BY JOHN THOMPSON Even many of the staunchest pro-charter corporate reformers are criticizing virtual charters for their poor outcomes and draining resources from public schools. For instance, Todd Ziebarth of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, criticizes the high rates of “churn” they contribute to, their low graduation rates, and low levels of student…
BY DAVID PERRYMAN What do Louisa Mae Alcott’s Little Men, Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, David Bowie in Labrynth, and Walt Disney’s version of Alice in Wonderlandall have in common? They all contain a reference to the age-old children’s game, “Button, Button, who’s got the Button? Over the past 150 years, very few of…
BY DAVID PERRYMAN Every so often an idea comes along that has just enough plausibility to garner support. Between 2009 and 2015, amid great fanfare, Bill and Melinda Gates pumped $215 million of their foundation’s money into a program that pulled $360 million from public school budgets in Florida, Tennessee and Pennsylvania. The goal was…
BY JOE DORMAN In the realm of public policy, well-intentioned reforms can often have unintended consequences that lead to very negative outcomes. This will surely be the case if SB 1435, which allows schools to indefinitely suspend students of any age if they are accused of assault, is allowed to become law. Under current law,…
BY DAVID PERRYMAN We are often told that diversity makes us stronger. Tom Perez, former U.S. Secretary of Labor, said, “Our workforce and our entire economy are strongest when we embrace diversity to its fullest, and that means opening doors of opportunity to everyone and recognizing that the American Dream excludes no one.” But are…
