First the one-two punch of Harvey and Irma, now DACA: The economy took some hits in the last couple of weeks. The damage from the dual hurricanes, of course, is already visible and the cost to the economy is estimated to be as high as $290 billion. But ending DACA...
1/29/2010 – Charter school advocates – myself included – are often critical of the resistance local School Boards offer these independent public schools designed to serve often under-educated student populations in systems trying to educate a broad range of children. And because local school boards are the only entity empowered to...
In the film adaption of Joseph Heller’s anti-war novel, Captain John Yossarian defines the phrase “Catch-22” this way: “In order to be grounded, I’ve got to be crazy and I must be crazy to keep flying. But if I ask to be grounded, that means I’m not crazy any more...
6/10/2014 — On May 17, Virginia and the nation recognized the 60 Anniversary of the historic Brown v. Board decision declaring state laws establishing separate schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional. The anniversary was accompanied by commentaries recognizing the importance of the case – but few also recognized the pivotal role Virginia...
Which statement does not belong with the others? A. “One of the places where much of that innovation occurs is in our most effective charter schools.” – President Barack Obama B. “High-performing urban charter schools such as the KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) schools are showing that minority students can close the...
In 2007, the Virginia General Assembly replaced one eighth-grade social studies Standards of Learning (SOL) exam with three required middle school SOL tests. In 2009, Virginia’s state superintendent proposed eliminating the third-grade social studies SOL exam, but backed off after opposition from members of the General Assembly. My. What a difference a...
7/17/2014 — The recent state court ruling that the Opportunity Educational Institution (OEI) is a violation of the Virginia Constitution leaves thousands of Virginia schoolchildren consigned to schools with decades-long records of failure. Passed with bipartisan approval last year, OEI sought to provide all students – regardless of what school they...
Executive Summary A Time for Reform The state of Virginia is blessed with one of the finest systems of public colleges and universities in the nation. And yet, for these institutions to continue to thrive, they need the authority, expertise, and resources to govern themselves—to attract and keep the best faculty,...
The Road to Deregulation, Real Accountability, and Renewed Citizenship in Virginia’s System of Higher Education Eric Cohen Managing Editor Public Interest February 2000 Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy The Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy is anon-partisan research and education organization devoted to improving the lives of the people in Virginia....
This column is a condensed version of “Foreclosures Dampen the Economic Recovery — The 2010-2011 Economic Forecast” written for and soon to be published by the Thomas Jefferson Institute. 6/9/2011 – Home prices took a turn for the worse in the nation and in the Richmond area earlier this year. Prices fell 5.5...
