MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'charter school'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:51:31 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4330997&cid=t_160289_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FtxU1OBOowuU%2F By Andrew J. CoulsonIn today’s Washington Post, Robert Samuelson argues that the performance of U.S. public schools is at least adequate, and that the relatively low achievement of black and Hispanic students is to be attributed to history and culture rather than to our education system. These claims are not new, and I might well have ignored them if he hadn’t got my Irish up with the off-hand comment that “what we face is not an engineering problem.” (More on that in a second.) First, let’s dispatch the claim that public schooling is off the hook for the poor performance of low-income minority children. I’m currently undertaking a statistical study of the performance of 78 separate charter school networks in California, relative to one another and to th... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4330997 Mon, 10 Jan 2011 18:50:02 +0100 4330997 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3993874&cid=t_160289_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FONFbXk-Iu60%2F By Neal McCluskeyYou’ve probably heard it already, but if not, you should know that on Friday the documentary Waiting for “Superman” — from An Inconvenient Truth director Davis Guggenheim — will be opening in select theaters around the country. The film, about how hard it is to access good education in America thanks to adults putting their interests first, follows several children as they hope beyond hope to get into oversubscribed charter schools. It is said by those who’ve seen it to be a tear-jerker and call to arms to substantially reform American education. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t promote real, essential reform: Taking money away from special-interest dominated government schools and letting parents control it. The movie does... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3993874 Wed, 22 Sep 2010 18:47:01 +0100 3993874 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3980811&cid=t_160289_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FLL4jscd6HXc%2F By Andrew J. CoulsonTen years ago, the American Indian Charter School scored last among Oakland’s public middle schools. Today it’s the top-scoring public middle school in all of California, according to the state’s own Academic Performance Index ranking. What changed? It wasn’t the school’s demographics. American Indian’s enrollment is still almost all low income and minority, and contrary to almost everyone’s expectations, these inner-city kids now outperform their age-mates in even the wealthiest districts in California. And the school accepts all applicants, so, no, they don’t cherry-pick. The only cherry-picking that happens at American Indian is when elite East-Coast boarding schools recruit their middle-school graduates, offering ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3980811 Fri, 17 Sep 2010 17:27:20 +0100 3980811 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3239558&cid=t_160289_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FPDlf88beFXc%2F By Adam SchaefferI wrote about this private school in South Carolina last year. The Voice for School Choice has a new video highlighting the great work of the Eagle Military Academy, which works with many kids the public schools cannot or will not educate. There’s a lot of talk lately about the transformative power of some charter schools, and it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that many secular and religious private schools have been saving kids all along with no public funds and little or no recognition from the elite opinion class. We need to open up choice to these schools as well, not just public charter schools that cannot provide the breadth and depth of experiences offered by private schools. Public charter schools are no substitute for full school choice through education t... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3239558 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:16:21 +0100 3239558 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3189127&cid=t_160289_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FEF95PnA1WaE%2F By Neal McCluskeyToday’s the day that states must submit their applications to the U.S. Department of Education to compete for round-one “Race to the Top” grants. But no worries if your state’s a little behind: Not only will there be another application round for the $4.35-billion dash-for-cash, but as President Obama announced today, he wants a $1.35-billion sequel to what was supposed to be a one-time, stimulus-funded contest. The important question, of course, is whether sponsoring this race is worthwhile for federal taxpayers. The clear answer is no. Sure, in response to RttT states have been raising charter-school caps, allowing teachers to be evaluated using student performance, and instituting other changes, but they’ve done little of rea... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3189127 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:59:06 +0100 3189127 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3100782&cid=t_160289_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fn0ZyswQ2VcI%2F By Chris Moody Helping out the “Wall Street fat cats:” Bankers are responding to the incentives generated by the economic policies of the Treasury and the Federal Reserve. How charter schools can save states big education dollars. Doug Bandow:  “Congress has spent the country blind, inflated a disastrous housing bubble, subsidized every special interest with a letterhead and lobbyist, and created a wasteful, incompetent bureaucracy that fills Washington. But now, legislators want to take a break from all their good work and save college football.” In case you missed it last week, watch Cato’s Jerry Taylor on the premier episode of Stossel. Podcast: “Urban Planners Romanticize Immobility“ (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3100782 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:27:50 +0100 3100782 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3044732&cid=t_160289_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FQ3SU_LlnL-4%2F With print media players disappearing faster than mosasaurs in the late Cretaceous, one would expect the last papers standing to be extra careful with their fact checking for fear of being blogged into extinction. One’s expectations would be mistaken. Yesterday’s LA Times editorial on charter schools combined errors of fact and omission with a misrepresentation of the economic research on public school spending. First, the Times claims that KIPP charter public schools spend “significantly more per student than the public school system.” Not so, says the KIPP website. But why rely on KIPP’s testimony, when we can look at the raw data? LA’s KIPP Academy of Opportunity, for instance, spent just over $3 million in 2007-08, for 345 students, for a total per pupil... