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Opinions

Unraveling New Orleans’s education reform a lesson for Louisiana

Sometimes it takes a tragedy to remind us what’s important — and what not to take for granted. Nowhere is this more obvious for the education reform movement than in New Orleans.

Charter school reform must include accountability of school districts

There is no disagreement with the fact the charter school law in Pennsylvania is out of date, but what is needed is a comprehensive and holistic approach, such as in House Bill 530, rather than a limited review that chooses to cherry-pick the need for more stringent charter school accountability and oversight while ignoring district…

Union dues case should be reheard by a full Supreme Court

The Supreme Court must rehear the Friedrichs case when nine Justices can decide it– not only for the sake of the ten California teachers who brought the case, but also for the thousands of teachers and families around the country whose voices matter in our democracy.

How to make a good teacher

What matters in schools is teachers. Fortunately, teaching can be taught. The Economist June 11, 2016 FORGET smart uniforms and small classes. The secret to stellar grades and thriving students is teachers. One American study found that in a single year’s teaching the top 10% of teachers impart three times as much learning to their…

It’s time for new paths to education for adults

by Dorothy "Doro" Bush Koch Fox News June 8, 2016 Graduation is an inspirational time of year when proud families celebrate education milestones and the beginnings of productive lives. I remember a commencement speech that my mom, former First Lady Barbara Bush, delivered at Wellesley College in 1990.  She retold a story by Robert Fulghum…

Race is a red herring in the battle for better schools

by Jeanne Allen Flypaper June 2, 2016 [T]here are a myriad of strategies out there that ostensibly can make a difference for our children, but no matter which ones we pursue, their potential impact will be diminished if we do not find ways to empower poor parents to be able to exercise influence on the…

Labor Takings Game

Unions say they have a constitutional right to workers’ money. Wall Street Journal Review & Outlook June 2, 2016 Unions have been losing members and political clout as more states (26 so far) pass right-to-work laws, and now Big Labor is fighting back with a legal strategy to use the Fifth Amendment to take money…

The Foundation for Charter Authorizers — Opportunity Not Bureaucracy

by Jeanne Allen The 74 May 30, 3016 If he was in the average school he was in before, he’d be on the street,” testified the father of a 16-year old-boy. “This is what these online schools provide — the comfort to know their kids are not going to become hoodlums, or do drugs… He…

Our National Education Crisis Shows No Signs Of Ending

NAEP data, combined with information on college readiness, presents a clear picture on the need to improve and expand access to innovative learning opportunities.

America's graduation rate dilemma

by Nate Davis The Hill May 18, 2016 We have a graduation problem in the U.S. Too many young people, in particular the underprivileged, are failing to get high-school degrees. Some believe America's education system is reversing that trend. They point to the U.S. Department of Education's announcement in December that graduation rates reached an…