newsletter august 18 2010

8/8/2019 Newsletter August 18 2010

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Education Policy Center NewsletterFrom The Independence InstituteAugust 18, 2010~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~In this issue-- Education Policy Center Launches New Website-- Center Releases Video on Union Abuse of Non-Union School Employee

Paychecks-- Benigno Addresses Grassroots Leaders, DeGrow Briefs Legislative Candidates-- DeGrow Tackles Education Jobs Bailout in Denver PostColumn-- iVoices: Federal Encroachment vs. Local Control of Schools-- Ed Is Watching Roundup: From Masters Bumps to Phony Reforms

Dear Friends,

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

Pamela Benigno, DirectorBen DeGrow, Policy Analyst

Marya DeGrow, Research AssociateRaaki Garcia-Ulam, School Choice Website Outreach Coordinator

Education Policy Center Launches New WebsiteIf you like our new logo, youll love our new website! This week the EducationPolicy Center officially launched its fresh online digs: http://education.i2i.org.Besides the improved, attractive layout, you now should have much easieraccess to our wide variety of contentwebsite tools, blogs, op-eds, papers,podcasts, TV broadcasts and more. Please bookmark your browser and returnoften!

Center Releases Video on Union Abuse of Non-Union School Employee

PaychecksThe Education Policy Center released a video this week that should open a feweyes.The 4-minute YouTube video tells the story of Pueblo non-union schoolemployee Becky Robertson, who due to family medical emergencies missed herdistricts annual deadline to opt out of paying union fees. Seven Colorado schooldistricts have one or moe opt-out policies for non-union members. The videoasks: Why do our laws allow this to happen?
http://education.i2i.org/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR9LLjfLv3Mhttp://education.i2i.org/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR9LLjfLv3M


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On a related note, Ben DeGrow spent an hour recently on the Mike Rosen Showwith guest host Jon Caldara discussing opt-out procedures and deadlines for bothunion members and non-members, most of which occur in August or September.

See also:Independent Teachers, Video: Unions Abuse Non-Union Teacher Paychecks

Benigno Addresses Grassroots Leaders, DeGrow Briefs LegislativeCandidatesOn July 19 Education Policy Center director Pam Benigno spoke to a group ofstate grassroots education leaders at a National Coalition for Public SchoolOptions in Washington, D.C., on the importance of parent power. On August 3policy analyst Ben DeGrow addressed a room full of state legislative hopefuls onK-12 funding and reform issues at the Independence Institutes candidatesbriefing. Also during the past month, DeGrow spoke to the Jefferson CountyRepublican Mens Club on education reform.

DeGrow Tackles Education Jobs Bailout in Denver PostColumn

On Monday the Denver Postpublished Ben DeGrows opinion-editorial titledEducation Jobs Bailout Cant Be Justified. The piece brings attention to newfederal legislation with a high price tag that wastefully props up the status quo.A few weeks earlier Ben wrote an op-ed for the Colorado Daily that made someof the same arguments about the fallacy of fixating on class sizes rather thanimproving teacher quality.

iVoices: Federal Encroachment vs. Local Control of SchoolsOn August 2 the Colorado State Board of Education agreed to adopt theCommon Core Standards in math and language arts by a narrow 4-3 margin. Thedebate was influenced by the federal Race to the Top (RTTT) grant competition.Adopting Common Core greatly strengthens Colorados chance to win $175

million in RTTT funds and enact a reform plan.

In the weeks leading up to the important vote, the Education Policy Centerhighlighted some different perspectives, including an iVoices podcast with KitCarson School District superintendent Gerald Keefe about his efforts to fightagainst federal and state encroachments. Keefe also recorded a separate iVoicespodcast interview about his rural districts pioneering Innovation Schoolproposal.

See also:Ed Is Watching, NCTQs Green Light Indicates Colorado is a Likely Race to the

Top WinnerEd Is Watching, Sen. Keith King Chimes In on Colorado Adopting Common CoreStandards

