by David Safier Arizona Democratic candidates, take heed. According to an ASU Morrison Institute poll, education is right behind Immigration and Jobs/economy as something "the Legislature should be trying to do something about." (That immigration is still that high is both significant and depressing.) Interestingly, Pre-K and kindergarten rank almost as high in importance as … Read more
by David Safier Educator Diane Ravitch, a harsh critic of the standardized testing and charters who used to be an advocate (her book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System, is a comprehensive analysis of the problems with the new "education reform" movement), published an article Sunday, A Nation's Education Left Behind. … Read more
by David Safier More from Craig Barrett, the head of Brewer's new education task force, A-Wreck (AREC: Arizona Ready Education Council). Barrett went on Brahm Resnik's Sunday Square Off, opened his mouth and inserted his foot regularly. This is a very smart man, but to be a good Brewer/Keegan/Goldwater-Institute partisan, he has to play fast … Read more
by David Safier Dr. Word would like to begin with a sentence uttered by Governor Jan Brewer in blatant disregard of the use of the proper number of words in the proper order to express her ideas. "It is a clear need that schools really need to address the unique situation and circumstances of rural … Read more
by David Safier Shameless self promotion time. I have a Guest Commentary in the Tucson Weekly discussing a subject I've posted about on a number of occasions: the new Arizona Empowerment Accounts, which "launder" state money, washing off all those inconvenient Constitutional stipulations (like not using state funds in support of religious education) so they … Read more