Minnesota’s public school system is carrying a heavy price tag, as debt per student reaches more than $20,700 and pushes total school borrowing to $16.5 billion. Number crunching by the…
Despite nearly $1 trillion in annual funding, many public schools in America’s K-12 education system are getting further from their goal of delivering quality education. Rising pension debts, disproportionate growth…
For many families, K-12 open enrollment policies allow students to attend public schools outside of the districts or zones in which they reside, offering more flexibility, opportunity, and choice in…
For Minnesota teachers, the financial health of the Teachers Retirement Association (TRA) — the single default defined benefit pension plan for the majority of teachers in the state — affects…
If school spending is up, why aren’t teacher salaries? Common sense says that the most important thing to spend education dollars on is a well-equipped, high-quality teacher for every classroom.…
Common sense says that the most important thing to spend education dollars on is a well-equipped, high-quality teacher for every classroom. So, if school spending is up, why aren’t teacher…
HAPPY NATIONAL SCHOOL CHOICE WEEK! To celebrate, on this special edition of the American Experiment Podcast, Education Policy Fellow Catrin Wigfall hosts nationally renowned school choice advocate Corey DeAngelis! Corey…
Open enrollment policies allow students to access public schools outside of their resident public schools, which can be a great help for families whose assigned neighborhood public schools aren’t the…
Average English, math, reading, science, and composite American College Test (ACT) scores among Minnesota’s high school graduating class of 2024 have dropped again. The average composite score for the state…
More than half of Minnesota public school students still don’t meet basic proficiency in reading or math, according to newly released 2024 statewide assessment results by the Minnesota Department of…
Now that the dust has settled on this whirlwind of a legislative session, it’s time to unpack several key provisions in the education omnibus bill and what they mean for…
State funding per K-12 student — adjusted for inflation — is up 31 percent since 2002 despite enrollment being down 2 percent, according to an analysis by the Reason Foundation.…
Minnesota’s public school open enrollment options fall short, according to a new Reason Foundation report by Jude Schwalbach that ranked all 50 states’ K-12 open enrollment laws. Open enrollment policies…
Minnesota K-12 state revenue per student — adjusted for inflation — is up 31 percent since 2002, according to an education spending project by the Reason Foundation. State revenue makes…
As the White House continues to argue we aren’t in a recession, and with the National Bureau of Economic Research not providing an authoritative answer on the topic, the debate…
Schools can “finally safely make masks optional for students and staff” with the CDC’s new guidelines, opine infectious disease physicians in The Washington Post. Respirators and other high-quality masks are…
Despite growing evidence over the years that a one-size-fits-all education system cannot — and does not — meet the needs of all students, Democratic leaders have largely opposed efforts to…
Yesterday (March 18), I wrote about a new study published by the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases that found three feet physical distancing policies in K-12 schools didn’t negatively impact student…
I can't count the number of emails and phone calls the Center receives on a weekly basis from public school parents who are concerned about the lesson content and political…
Teachers' unions continue to push back against school reopening efforts in the name of safety concerns, despite ever-growing research that schools are not super-spreaders and that school closures harm children.…
In a now-deleted tweet, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) claimed Sunday afternoon that "the push to reopen schools is rooted in sexism, racism and misogyny."
While the status quo failed too many students pre-COVID, more parents now are becoming aware of the system's shortcomings in a way that has motivated them to seek out alternatives…
Whether it is the ambiguity of what learning model will be used or the district's decision to begin the year without any in-person instruction, families are realizing the top-down education…
Figuring out what school learning will look like this fall has stirred up quite the debate nationwide. And all the uncertainty over schools reopening and what it would take for…