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3044732 Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:46:51 +0100 3044732 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3003731&cid=t_160289_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F6kwyOyykia4%2F The latest fiscal impact review of Arizona’s scholarship tax credit programs estimates that they saved between $44 million and $186 million last year.  The programs offer individuals and businesses dollar-for-dollar tax credits if they make donations to non-profit K-12 scholarship-granting organizations. Those organizations, in turn, provide private school tuition assistance. This is much higher than the savings estimate offered by the Arizona Republic last month, as the AZ Republic story linked above is quick to point out. I deal with the reasons for the discrepancy below, but first, here’s the crucial fact that the Republic has missed yet again: if the tax credit programs were significantly expanded, such as by raising the donation caps, the state would undeniably save m... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3003731 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:30:34 +0100 3003731 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2862469&cid=t_160289_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fm7V6xSpz6FU%2F Last week, I posted a chart on this blog showing the percent change in federal education spending and student achievement since 1970 (achievement has been flat while federal education spending has nearly tripled). After laughing out loud when he saw it, IQ expert and Bell Curve author Charles Murray mused that “such a huge proportion of a child’s educational prospects are determined by things other than school (genes and the non-school environment) that reforms of the schools can never do more than produce score improvements at the margin.” But consider the accomplishments of Ben Chavis, who spoke at Cato last Friday. When he took over the American Indian Public Charter School in Oakland in 2001, it was the worst school in the district. Under his leadership (imagine a hybrid... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2862469 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:40:48 +0100 2862469 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2823961&cid=t_160289_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FFZ0JeGJDZ2c%2F Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post writes today that she feels compelled to “eat at least a spoonful of crow.” Her menu selection is driven by her assessment of President Obama’s “education reform” accomplishments to date. The term “education reform” is meaningless. All it implies is that, in whatever small way, things will be done differently from the way they have been done in the past. Not necessarily better, or worse, just differently. Even the president’s painfully vague campaign message (”Hope and Change”) at least indicated that the sought-after change was supposed to be in a positive direction. “Reform” doesn’t even convey that — let alone giving any indication of the nature, rationale or evidence... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2823961 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:22:37 +0100 2823961 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2800371&cid=t_160289_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FhTDziuRGIyI%2F H. L. Mencken described puritanism as “the haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.” The new puritanism is the fear that someone, somewhere, may be learning. The Minneapolis Star Tribune has a story today in which public school educationalists wring their hands over the fear that suburban whites may be getting a good education in charter schools. This, somehow, is perceived to be a bad thing for urban minority kids. Um. No. What is bad for any child is a paucity of high quality education options from which to choose. The focus of policymakers should be on ensuring that more and better education options are constantly coming within reach of all children, regardless of the contents of their parents’ wallets, the pigmentation of their skin, or their ethnic back... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2800371 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:03:32 +0100 2800371 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796413&cid=t_160289_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FdK67S63RD0Q%2F Next Sunday, MSNBC will feature a sort of townhall meeting on how great schools can pull kids out of poverty. Though headlined by Bill Cosby, perhaps the most electrifying panelist will be charter school principal Ben Chavis. On October 2nd at noon, you can come to Cato to see Ben live, and ask him how we can replicate his stunning success. Also joining us will be Washington Post columnist Jay Mathews, who’ll talk about the growing KIPP network of (now 82!) charter schools. Other than perhaps KIPP’s founders, nobody knows more about them than Jay. I’ll be simultaneously acting as cheerleader (I love these schools) and devil’s advocate (I’m skeptical that they can be brought to the masses within the charter sector). To register, just visit the event page he... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796413 Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:05:35 +0100 2796413 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2522835&cid=t_160289_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F0MYKxrEgRdY%2F I’ve just discovered that my calculation of DC education spending per pupil was wrong, and I have to publish a correction. I wrote back in March that total DC k-12 spending, excluding charter schools, was $1,291,815,886 during the 2008-09 school year. That still appears to be correct. But to get the per-pupil number I divided total spending by the then-official enrollment count: 48,646. It now turns out that that number was rubbish. PRI’s Vicki Murray just pointed me to this recent DCPS press release that identifies a new audited enrollment number for the same school year:  44,681 students. If that number excludes the 2,400 special education students that the District has placed in private schools, then DC’s correct total per pupil spending is $27,400. If the new audited... