Hey, Colorado: Billion Dollar K-12 Tax Hike OR End the Education Plantation?

by Eddie | 1:27 pm, April 15, 2013

Often it’s very easy to get bogged down in a big education policy debate like Colorado’s SB 213 school finance reform proposal. Then along comes a Denver Post op-ed piece by a motivated citizen that exhales a breath of fresh air: Colorado currently spends about $10,600 per student per year on K-12 education. You can [...]

Scholarship Tax Credits Could Help Denver, Aurora HS Students Overcome Challenges

by Eddie | 11:05 am, April 12, 2013

For those who long have rolled up their sleeves to try to improve student learning, the cause of urban high school reform remains one of the most daunting tasks. Even in areas where the most concentrated and sustained efforts at reform have taken place, the promising results have been very limited. Enter a brand new [...]

Stand with Colorado sheriffs and Independence Institute on gun rights

by Mike Krause | 4:49 pm, April 9, 2013

The Denver Post covers the lawsuit against Colorado’s new gun owner-control laws by Colorado sheriffs: Thirty-seven of the state’s 62 elected sheriffs are prepared to sue to overturn laws that now prohibit the sale of ammunition magazines holding more than 15 rounds and require background checks for all private gun sales, Weld County Sheriff John [...]

Here’s Hoping for a Real Common Core Debate… and Some Real School Choice

by Eddie | 4:29 pm, April 8, 2013

More than two-and-a-half years ago, the Colorado State Board of Education adopted the Common Core standards. Just this last December the State Board took another careful look at the decision, as this School Reform News article by my Education Policy Center friend notes. For a number of reasons, the issue has gained greater national notoriety [...]

Looking to the Next Wave of Learning Innovation, and Doing It “My Way”

by Eddie | 3:13 pm, March 27, 2013

How many education programs do you know that make Frank Sinatra songs pop into your head? At least that’s what some of the big people I know tell me. (H/T Ed News Colorado) Well, the Colorado Springs Gazette‘s Carol McGraw today featured such an online program from the Widefield School District that is tailored to [...]

All This Talk about Course Choice Makes Colorado Debates Seem So 20th Century

by Eddie | 3:11 pm, March 25, 2013

While the big school finance reform legislation at the Colorado State Capitol explores reshuffling the dollars in a 20th century system — and dashing my youthful hopes along the way — other states continue to plow ahead with the idea of course choice. Students are enabled to customize their education by choosing courses regardless of [...]

Guess No “Vouchers” in SB 213, Really Not Much Backpack Funding, Choice at All

by Eddie | 12:14 pm, March 21, 2013

So some of you may have been missing me since a couple days ago when I asked a dozen questions regarding the major school finance bill, SB 213. Many of my questions remain unanswered, and the first committee vote on the bill itself isn’t slated until this afternoon. But a couple interesting conversations sprung up [...]

Transparency in DougCo School District: Toward a Happy Ending to the Story

by Eddie | 3:34 pm, March 18, 2013

Update, 3/25: Happy endings don’t usually come so quickly. But just one week later, Dougco has made and received confirmation on a number of online transparency improvements to now receive an A-minus grade. If you’ve followed little old Eddie for any length of time, you know I’m a fan of the following two things: open [...]

Open Window on Bargaining: As Thompson Moves Ahead, Teachers Express Support

by Eddie | 3:41 pm, March 7, 2013

You can’t judge a book by its cover. There are many expressions like this one out there that convey a basic piece of wisdom. A beautiful building you may have driven by many times could be a filthy mess inside. How do you know? If it’s somebody’s house or private property, they would have to [...]

Three Bens Could Lead Colorado K-12 to Three Million Benjamins in Savings

by Eddie | 4:20 pm, March 4, 2013

Recently, I raised the issue of how PERA reform could fit into the ongoing school finance reform debates. It certainly lessens the sense of a “grand bargain” — tying reforms to a billion-dollar tax increase — when such big issues are left off the table. But then I came across the information in a Friedman [...]

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