My love/hate relationship with public schooling

by David SafierI have to hand it to Matthew Ladner of the Goldwater Institute. He keeps on stepping into the lion's den here at BfA. Every time I say something he disagrees with (which is pretty much every time I put keyboard to blog), he's tearing into me in the comments section. And of course, … Read more

Depth more important than breadth in HS science

by David Safier Let me begin with the caveat that studies are never conclusive. That being said, I find this one very thought provoking. A recent study of high school science instruction concludes that students benefit from studying fewer topics in depth rather than lots of topics more generally. (The article is in Education Week, … Read more

Why am I not surprised?

by David Safier The demand for GED classes is up. A tight job market amid staggering layoffs nationwide has a growing number of adults flocking to GED test preparation classes in Arizona and around the country. In Mesa alone, the program director expects to offer four times as many classes this fall as he did … Read more

Say, “Thank you, President Obama”

by David Safier This from an article about the possibility Arizona could lose $800 million in Fed Ed Stimulus money because we cut $150 million from higher ed: But Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, said unless the final rules differ substantially — or Arizona can get a waiver — … Read more

“It ain’t over ’til we say it’s over”

by David Safier Just when you thought it was safe to stop thinking about vouchers in Arizona after yesterday's State Supreme Court decision that they're unconstitutional, comes this: Ryan said there is a way to make the vouchers legal: persuade voters to amend the constitution to alter or repeal the ban. That may be the next … Read more