School Choice

Charter Schools

Affluent School Districts Don’t Guarantee Better Academic Performance

Some parents in affluent Michigan school districts may be surprised to learn the local school isn’t just failing to give their kids a leg up, it’s holding them back. New research shows that a number of Michigan schools in middle- to upper-income areas are underperforming on state and national proficiency ...
Education

National School Choice Week

Lance Izumi, Senior Director of Education Studies, speaks at a National School Choice event organized by the Parents Advocate League of Los Angeles. From left to right: Allison Bajracharya, Larry Sand, Lance Izumi, Senator Gloria Romero, Bob Bowdon, Julie Collier.
Commentary

Suburban Fort Worth schools underperform

Are the Texas public schools that serve many middle-class children performing well? Lots of parents think so. But many of these schools are not as good as they think. That’s according to a new study from the Pacific Research Institute, which analyzed school performance in Texas using a number of ...
Commentary

Peoria County Schools: Not As Good As Parents Think

Are the Illinois public schools that serve many middle-class children performing well? Their parents may think so. But many of these schools are not as good as they think. That’s according to a new study from the Pacific Research Institute, which analyzed school performance in Illinois, including Peoria County, using ...
Commentary

Where’s Weyermuller: Is School Choice the Answer?

“Not as good as you think” is the title of an extensive Illinois education study released this week in Chicago. The subtitle is: “Why Middle Class Parents In Illinois should be Concerned about Their Local Public Schools.” The author Lance Izumi introduced the 152 page study at a breakfast sponsored ...
California

Killing fair play for charter schools

Recently, the enemies of school choice won a significant victory. A small, but very important, amendment to the California Education Code, Assembly Bill 2225 by Assemblyman Travis Allen, R-Huntington Beach, died in the Assembly education committee – voted down by Democrats in a party-line vote. This bill merely said that ...
Commentary

Suburban Schools Not Actually That Good, Studies Find

The schools middle-class families send their kids to aren’t as good as parents think, say two recently released studies from different sources. A national study released in May found that U.S. students whose parents have college degrees perform worse than peers from comparable families in other countries. In the United ...
Commentary

Obama the populist?

From his State of the Union to follow-up speeches in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Tennessee, Barack Obama is playing the populist on issues ranging from the minimum wage to unemployment benefits to retirement savings. He sides rhetorically with the little guy, victimized by big forces and big institutions. Yet, when ...
Commentary

Missed opportunity for school choice

On the surface it looked innocuous: a State Senate committee recently approved Senate Bill 693, which gives a tax credit to new teachers for classroom expenses they incur. The behind-the-scenes story, however, is much sadder: in exchange for this mild reform, the bill’s author, Sen. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, had ...
Commentary

A New Strategy to Improve Math and Science Learning

Governor Jerry Brown’s new budget proposes an additional $10 billion for K-14 education, but he also wants public school districts to increase and improve services for low-income students, foster youth, and other at-risk children. While commendable, there is bill in the State Assembly that seeks to address the needs of ...
Charter Schools

Affluent School Districts Don’t Guarantee Better Academic Performance

Some parents in affluent Michigan school districts may be surprised to learn the local school isn’t just failing to give their kids a leg up, it’s holding them back. New research shows that a number of Michigan schools in middle- to upper-income areas are underperforming on state and national proficiency ...
Education

National School Choice Week

Lance Izumi, Senior Director of Education Studies, speaks at a National School Choice event organized by the Parents Advocate League of Los Angeles. From left to right: Allison Bajracharya, Larry Sand, Lance Izumi, Senator Gloria Romero, Bob Bowdon, Julie Collier.
Commentary

Suburban Fort Worth schools underperform

Are the Texas public schools that serve many middle-class children performing well? Lots of parents think so. But many of these schools are not as good as they think. That’s according to a new study from the Pacific Research Institute, which analyzed school performance in Texas using a number of ...
Commentary

Peoria County Schools: Not As Good As Parents Think

Are the Illinois public schools that serve many middle-class children performing well? Their parents may think so. But many of these schools are not as good as they think. That’s according to a new study from the Pacific Research Institute, which analyzed school performance in Illinois, including Peoria County, using ...
Commentary

Where’s Weyermuller: Is School Choice the Answer?

“Not as good as you think” is the title of an extensive Illinois education study released this week in Chicago. The subtitle is: “Why Middle Class Parents In Illinois should be Concerned about Their Local Public Schools.” The author Lance Izumi introduced the 152 page study at a breakfast sponsored ...
California

Killing fair play for charter schools

Recently, the enemies of school choice won a significant victory. A small, but very important, amendment to the California Education Code, Assembly Bill 2225 by Assemblyman Travis Allen, R-Huntington Beach, died in the Assembly education committee – voted down by Democrats in a party-line vote. This bill merely said that ...
Commentary

Suburban Schools Not Actually That Good, Studies Find

The schools middle-class families send their kids to aren’t as good as parents think, say two recently released studies from different sources. A national study released in May found that U.S. students whose parents have college degrees perform worse than peers from comparable families in other countries. In the United ...
Commentary

Obama the populist?

From his State of the Union to follow-up speeches in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Tennessee, Barack Obama is playing the populist on issues ranging from the minimum wage to unemployment benefits to retirement savings. He sides rhetorically with the little guy, victimized by big forces and big institutions. Yet, when ...
Commentary

Missed opportunity for school choice

On the surface it looked innocuous: a State Senate committee recently approved Senate Bill 693, which gives a tax credit to new teachers for classroom expenses they incur. The behind-the-scenes story, however, is much sadder: in exchange for this mild reform, the bill’s author, Sen. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, had ...
Commentary

A New Strategy to Improve Math and Science Learning

Governor Jerry Brown’s new budget proposes an additional $10 billion for K-14 education, but he also wants public school districts to increase and improve services for low-income students, foster youth, and other at-risk children. While commendable, there is bill in the State Assembly that seeks to address the needs of ...
Scroll to Top