Michigan Union Threatens Teachers’ Credit Scores
Most people expect unions to protect workers, not attack their credit ratings. The Michigan Education Association (MEA) does not share these expectations. The union has… Read More
Kansas Teachers Vote to Decertify Their Union
Teachers in Deerfield, Kansas, just did something unusual—they voted to decertify their union. The Kansas National Education Association (KNEA) no longer represents them. Teachers disliking… Read More
Kline and Rokita Unveil Rewrite of No Child Left Behind
House Education and the Workforce Committee chairman John Kline (R–MN) and Representative Todd Rokita (R–IN) have introduced the Student Success Act (SSA)—a proposal to rewrite… Read More
Common Core Implementation Proves Problematic
New York and Kentucky have begun testing based on the new Common Core education standards, and they are quickly seeing frustration among educators, parents, and… Read More
Idaho’s Khan Academy Initiative: Embracing Educational Technology
Today’s technology means that education can be tailored to the specific needs of each child. Idaho is leading the way in adopting these types of… Read More
Governor Pence Pauses Indiana Common Core Standards
Indiana has just given every state that agreed to adopt Common Core national education standards and tests a lesson in prudent governance. On Saturday, Governor… Read More
Indiana Reconsiders Common Core
This past weekend, Indiana legislators approved a proposal to halt the implementation of Common Core until after preliminary hearings and an in-depth analysis are conducted…. Read More
Kansas Legislators Take on the Teachers Unions
Union contracts often pick winners and losers in the workplace. However, teachers unions may soon lose the power to pick losers—at least in Kansas. Legislators… Read More
School Choice Blooming this Spring
School choice is making headlines in multiple states this spring. Several have approved or are considering proposals to expand educational opportunity for families. Texas is… Read More
Morning Bell: Revealing What States Are Hiding
How much are we spending on education? Actually, far more than we know—because as it turns out, states are hiding some of the teachers’ benefits…. Read More
Indiana Among States Acting to Oppose Common Core Standards
States are reconsidering their support for the Common Core standards. In recent weeks, legislators in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, and South Dakota have attempted to pedal… Read More
Morning Bell: Where Could We POSSIBLY Cut the Federal Budget?
If you had to cut your family’s budget, where would you cut? Would you immediately start starving your children and stop wearing shoes? Of course… Read More
Large Supply of Elementary Teachers Waiting to Be “Underpaid”
The supply of elementary school teachers greatly exceeds the demand for them among public-school districts, according to data collected by Education Week. This fact has… Read More
Top 10 Heritage Images of 2012
Instagram sold for $1 billion in April, remarkable news for a company that wasn’t even around two years earlier. Meanwhile, sites like Pinterest and Tumblr blossomed…. Read More
Responses to Union Suggestion of a Teacher “Bar Exam”
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), proposed a “bar exam” for public-school teachers in a Wall Street Journal op-ed last week…. Read More
National Education Standards Trade Literature for Reading Government Documents
No more King Arthur stories, kids—you’re going to start reading some information-packed government documents instead! Adding to a number of problems with the Obama Administration-backed… Read More
Michigan Schools to Close as Teachers Leave to Protest Right-to-Work
Two Michigan school districts will close Tuesday after hosts of teachers called out sick, apparently to join protests against efforts to pass right-to-work legislation in the… Read More
The Election’s Major Implications for Education
What can we expect for education policy during President Obama’s second term? From No Child Left Behind (NCLB) waivers to school choice, education policy will… Read More
Indiana’s Bittersweet Education Election
Indiana Superintendent of Schools Tony Bennett is one of the country’s great education reformers. As superintendent, he worked to create one of the most expansive… Read More
Education Ballot Measures in the States
Numerous education-related amendments, ranging from ballot initiatives and charter school authorizers to spending and collective bargaining reform, are under consideration in the states. It’s not… Read More
National Education Standards: Been There, Didn’t Do That
While 46 states have jumped on the national education standards bandwagon, it’s not too late to hit the brakes. We’ve been down this road before…. Read More
Morning Bell: Obama’s “New Economic Patriotism”
President Obama has a new booklet—a glossy, 20-page spread called “The New Economic Patriotism: A Plan for Jobs and Middle-Class Security.” The title is completely… Read More
Friedman Foundation Takes a Critical Look at Administrative Bloat in Public Schools
The Friedman Foundation has published an excellent report detailing the administrative bloat plaguing our nation’s public schools. The School Staffing Surge: Decades of Employment Growth… Read More
Presidential Debate Prep: Schools Should Trim Education Jobs
Calls to spend more on teachers are likely to come up in tonight’s debate. More likely still, we’ll hear accusations that Governor Mitt Romney wants… Read More
“Won’t Back Down” Provides Insight into Current Education Debate
Last Friday marked the opening of Won’t Back Down, a film that has brought renewed attention to school reform. The film covers a range of… Read More
Debate 2012: Do We Need More Teachers?
“Governor [Mitt] Romney doesn’t think we need more teachers,” President Obama said last night. “I do.” The President’s confidence that “we need more teachers” to… Read More
Morning Bell: Hollywood Steps Up in “Won’t Back Down”
A new movie opens in theaters today that couldn’t be more timely. The school year is hitting its stride, and the teachers union in Chicago… Read More
“Won’t Back Down” Message: Empower Parents
Stories like the Chicago Teachers Union strike or SAT scores hitting a 40-year low have brought the urgency of educational underperformance to the fore this… Read More
SAT Scores at Historical Low; Education Spending at Historical High
SAT scores among the nation’s test-takers are at a 40-year low. As The Washington Post reports: Reading scores on the SAT for the high school… Read More
Union Strong-Arming Rewarded in Chicago
The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) has ended its seven-day strike, agreeing to a contract negotiated by the union and the school district. At the expense… Read More
