The Jefferson Journal
Commentary
Virginia’s recruitment and compensation practices are aggravating the shortfall of math, science and special education teachers. Here are some lessons schools could learn from the private sector.
... Isn’t it time to hold schools accountable by determining what they add to a student’s knowledge? Here’s one system of “Value-Added Assessment.”
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One way for Virginia to improve its evaluation of competitive sourcing opportunities would be to look south — to Florida.
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Richmond, VirginiaNearly 3,000 charter schools serve almost 600,000 students in the United States, but in Virginia public charter schools have yet to reach their potential for providing K-12 educational opportunities. This free workshop will focus on the “How To” of building community support, developing a quality charter school application and...
As our economy continues to grow, the need for Virginians to have access to financial institutions is critical to the long-term health of our state and nation. One of the fascinating debates within the financial community is the potential challenge that credit unions pose to commercial banks and the preferential...
What effect does the USPS’ status as a monopoly have on the Virginia economy? Plenty. This report inventories the government-granted competitive advantages enjoyed by the Postal Service, allowing it to unfairly compete with private, taxpaying Virginia firms. It illustrates the impact of the USPS tax exemption on state and local...
The Thomas Jefferson Institute has issued a series of one-page Legislative Policy Briefs reviewing government reform issues before the Virginia General Assembly. Look here frequently during the session to see new briefs as they are issued.
... To understand where we need to go, we first need to understand where we are. This shows where Virginia ranks on key indicators, comparing the Commonwealth to other states, both nationally and within our region of eight states (PA, MD, VA, NC, SC, GA, TN, and WV).
... The budget available through the General Assembly website makes no sense to the taxpayer interested in getting an idea of how his money is spent. In fact, the single most important document in Virginia government, the biannual budget, largely fails to serve even state legislators. This does not have to...
The transportation “crisis” in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads is dramatically different from the transportation “headaches” in less crowded areas of the state. Yet, major tax increases were defeated in 2002 in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads – the two areas facing true “gridlock” in the movement of cars. That’s...