by David SafierTom Horne's statement should be required reading in ethnic studies classes — in TUSD schools and at universities. It's a classic. "We should be teaching these students that this is the land of opportunity," Horne told the committee. "We should not be teaching them that they are oppressed." And we should be teaching … Read more
by David SafierStanford University just put out a nationwide study of charter schools. The overall conclusion is that students in charter schools do slightly worse than the same students would do in traditional public schools. But the results are so mixed that the conclusion doesn't mean much. Individual findings in the study are far more … Read more
by David SafierI like the idea of trying to boost the level of conceptual math understanding in K-12 schools. I would love to see the program they're creating here, linking UA grad students with working math teachers, help students become better at math. But math whiz grad students who have never taught helping teachers be … Read more
by David SafierAccording to an article in Jewish News of Greater Phoenix (and reprinted in Tucson's Arizona Jewish Post), some Jewish leaders are concerned about HB2357, which is supposed to protect students' freedom of religious expression in schools. Anti-Defamation League Regional Director Bill Straus said that the ADL is primarily concerned about the clause that … Read more
by David SafierI'm a relative newcomer to Arizona — about 5 years — so I don't have personal knowledge of politics that goes further back than that. Commenter Rex adds perspective to the issue of Horne's relentless attacks on ethnic studies. Horne needs to burnish his conservative credentials to gain support for his run for … Read more