The Wall Street Journal Education tops the list of Americans’ concerns. But there’s no agreement on what to do about it. The biggest emerging battle is between people who advocate school choice and those who want more money for schools. George W. Bush wants to give vouchers to poor kids in failing schools so they, […]
Education in America
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Indecent Proposition:
Terry Moe should have been as content as Bill Clinton working a rope-line. Moe, one of the most respected proponents of school vouchers, was hobnobbing with several dozen other voucher enthusiasts at the palatial Redwood City abode of California venture capitalist Tim Draper. But instead of grinning, Moe was biting his lip. The dinner was […]
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Saved by the Bell:
Mini cowboys, fairies, firemen, and wizards are stuffing themselves with cupcakes, chips, and candy. Powerpuff Girls are slapping high fives and X-MEN are dueling. The Digimon‘s dad is getting it all on videotape. A grown-up hippie with an Afro wig and a bullhorn repeatedly tries to get everyone’s attention. Finally, the children of Boston’s Early […]
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Blaming Teachers
Reformers demand a better class of teachers, but rewarding the good and weeding out the bad is trickier than it seems.
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The Community Is Their Textbook: Maryland’s Experiment with Mandatory Service for Students
At its best, service learning enriches both students and their communities. But creating good programs isn’t easy.
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“F” Is for Fizzle: The Faltering School Privatization Movement
Entrepreneurs promised they could rescue public schools and turn a profit too. Reality intruded.
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Controversy: Charters and Choice
Joe Nathan Rosa Parks-yes, that Rosa Parks-recently applied to open a charter school in Detroit. That’s one of many things omitted in Richard Rothstein’s critique of the charter public school movement [“Charter Conundrum,” TAP, July-August 1998]. As a researcher, a former teacher in inner-city public schools, and a former PTA president whose three children attend […]
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Starting Small, Thinking Big
Society needs to help the very young, long before formal schooling begins, or the battle for the next generation will be lost.
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Conceding Success
Several recent studies show that two major undertakings of progressive government — environmental regulation and public education — have been far more successful than widely believed.
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Choice Options
Conservatives ask, “Are you for or against school choice?” The question should be, “What kind of choice are you for?” Americans’ historical experience can help answer that question.