Essay
The New York Times published an editorial yesterday entitled False Data on Student Performance: Americans often can’t find reliable information about how the schools in their state compare with schools elsewhere. The No Child Left Behind Act [“NCLB”] was supposed to change that by requiring states to file clear and accurate statistical information with the…
On the eve of the President’s press conference to buck up America with regards to Iraq, the pollsters are busy trying to set the table for their spin. First, we have this from CNN/USA Today: As Bush prepares to address the nation Tuesday to defend his Iraq policy, just 40 percent of those responding to…
The State House passed the budget last night: By an overwhelming majority, the House last night passed a new $6.35-billion state budget which cuts pension benefits, lowers the car tax and drastically increases the fee developers pay to receive historic tax credits. In stark contrast to last year, the debate in the House was generally…
H. Philip West, Jr., Executive Director of Common Cause in Rhode Island, has written an important editorial: If you think that citizens have a right to know about campaign contributions and lobbyist payments to public officials, here’s some scary news from the Rhode Island House of Representatives. In the final hours of the 2005 legislative…
I rarely agree with Froma Harrop’s politics but she has a very perceptive editorial on what makes long-term marriages happen: You know the quip: A wife is asked on her silver anniversary whether she has ever contemplated divorce. “Divorce, never,” she replies. “Murder, frequently.” That sums up the truth about long-term marriages. Their success doesn’t…
Robert Gordon, a former education policy advisor to John Kerry, has written a provocative article in The New Republic magazine about the Democratic Party’s actions on educational matters. Ed Achorn has recently commented on the article here, noting: …Mr. Gordon contends that Democrats should stop letting Republicans eat their lunch on education. Democrats, given their…
A previous posting provided a substantive introduction to ongoing FEC regulation risks facing the blogging community. Win Myers at the Democracy Project continues his good work on this subject with these two recent postings here and here. It is in the blogging community’s self-interest as lovers of freedom to stay informed about FEC developments and…
Respected defense analyst and journalist Bill Gertz writes: China is building its military forces faster than U.S. intelligence and military analysts expected, prompting fears that Beijing will attack Taiwan in the next two years, according to Pentagon officials. U.S. defense and intelligence officials say all the signs point in one troubling direction: Beijing then will…
Five years ago, fighting the Rhode Island educational establishment of bureaucrats and teachers’ unions reminded me of Sisyphus, who mythology says was condemned to constantly pushing the rock up the hill – only to have it slide back down so he would have to repeat the senseless effort again and again. But the winds of…
Rhode Island Politics & Taxation, Part XXI: Blocking More Charter Schools Means Hurting Our Children
The latest news on charter schools in Rhode Island is bad news for our children, especially those who need our help the most: The House Finance Committee’s decision to impose a two-year moratorium on new charter schools has derailed plans to open such a school in East Providence this fall. Dennis Langley, chief executive officer…