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Education Policy Center Newsletter

From The Independence Institute
March 10, 2010
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In this issue
-- New Report Calls for Accountability in Union Release Time
-- VIDEO: Watch DeHoff Discuss 21st Century Learning
-- DeGrow Challenges Status Quo on School Funding
-- Private School Choice Bills Killed at State Capitol
-- Eddie Questions “March Madness” of Race to the Top Finalists

Dear Friends,

We hope you enjoy our latest update from the Education Policy Center.

Pamela Benigno, Director

Ben DeGrow, Policy Analyst
Marya DeGrow, Research Associate
Raaki Garcia-Ulam, School Choice Website Outreach Coordinator

New Report Calls for Accountability in Union Release Time

Many Colorado school districts grant tax-funded release time to teachers unions
or other employee associations but provide little accountability for the privilege.
Our new issue paper Colorado School Districts and Association Leave (PDF) by
Ben DeGrow explores the findings, and urges local and state officials to adopt
basic policies that promote accountability. For a quicker recap, listen to Pam
Benigno interview Ben on a new 8-minute iVoices podcast.

For more:
Ed Is Watching, It’s Time for Accountability for School Employee Union Leave
Activities
Salt Lake Tribune, Bill to prohibit paid teachers union leave advances (Utah)

VIDEO: Watch DeHoff Discuss 21st Century Learning

At a February 11 house event, State Board of Education vice chair Randy DeHoff
addressed the question of 21st Century Learning: Wave of the Future or Passing
Fad? If you couldn’t make it to the event or would like a refresher, you can view
a video of the presentation online.

For more:
Ed Is Watching, If You Missed Randy DeHoff on 21st Century Learning, We Have
Video for You

DeGrow Challenges Status Quo on School Funding

While some education officials understandably plead poverty during these
difficult budget times, Ben put the issue in perspective in a February 25
response column for the Denver Post. He also offered his thoughts to Colorado
Springs TV news reporter Andy Koen as some local school boards have been
debating whether to spend tax dollars on the Lobato school funding adequacy
lawsuit against the state.

Meanwhile, Colorado public schools continue to make progress in opening up

their spending for citizens to see. Douglas County recently launched a top-notch
new transparency site to rival Jefferson County’s site (discussed by Ben and
Jeffco CFO Lorie Gillis on a recent episode of Independent Thinking). Also, the
modest but positive school spending transparency bill HB 1036 (PDF) passed the
Colorado House of Representatives and awaits a hearing in the Senate.

For more:
Ed Is Watching, How to Push Ben DeGrow’s Buttons in Making Arguments about
School Funding
Ed Is Watching, Even if Lobato is “For the Kids” Doesn’t Make Taxpayer Funding
Good Idea
Ed Is Watching, “If You Can’t Defend It, Don’t Spend It”: Denver Post’s Look at
School Finances

Private School Choice Bills Killed at State Capitol

In an unsurprising but nevertheless disappointing development, the House
Finance Committee defeated two separate private school choice bills on back-to-
back days in late February. House Bills 1295 and 1296 would have created tax
credits that promoted school choice and resulted in net savings for Colorado
public schools.

For more:
GoBash, Private School Choice Helps Students, Saves Money? Lawmakers Say
Too BAD, Lobbyists Make SHAMEFUL Claims
Ed Is Watching, It’s Past Time for Colorado to Seriously Consider Private School
Tax Credits
Ed Is Watching, “Private” Public Schools and the Blatant Hypocrisy of School
Choice Opponents
Ed Is Watching, Not Enough Money for Colorado K-12? Let’s Try Private School
Choice

Eddie Questions “March Madness” of Race to the Top Finalists

For college basketball fans, “March Madness” is an exciting time to watch teams
compete to make the “Sweet 16.” But our young blogging prodigy Eddie wasn’t
so excited to see 16 states as finalists for Race to the Top federal education
reform dollars—even if Colorado did make the list. As he explains in other recent
writings (and as National Council on Teacher Quality’s Sandi Jacobs explains in a
new 10-minute iVoices podcast), our state needs to show itself more serious in
advancing policies that promote quality teaching.

For more:
Is Colorado Serious about Fixing Our Broken Teacher Tenure System?
iVoices: Superintendent Mike Miles on Real Teacher Performance Pay in Harrison
Enhanced Teacher Training Short-Term Answer, Online Technology is Future
Can School District Leaders Slow, Even Stop, Denver’s Dance of the Lemons?

Contact Information
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email: pam@i2i.org
phone: 303-279-6536
web:http://www.independenceinstitute.org
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