Indiana Supreme Court Ruling a True, Lasting March Madness Victory for Kids

by Eddie | 11:45 am, March 26, 2013

Update, 3/27: For more perspective on the magnitude of yesterday’s court victory, read this redefinED commentary by Institute for Justice attorney Bert Gall, who argued the Indiana case. I’m feeling just a little jealous of Indiana today. Just a little now–this is Colorado after all. I’m not talking about the fact that the Hoosiers made [...]

Big SB 213 School Finance Bill Hearing Keeps Me Watching, Brings Out Questions

by Eddie | 12:32 pm, March 19, 2013

When it comes to the world of K-12 education in Colorado — you know, what keeps my little eyes busy watching — today (this week!) is all consumed in the political debates over Senate Bill 213, the big school finance overhaul tied to a billion dollar tax increase. So I invite you to follow the [...]

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 [...]

Court Upholds Teacher Removal: Adams 12 Board Vindicated, Taxpayers Pay

by Eddie | 1:56 pm, March 15, 2013

When Colorado and other states pass education reform laws, it’s important to pay attention to what problems are solved and what problems are not. As an example, Colorado’s SB 191, which passed three whole years ago, made some important changes. Effective teacher evaluations soon will be required before earning extra “due process” job protections. How [...]

A Colorado Digital BOCES? Leave the Creative Ideas to Innovative Falcon 49

by Eddie | 11:12 am, March 13, 2013

Intriguing. The Colorado Springs Gazette today reports that some of the region’s leading education innovators have proposed a new idea to provide specialized oversight and support to online learning programs: The Falcon School District 49 school board is expected to vote Thursday on a proposal that would create a collaborative education organization that could charter [...]

Colorado House Bill 1257 and the Quest to Stifle Local Education Innovation

by Eddie | 4:44 pm, March 11, 2013

Every once in awhile you see a piece of K-12 education legislation appear, and you just scratch your head. (Okay, really, it’s more often than every once in awhile.) Colorado’s latest example is the short and sour House Bill 1257, which I think should be called the Stifling Innovation Act of 2013. HB 1257 as [...]

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 [...]

Overcome with Excitement Today: Appeals Court Revives Dougco Choice Program!

by Eddie | 11:49 am, February 28, 2013

I am going to be catching my breath all day, I’m so excited by this fantastic news from the Colorado Court of Appeals today: DENVER—The Independence Institute, Colorado’s leading pro-freedom policy voice, praised today’s decision to restore a groundbreaking school choice program previously struck down by a Denver judge. The Colorado Court of Appeals today [...]

Transparency and a Collaborative Mirage: A Tale of Three Colorado School Districts

by Eddie | 1:49 pm, February 20, 2013

A clever wag once famously said: “Democracy is two wolves and a sheep deciding what to eat for lunch.” Some other smart-aleck might have reason to make a similar remark about K-12 education: “Collaboration is district leaders and union leaders deciding how to spend taxpayers’ money.” Except that those taxpayers too often are left in [...]

Latest Dougco Lawsuit Suggests Little Beyond Need for Presidential Limelight

by Eddie | 12:48 pm, February 18, 2013

Since it’s Presidents Day today, it seems somewhat fitting to write about a local teachers union president seeking some limelight with a Friday lawsuit: The Douglas County Federation of Teachers filed two lawsuits Friday, alleging that the Douglas County School District illegally didn’t consider teachers for job openings after being laid off and that it [...]

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