Month: <span>April 2012</span>

More bad news for charters

Still another study tosses cold water on the idea that charter schools are the magic solution to the country’s educational problems. In fact, charter supporters may find this one more troubling than previous studies, which basically concluded that charter schools, on average, are no better or worse than traditional public schools. The newest study, conducted […]

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Schools need more from business leaders

“Why don’t state’s business leaders stand up to Perry?” That headline on a recent Houston Chronicle column said a lot about why Texas’ public schools are struggling and, in many cases, are headed for worse financial times next year. The entire column by Patricia Kilday Hart is linked below and is well worth reading. Hart […]

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Pandering his way into a historical footnote

As I have written before, Gov. Rick Perry, the longest serving governor in Texas history, lacks a legacy, something positive for which history will remember him. Were Perry to retire today, the most enduring memory he would leave behind for the vast majority of people would be his awkward, 10second “oops” episode during a nationally […]

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Teachers, no less than legislators, deserve sound pensions

As many of you know, there likely will be an attack during next year’s legislative session on public employees’ pensions, including an effort to convert school teachers’ wellearned defined benefits pensions to riskier 401(k)type plans. This will be a continuation in Texas of the rightwing bashing of public service, and it will be promoted by […]

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