Ed Is Watching Roundup: From Masters Bumps to Phony ReformsIn addition to many of the above topics, our 5-year-old blogging prodigy Eddiebrought readers attention to some important education stories with his ownunique perspective, including the following:Colorado Takes on Tenure and Evaluation Reform Are Masters Bumps Next?
http://www.ediswatching.org/2010/08/ben-degrow-talks-union-opt-out-periods-on-850-koas-mike-rosen-show/http://www.ediswatching.org/2010/08/ben-degrow-talks-union-opt-out-periods-on-850-koas-mike-rosen-show/http://www.independentteachers.org/2010/08/video-unions-abuse-non-union-teacher-paychecks/http://education.i2i.org/2010/08/state-legislative-candidates-briefed-on-k-12-school-finance-cost-saving-reforms/http://education.i2i.org/2010/08/state-legislative-candidates-briefed-on-k-12-school-finance-cost-saving-reforms/http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_15772219http://education.i2i.org/2010/07/smaller-classes-dont-mean-better-teaching/http://education.i2i.org/2010/07/smaller-classes-dont-mean-better-teaching/http://education.i2i.org/2010/07/smaller-classes-dont-mean-better-teaching/http://www.ediswatching.org/2010/08/colorado-state-board-of-education-adopts-common-core-academic-standards/http://www.ediswatching.org/2010/08/colorado-state-board-of-education-adopts-common-core-academic-standards/http://audio.ivoices.org/mp3/iipodcast424.mp3http://audio.ivoices.org/mp3/iipodcast425.mp3http://audio.ivoices.org/mp3/iipodcast425.mp3http://www.ediswatching.org/2010/08/nctqs-green-light-indicates-colorado-is-a-likely-race-to-the-top-winner/http://www.ediswatching.org/2010/08/nctqs-green-light-indicates-colorado-is-a-likely-race-to-the-top-winner/http://www.ediswatching.org/2010/08/sen-keith-king-chimes-in-on-colorado-adopting-common-core-standards/http://www.ediswatching.org/2010/08/sen-keith-king-chimes-in-on-colorado-adopting-common-core-standards/http://www.ediswatching.org/2010/07/colorado-takes-on-tenure-and-evaluation-reform-are-masters-bumps-next/http://www.ediswatching.org/2010/08/ben-degrow-talks-union-opt-out-periods-on-850-koas-mike-rosen-show/http://www.ediswatching.org/2010/08/ben-degrow-talks-union-opt-out-periods-on-850-koas-mike-rosen-show/http://www.independentteachers.org/2010/08/video-unions-abuse-non-union-teacher-paychecks/http://education.i2i.org/2010/08/state-legislative-candidates-briefed-on-k-12-school-finance-cost-saving-reforms/http://education.i2i.org/2010/08/state-legislative-candidates-briefed-on-k-12-school-finance-cost-saving-reforms/http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_15772219http://education.i2i.org/2010/07/smaller-classes-dont-mean-better-teaching/http://www.ediswatching.org/2010/08/colorado-state-board-of-education-adopts-common-core-academic-standards/http://www.ediswatching.org/2010/08/colorado-state-board-of-education-adopts-common-core-academic-standards/http://audio.ivoices.org/mp3/iipodcast424.mp3http://audio.ivoices.org/mp3/iipodcast425.mp3http://audio.ivoices.org/mp3/iipodcast425.mp3http://www.ediswatching.org/2010/08/nctqs-green-light-indicates-colorado-is-a-likely-race-to-the-top-winner/http://www.ediswatching.org/2010/08/nctqs-green-light-indicates-colorado-is-a-likely-race-to-the-top-winner/http://www.ediswatching.org/2010/08/sen-keith-king-chimes-in-on-colorado-adopting-common-core-standards/http://www.ediswatching.org/2010/08/sen-keith-king-chimes-in-on-colorado-adopting-common-core-standards/http://www.ediswatching.org/2010/07/colorado-takes-on-tenure-and-evaluation-reform-are-masters-bumps-next/


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Mathematica Study: KIPP Charter Middle Schools Show Impressive ResultsMichelle Rhee Inspires Me Again: Special Ed Vouchers, Teacher DismissalsGlimpsing a K-12 Future: Pension Transparency and Education EntrepreneursMichigan: Just Another Phony Case of Alternative Teacher Certification Reform

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http://www.ediswatching.org/2010/07/mathematica-study-kipp-charter-middle-schools-show-impressive-results/http://www.ediswatching.org/2010/07/michelle-rhee-inspires-me-again-special-ed-vouchers-teacher-dismissals/http://www.ediswatching.org/2010/07/glimpsing-a-k-12-future-pension-transparency-and-education-entrepreneurs/http://www.ediswatching.org/2010/07/michigan-just-another-case-of-phony-alternative-teacher-certification-reform/mailto:[email protected]://www.i2i.org/http://friedman.i2i.org/alerts/listinfo/educationhttp://friedman.i2i.org/alerts/listinfo/educationhttp://friedman.i2i.org/alerts/listinfo/educationhttp://www.ediswatching.org/2010/07/mathematica-study-kipp-charter-middle-schools-show-impressive-results/http://www.ediswatching.org/2010/07/michelle-rhee-inspires-me-again-special-ed-vouchers-teacher-dismissals/http://www.ediswatching.org/2010/07/glimpsing-a-k-12-future-pension-transparency-and-education-entrepreneurs/http://www.ediswatching.org/2010/07/michigan-just-another-case-of-phony-alternative-teacher-certification-reform/mailto:[email protected]://www.i2i.org/http://friedman.i2i.org/alerts/listinfo/education

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