The recent appointment of Betsy Devos as the US Education Secretary reignited the controversial issue of school voucher programs. Proponents of vouchers, including Devos, argue that school choice increases public schools’ performance due to the competition presented by private and charter schools. However, research shows that vouchers, at best, provide mixed results for students. Lower Student […]
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The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was a major piece of legislation passed with a bipartisan consensus and signed by President Obama on December 10th, 2015. The bill was intended as a replacement for the No Child Left Behind Act and made major changes to the way that states report their education plans to the […]
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In a recent Houston Chronicle Expose, it unmasked how unelected state officials have devised a system that has kept thousands of disabled students out of special education. As an educator in rural Mississippi, I was horrified by this piece and its findings. I’ve had the opportunity to teach students with disabilities and have seen first-hand the […]
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The growing expense of higher education has become a pressing concern in recent years. In tuition alone, it currently costs $39,508 to get a 4-year degree from an in-state public institution, $97,960 for an out-of-state institution, and $135,010 for a private one, not including the cost of books or board. Education prices increased an average 5.2 […]
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My first week teaching high school in rural Mississippi, I witnessed my principal walk down the cafeteria hallway with a three-foot paddle, hitting the palm of his hand as he screamed, “Who am I going to get? Who am I going to get?” The students just stared at him. Some in fear, others in amusement; […]
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In President Obama’s final budget released last month, he asked for $4 billion over 3 years to develop the next generation of computer science and technology professionals. The President’s Computer Science for All plan aims to equip students with the skills needed to compete in the global economy by allocating $100 million for a competitive grant […]
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Becoming a parent changes an individual fundamentally. I was interested in childcare policy before becoming a parent, but now when I think about childcare policy, I think about what is going to be best for my smiling one year-old twin girls. One of the major issues in childcare policy is the cost of childcare and […]
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At a December briefing hosted by the National Prevention Science Coalition, Dr. David Olds, Professor of Pediatrics, Nursing, and Public Health at the University of Colorado shared some good news about a family-based poverty prevention approach: Low-income, first-time mothers who were visited at home regularly by a nurse had better prenatal health outcomes, relied less […]
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A recent Upshot article written by Susan Dynarski from the University of Michigan suggests that charter schools provide the most benefit to students in poor, urban areas. Recent research I conducted with my colleague Elizabeth Bersin on DC Charter Schools also bears out this conclusion. Who Benefits? Non-White, Low-Income Students in Urban Areas Dr. Dynarski’s […]
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The Problem In his 2015 State of the Union address, President Obama listed numerous policies intended to help middle class families, including a proposal for additional assistance for child care. Days after the SOTU, a White House blog piece by Betsey Stevenson indicated that child care is an issue for women as well as […]
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