U.S. public education became more diverse and inclusive in 1925
A century ago, the U.S. Supreme Court landed a win for educational freedom with its ruling in Pierce v. Society of Sisters.OUR LATEST
Mexicayotl Academy of Excellence, a charter school in Nogales Arizona, demonstrated the highest level of average academic growth among Arizona schools in the latest version of the Stanford Educational Opportunity... READ MORE
Some of the most valuable learning experiences happen outside the classroom. Public education is evolving to support more learning by doing. READ MORE
On Jan.17, 1961, President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered a 10-minute farewell address after having served his nation as president. He had interesting things to say, such as: As we peer... READ MORE
Nearly 24,000 Alaska homeschooled students who use a unique state program to customize their education would have to scramble for alternatives under a trial court ruling that struck down a... READ MORE
In the early days of education savings accounts, several of our intrepid Scooby-gang members wrote and spoke about user reviews as the future of “accountability.” In a multi-vendor system, we... READ MORE
An attorney defending the Oklahoma’s charter school board wasted no time identifying the primary issue before the Oklahoma Supreme Court. “This is whether the operation of a charter... READ MORE
Tyton Partners provided an update on the status of Education Savings Accounts programs: Since being introduced in Arizona, ESAs have been enacted in 12 additional states; in six states, the... READ MORE
The story: All eyes will be on Oklahoma on Tuesday as the state’s highest court hears arguments about the constitutionality of what could be the nation’s first faith-based charter school.... READ MORE
More students would be able to use scholarships at hybrid schools, scholarship programs for students with disabilities would grow more quickly to meet demand, and religious virtual schools could... READ MORE
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LEARNING SPOTLIGHTS
A student with many interests has many options thanks to his Personalized Education Program
Cooper Campen is the spelling bee champion of Alachua County who plays the trumpet, reads John Grisham novels, and would like to be a mechanical engineer. Or a doctor. Or a lawyer. He is 12 years old, a young man of many interests. Science. History. Music. Words. And this:... READ MORE
CLEARWATER – On the desk inside Emma Coto’s bedroom is a sign that says, “This Girl Can.” That’s as good of a place as any to begin this story because... READ MORE
APOPKA – The days were long when the family lived up north, when Maria Alvaracin and her husband, Fernando Ramirez, worked two and sometimes three jobs each in one... READ MORE
IDEAS & INNOVATIONS
Blazing Stars, blazing trails
DADE CITY, Fla. – LaTania Scott and Kameeka Shirley were former public school teachers who wanted something different when they opened their own school in January 2023. Something … authentically Montessori … accessible to families from all walks of life … embedded with the autonomy that’s often missing from traditional... READ MOREBuilding a bridge to the 21st century nowhere
In 2005, the Alaskan Congressional delegation created a national controversy when they attempted to secure $398,000,000 to build a bridge to an island with 50 inhabitants. Known as “the Bridge to Nowhere” this effort lingered on until Congress finally halted it in 2011. The islanders continued to make do... READ MORE
Despite calls for reform and waves of attempted transformation, key features of American schools have been remarkably stable for more than a century. Students spend six or so hours... READ MORE
A surefire way to get heads nodding at an education policy conference is to call for dismantling the Carnegie unit. The question, and a legitimate fear, is whether efforts to... READ MORE
An episode of Paul MM Cooper’s outstanding documentary podcast series “The Fall of Civilizations” recounts the history of Carthage, which includes details of wars fought between the Carthaginians and Syracuse... READ MORE
U.S. public education has had three primary eras. The first era reflected the needs of a sparsely populated rural agrarian society. Most children were homeschooled and literacy focused primarily on... READ MORE
DADE CITY, Fla. – LaTania Scott and Kameeka Shirley were former public school teachers who wanted something different when they opened their own school in January 2023. Something … authentically... READ MORE
As we prepare to say goodbye to 2023, it is worth noting what an extraordinary year it was for parental choice advocates. As recently as 2022, no states had statewide... READ MORE
If 2023 could be summed up in a single word, it would be transformation. Florida lawmakers passed House Bill 1, which expanded education choice eligibility to all students in the... READ MORE
Last year, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision Carson v. Makin said excluding schools from choice programs solely because they teach religion violates the First Amendment’s free exercise clause. The... READ MORE
The story: As legal challenges to the wave of newly adopted education choice laws wind through the courts, a judge just handed New Hampshire a big win. On Tuesday, the... READ MORE
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