Opponents of national standards and tests see the push as furthering “federal intrusion into state education matters,” asserts the Wall Street Journal today. While the standards have been touted as “voluntary” by proponents, the Obama Administration’s heavy promotion of the standards—tying Race to the Top dollars to a state’s adoption …
No Child Left Behind, the eighth reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, is 600-plus pages in length and contains programs that cost taxpayers $25 billion per year. The Office of Management and Budget has estimated that states are annually burdened with 7 million hours worth of …
“Budgets are about choices,” stated President Obama in recent remarks to governors about his massive fiscal year (FY) 2013 budget request. Nothing more clearly demonstrates the Administration’s priorities than Obama’s decision to once again place the successful D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (DCOSP) on the chopping block while simultaneously growing the …
The New Hampshire legislature recently passed a tuition tax credit option that would provide low- and middle-income students with increased educational choice. The School Choice Scholarship Act would provide tax credits to businesses that donate to nonprofit organizations that provide vouchers to low- and middle-income children. The participating businesses can …
In Connecticut, Commissioner of Education Stefan Pryor believes drastic measures are needed to improve the state’s education system: Our state has the dubious distinction of having the largest achievement gap in the nation. This situation cannot be remedied through patient rationalization and modest tinkering. Instead, we must get involved—immediately and …
The Weekly Standard is reporting that teachers in Louisiana plan to cancel class this week in order to protest Governor Bobby Jindal’s (R) education reform proposals, which will see committee action tomorrow. The governor’s proposals include reforms to teacher tenure, a significant school choice expansion, and changes to teacher compensation …
As we continue demanding increased accountability to improve the struggling U.S. educational system, a new documentary being released in movie theaters across Mexico about its struggles to raise academic achievement is an encouraging step to raise awareness for a better educated and prepared workforce to compete in a tough job …
Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s comments last week, in which he equated state lawmakers who question the Common Core national standards push with conspiracy theorists, are another indication that the Common Core Initiative is not the states-based movement the Administration claims it to be. Indeed, national standards have become the cornerstone …
Not so fast. That was the message from South Carolina leaders on Wednesday, concerned about their state’s involvement with the national standards education agenda. Despite being called conspiracy theorists by the U.S. Department of Education, the South Carolina Senate Education Committee voted to study further the impact that adopting national …