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2522835 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:46:46 +0100 2522835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2375850&cid=t_160289_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FLnHTq4wp_Y0%2F Bloggers from all over are discussing Cato’s research and commentary. Here are a couple we found: Stephen Littau wrote about Glenn Greenwald’s paper on drug decriminalization at The Liberty Papers. At the U.S News and World Report’s “Risky Business” blog, Matthew Bandyk discussed Ilya Shapiro’s Supreme Court coverage in the Washington Examiner. Net Right Nation editor Adam Bitely has linked to Cato commentary and analysis regularly over the past few months. Writing for the Libertarian Party Blog, Donny Ferguson discussed the new Cato study, “Bright Lines and Bailouts: To Bail or Not To Bail, That Is the Question.” Tom Jackson just started The Libertarian News Network and has linked to many Cato events and commentaries. At the Show... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2375850 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 19:44:55 +0100 2375850 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2364924&cid=t_160289_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FS_BtNDfuhwE%2F It’s an interesting problem for charter-school afficianados: many want charters to have all the freedom of private schools, but go to pains to let people know that charters are public schools whenever the schools are under fire (or want money). Well I’ve just learned — perhaps before reporters have even been able to write their stories, because I haven’t yet found a news link to it — that New York’s Public Employee Relations Board will force the KIPP AMP charter school in New York City to let its teachers unionize. This will be a tough pill for KIPP AMP to swallow, especially since an integral part of the famous KIPP model is requiring employees to be available far beyond the normal working hours of traditional public school teachers — not som... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2364924 Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:39:57 +0100 2364924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1508535&cid=t_160289_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F309949770%2F Last day of school for Charlie tomorrow and I’ve been reflecting a lot about what a big difference it makes to have the right school program, with teachers trained to focus on where each student is at rather than some idealized norm. It’s been heartening to read about two students on the spectrum—19-year-old Stefan Kravan in New Prague, Minnesota, and 18-year-old Jeremy Ernstoff of Squirrel Hill, Pennsylvnia—who are graduating from high school and moving on. Also in the news recently has been a new autism school, the Soaring Eagle Academy in Chicago (which uses the DIR® (Developmental, Individual-Difference, Relationship-Based)/Floor time approach), as well as a number of autism schools in Manhattan, including a charter school, New York Center for Autism; a private... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1508535 Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:13:00 +0100 1508535 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1237810&cid=t_160289_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F236535598%2F Joanne Jacobs, educator, blogger and author of Our School: The Inspiring Story of Two Teachers, One Big Idea and the Charter School That Beat the Odds, participates today in our Author Speaks Series with an excellent article on how "Schools won’t improve until administrators and teachers can admit the problems, analyze what’s going wrong and try new strategies. Students won’t improve if they think they’re “special” just the way they are." Enjoy, and feel free to add your comment to engage in a stimulating conversation. ----------------------- The First Step Is Failure By Joanne Jacobs When self-esteem became an education watchword in 1986, I thought it was a harmless fad. I was wrong: It wasn’t harmless. Many teachers were persuaded that students should be pumped u... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1237810 Sun, 17 Feb 2008 16:38:14 +0100 1237810 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1187329&cid=t_160289_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F225396989%2F We are pleased to announce that we'll have 2 additional excellent contributions during February: - Adrian Preda, M.D., will write about a brain plasticity topic. Adrian Preda, M.D. is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior in the UC Irvine School of Medicine. His expertise in human behavior, psychology and spirituality is based on years of experience working as a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, teacher and researcher in a variety of academic clinical and non-clinical settings, including Yale Psychiatric Institute, Yale New Haven Hospital, Yale Health Plan, UT Southwestern and UC Irvine Neuro-Psychiatric Research. - Joanne Jacobs, education expert and great blogger, will participate in our Author Speaks Series.  Once a Knight Ridder columnist, Joanne is now a freelance w... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1187329 Tue, 29 Jan 2008 18:47:25 +0100 1187329 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1084258&cid=t_160289_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F198128592%2F Lionsgate Academy is a new charterschool for autistic children in grades 6 to 10 in the Twin Cities in Minnesota and is set to open its doors in fall of 2008, as noted today’s Star Tribune (subscription only; the school’s website provides more information). Currently, Lionsgate Academy is searching for a location; according to its newsletter, it is seeking a site and building that will be best suited for the learning and sensory needs of autistic children. Some of the criteria include “sufficient flexible indoor space, with minimal distractions”; proximity to “other community resources (such as businesses, sites of worship, or other schools) that can serve as places of integration and inclusion for our students with the greater community at large”; and a... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1084258 Mon, 10 Dec 2007 16:39:26 +0100 1084258