By Bill Bigelow, ReThinkingSchools.org The Bill of Rights Institute. It’s a benign-sounding name. Every year, the Arlington, Virginia-based Bill of Rights Institute (BRI) offers curriculum workshops throughout the country, distributes teaching materials, holds essay contests for students, and displays its wares at the National Council for the Social Studies conference. What BRI representatives fail to Read more about The Koch Brothers Sneak into Schools[…]
By Patrick Kearney, Patrickjkearney.wordpress.com – December 21, 2016 Clarke Community Schools in Osceola, Iowa is a pretty typical Iowa school district. Osceola is a town of about 5,000 people about 40 miles south of Des Moines. Like many schools around the country their student population is becoming increasingly diverse. Like schools throughout the country they Read more about Blog: Why Public Schools Matter[…]
By Peter Green, Curmudgucation – March 27, 2015 One of the foundational assertions of the charter movement is that public school tax dollars, once collected, should be attached to the child, maybe in a backpack, or perhaps surgically. “This public money… belongs to the student, not the failing school” wrote a commenter on one of Read more about Blog: Voucher Party[…]
By Sen. Jack Whitver, Senate District 19, The Des Moines Register – February 3, 2017 One of the greatest moments in my day is taking my children to school. It is a great feeling to see the excitement in their eyes and hear the enthusiasm in their voices. As a parent, I understand the value of our Read more about Whitver: Education remains a high priority in Iowa[…]
By Steffi Lee, CBS 2 DES MOINES, Iowa — Parents advocating for the future of Iowa schools had a chance to meet with lawmakers from both parties following a day with developments in school funding. – January 31, 2017 Republicans are proposing a 1.11 percent increase in K-12 state aid, which Democrats say will further hurt Read more about Parents for Great Iowa Schools hosts education-focused legislative forum[…]
By Joe Millard, Letter to the Editor, The Des Moines Register I agreed with much of what was written by Harold O. Levy and Susan Assouline in their Jan. 14 piece, “Rural students need equal educational opportunity.” However, the last paragraph stated, “Our national goal should be to create equal educational opportunities for every child Read more about Rural education should be a state priority[…]
By Fr. Mark Neal, Letter to the Editor, The Des Moines Register I would like to respond to the Jan. 25 letter from Dewitt Jones, “School vouchers are a slippery slope,” concerning “vouchers” for non-public schools. To begin, the Legislature is considering Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). My understanding of the proposal is that the amount Read more about Education Savings Accounts will give parents a choice[…]
By Max Marchitello, The Des Moines Register Education nominee is losing Senate support over a reform agenda that won’t help areas Trump won. – February 2, 2017 In no small part, rural America propelled President Trump to victory last November. Broadly speaking, the more rural the state, the larger his margin of victory. So it Read more about Betsy DeVos has a rural problem: Column[…]
By Drew Klein, The Des Moines Register Iowa’s education system is better than most. While our state’s national education assessment scores are usually higher than the national average, that doesn’t mean all students are thriving academically. Each student has unique needs, but often the public system straitjackets children into a one-size-fits-all educational model that hinders them Read more about Education Savings Accounts offer flexibility, opportunity[…]
By Erin Murphy of The Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau DES MOINES — How the state funds Iowa’s K-through-12 public schools could be altered dramatically this year when Republicans assume control of the legislative agenda. – January 4, 2017 Republicans, who for the first time in 20 years will hold the governor’s office and majorities in Read more about School choice proposals likely in Iowa[…]