Category Archives: Education

Education spending and the danger of narrow policy thinking

Posted on July 6, 2011 by

Tweet   On Friday we wrote about not trying to “keep up with the Joneses” in regard to public education spending. Today I’ll make a few more observations about recently released spending data. A story from the Salt Lake Tribune … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Education, Taxes | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Don’t mind the Joneses; do what’s best for Utah

Posted on July 1, 2011 by

Tweet   Trying to keep up with the Joneses can be damaging to one’s home environment – and to a state. Oft-expressed concerns about Utah’s public education funding highlight what I mean. According to a new Utah Foundation report, Utah … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Education | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

‘Free’ lunch for all Utah children this summer – at your expense

Posted on June 28, 2011 by

Tweet   This summer, many government schools (and parks and rec centers) in Utah are offering free meals to anyone under age 18 who shows up, regardless of their need, using federal tax dollars. Check out this video report to … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Education, Personal Responsibility, Self-reliance, Taxes | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Teaching children in schools: a sacred trust that demands scrutiny

Posted on June 20, 2011 by

Tweet   As I recently gave a presentation to a class of fifth-graders, I was reminded of the sacred trust we place in schoolteachers. When parents send their children off to school, perhaps sometimes reluctantly, they leave their little ones … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Family | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

‘Bumper sticker’ education policy vs. serious solutions

Posted on June 8, 2011 by

Tweet The U.S. Census Bureau recently released its most recent report on K-12 public education spending, including data for the 2008-09 school year. I’ll give you a moment to be amazed at how slow the federal government is … OK, … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | Tagged | 15 Comments

Run away from ‘Race to the Top’

Posted on June 1, 2011 by

Tweet President Barack Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan are offering states $500 million more in the third round of its “Race to the Top” competition. This round, called the “Early Learning Challenge,” aims to standardize early childhood education … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Federalism, Limited Government | 4 Comments

Public employee unions: a ‘50-year mistake’?

Posted on May 20, 2011 by

Tweet Recent events in Wisconsin have caused many people to consider what role, if any, public employee unions should play in negotiations over salaries and working conditions. Though on a smaller scale, events this week in Sandy and Salt Lake … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Labor | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

The growing culture against winning

Posted on May 18, 2011 by

Tweet What is this growing culture against winning? Perhaps it’s just Utah. Maybe it’s more widespread. In either case, it seems more and more people are embracing a culture of mediocrity in life, not just sports. Maybe the broader, government-entitlement … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Family | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Head Start: a noble idea with poor results

Posted on May 9, 2011 by

Tweet The people of Utah understand families and children as well as or better than most. So it comes as no surprise that we would have a vested interest in Utah children who may be struggling at an early age. Head … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Maturation, online learning and other education tidbits

Posted on May 5, 2011 by

Tweet The Utah State Board of Education met today for its monthly meeting. Here are a few tidbits and observations from the meeting: 1. The board approved a motion to apply rules related to sex education (parental consent, local curriculum … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Legislature | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

NCLB: Waivers are good; repeal is better

Posted on May 2, 2011 by

Tweet According to a report by Education Week, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan gave states 315 waivers under No Child Left Behind (NCLB) in 2009, nine times more than his predecessor Margaret Spellings approved in 2008. This trend is … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Federalism, NCLB | Leave a comment

The War On Tiger Moms

Posted on April 29, 2011 by

Tweet This week, Sutherland’s newsletter addresses “tiger moms” and America’s education system.  It was written by Daniel E. Witte, director of Sutherland Institute’s Center for Educational Progress. You can read the first few paragraphs below and the full newsletter here. … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment