Educational “establishment” and “reformers”

by David Safier One of the big cabinet positions Obama has yet to name is Education Secretary. Naturally, people are asking who it will be. Journalists are beginning to mention names, and they're defining the two educational "camps" Obama's pick might represent. The people on one side of the equation, usually thought of as a … Read more

A charter school report card from Minnesota

by David Safier Minnesota was the birthplace of charter schools 20 years ago (Yes, they're that new). The Institute on Race and Poverty produced a report on the state's charters. The results weren't encouraging. Orfield's research team gathered test scores and other data from all traditional public and charter schools in the Twin Cities. That … Read more

Public school tax credit suggestions

by David Safier In an earlier post, I explained how you can give $200 for an individual or $400 for a couple to a school of your choice (or a combination of schools) and get a 100% tax credit on your state taxes. It won't cost you a penny. I said I would post suggestions … Read more

Department of Environmental Irony

by David Safier I was playing tennis this morning at Fort Lowell Park, well away from the street. I noticed a heavy smell of car exhaust wafting over the court and turned toward the parking lot. A large government vehicle — enclosed, about twice the size of a pickup — was sitting there, idling. Five … Read more

More on seed corn eating

by David Safier The Wall Street Journal tells us that universities are freezing enrollment levels and even cutting back on their total number of students: Florida's state universities, squeezed early by the slumping economy's effect on tax revenues, instituted a three-year cap on freshman enrollment last year. The mammoth California State University system — with … Read more