on May 31, 2019

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Local charity ‘Start Reading Now’ aims to develop a love of reading in kids

[caption id="attachment_15043" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] This was Hmong International Academy's 6th book fair. These 1st graders were great! The girl on the lower left with her backpack pulled up was sooooo excited while we gave the presentation she could hardly control herself. It was awesome![/caption] Here at Center of the American Experiment, we advocate for free-market solutions. When free enterprise hasn’t developed a remedy to a tough problem facing society, government programs are too frequently pushed as the answer. We argue private charity should play a larger role, and would often do a better job helping those who need it. One perennial problem...

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on May 30, 2019

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The Ins and Outs of Minnesota’s Education Omnibus Bill

Written by Catrin Wigfall

in Education

An increase in Minnesota’s per-student funding formula and additional dollars in safe schools revenue were key components of this legislative session’s E-12 education omnibus bill....

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on May 22, 2019

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Repairs to 18 St. Paul schools will cost 61% more than projected. But hey, it’s only (your) money

Written by John Phelan

in Education

“Every contractor wants to come work for St. Paul Public Schools because it’s frickin’ open checkbook”. Why is government so careless with your hard earned cash? ...

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on May 20, 2019

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The Historic Fairness of Standardized Admissions Tests

Written by Mitch Pearlstein

in Education

The SATs and ACT’s are particularly high-profile right now, in largest part because of ridiculously rich parents spending ridiculous amounts of money to feloniously insinuate their children into elite and not-so-elite universities and colleges. Beyond accelerating perpetual arguments about the fundamental fairness of higher education admissions, the scandal also has provoked crisper conversation about the fairness of the tests themselves. Further mixing things up have been news accounts about how various colleges and universities around the country have decided not to use either of the two tests at all. The aim of SATs and ACTs is gauging academic preparation and readiness...

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on May 16, 2019

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New Orleans’s education success story: A model worth following

Written by Catrin Wigfall

in Education

The school reform efforts in New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005 have been the largest and most complete experiment in charter school success. With a history of failing schools, low academic performance, misuse of finances, and leadership problems that predated the natural disaster, the New Orleans Parish school district had nowhere to go but up, and an all-charter school system led the way. As we celebrate National Charter Schools Week, we should reflect on New Orleans’s groundbreaking reforms and how they shook the foundation of American education and represent a model worth following. Photo Source: Getty Images...

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on May 14, 2019

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Celebrating charter schools and the educational opportunities they bring to students

Written by Catrin Wigfall

in Education

This week, we celebrate National Charter Schools Week and the success of 3.2 million charter school students. It is important to reflect on the opportunities charter schools offer families who are earnestly seeking a high-quality, public school option. ...

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on May 10, 2019

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Divided legislature takes different approaches to education spending

Written by Catrin Wigfall

in Education

Minnesota's divided legislature has to find common ground on education spending proposals and decide what level of state school funding school districts across Minnesota will receive before a May 20 deadline, according to the Star Tribune. The Star Tribune interviewed me for this article, but my comments did not make it into print. Here is commentary I shared during my interview....

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on May 08, 2019

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“Am I a bad colleague if I leave my teachers’ union?”

Written by Catrin Wigfall

in Education

True teacher appreciation shows support and respect for teachers’ voices and choices. Teachers from across the country have come together to shed light on common misconceptions educators may hear regarding association rights and union membership. ...

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on May 06, 2019

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True Teacher Appreciation: Respect for educators’ voice and choice

Written by Catrin Wigfall

in Education

Teacher Appreciation Week officially kicked off today, May 6 and will run through May 10. In order to better support teachers, unions need to listen to their voices and restore respect for their choices. The freedom to say "no" to a union is just as important as the freedom to say "yes" to one. ...

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on May 06, 2019

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Teachers hold their tongues about union policies to not offend colleagues

Written by Catrin Wigfall

in Education

Nearly 1 in 5 teachers disagree with many union policies but don’t speak out to avoid offending their colleagues who support the union, according to a survey by the Teacher Freedom project. ...

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