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School choice is on the ballot
School choice measures are on the ballot in Kentucky, Colorado and Nebraska.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 16, 20241 min read


Who benefits from universal choice? Mostly families with kids already in private school
Arizona's universal choice program mostly benefits middle- and upper-middle-class families who already had children in private school.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 16, 20242 min read


Students are narrowing achievement gaps in high-choice cities
In cities with at least a third of students in charters or other choice schools, students are narrowing achievement gaps.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 11, 20242 min read


39% of public-school parents are satisfied with their child's school
Only 39% of public school parents are satisfied with their child's school compared to 70% of private school parents.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 8, 20241 min read


Urban charters raise achievement -- or they close
Urban charter schools improve learning for disadvantaged minority students, and competition often improves nearby district schools.

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 30, 20241 min read


Reform can work: Closing bad schools and opening new ones improved learning in Denver
Denver Public Schools improved -- a lot -- in part by closing bad schools and opening new ones.

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 30, 20242 min read


No return to normal: Homeschooling is still growing
Homeschooling surged during the pandemic, and continues to grow.

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 25, 20242 min read


A new choice in New Orleans: District opens a non-charter school
New Orleans is no longer an all-charter district.

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 14, 20242 min read


Urban Democrats want choice, but Harris-Walz campaign backs union agenda
The U.S. has "already passed peak public school " (excluding public charters), writes Matt Welch on Reason. Enrollment in district-run...

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 11, 20242 min read


A la carte learning in Florida
Alicia Garcia was a part-time cooking teacher before the pandemic closed Florida schools, writes Ron Matus on Next Steps. Now the former...

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 8, 20241 min read


How good is my kid's school? Good luck figuring out state report cards
State report cards do a poor job of informing parents. IDEA charters want Texas parents to see their ratings.

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 6, 20241 min read


Parents want choices: 84% support education savings accounts
Americans -- including Democrats -- strongly favor school choice, especially education savings accounts.

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 16, 20242 min read


Harris thrills teachers' union, sticks to progressive orthodoxy
"God knows, we don't pay you enough," Kamala Harris told teachers at the American Federation of Teachers convention in Houston. That went...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 26, 20242 min read


Urban charters boost scores, degrees in Massachusetts
Urban charter school students in Massachusetts earn higher test scores and are more likely to enroll in college and earn a degree,...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 25, 20241 min read


Most challenging schools are charters educating low-income students
Urban charters in high-poverty areas have become the most challenging high schools in the country, as measured by students taking...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 25, 20242 min read


'Raised by wolves,' Vance defends parents' rights
“Parents should absolutely be the primary stakeholders in their kids' education, and anyone who disagrees should stay the hell away from...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 18, 20242 min read


If minority parents choose a charter, that's not 'resegregation'
Parents should be able to choose a public school that meets their children's academic needs and their family's values, writes Debbie...

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 26, 20242 min read


Democrats care about equality, but not education, say voters
Black and Hispanic parents may switch from Biden to Trump. Democrats value equality but don't deliver on quality, they say.

Joanne Jacobs
May 18, 20242 min read


Classical ed -- seen as 'a white child's education' -- is thriving in the Bronx
Are the liberal arts conservative?, asks Emma Green in a New Yorker story about the revival of "classical education." A growing number of...

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 25, 20242 min read


'No excuses' school guru passes on: Will excellence survive?
Linda Brown, who trained hundreds of charter leaders as leader of (Building Excellent Schools (ES), has died at the age of 81. Many of...

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 24, 20242 min read
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