim to be the party of fiscal conservatism and limited government. But Republican lawmakers in Colorado show little enthusiasm for applying those principles to Colorado’s hugely expensive prison bureaucracy. So when sentencing reform bills pop up in the next legislative session, it will be an excellent opportunity for Republicans to show if they really are the party of fiscal discipline, or if they are going to leave the heavy lifting to the Democrat majority.
Don’t Let Union and Congress Grinches Stop D.C. Opportunity Scholarships
Remember the poor kids in our nation’s capital who benefit from the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program?
Last night D.C. Parents for School Choice Executive Director Virginia Walden Ford sent out an email alerting supporters about a new troubling development from Capitol Hill:
Just an hour ago, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the omnibus bill that kills […]
Legislative Committee Halts Charter School ‘Witch-Hunt’
When it comes to public performance audits, there’s a difference between good governance and oversight on one hand, and a far-reaching fishing expedition on the other. The latter SHAMEFUL act is what a handful of Democrat state legislators (Rep. …
Stop! The “Witch-Hunt” Attacks on Charter Schools Really Creep Me Out
Okay, this is hard for me to admit because you’ll probably make fun of me. Here goes: I’m afraid of witches. Yeah, they really creep me out, especially that cackling old hag on the Wizard of Oz. But I learned about something this week that frightened me about as much, and that was an attempted […]
Charter School "Witch Hunt" Proposal Shot Down
A far-reaching proposed audit of Colorado’s public charter schools, described by Democrat State Senator Lois Tochtrop as a “witch-hunt,” was defeated earlier this week 5-2 by the Legislative Audit Committee. Colorado League of Charter Schools president Jim Griffin explains why the proposal went too far.
