Unhappy Birthday
Today the No Child Left Behind Act turns six, and even as President Bush and other supporters sing “Happy Birthday,” the time has come to blow out the candles on ...
A David Among Goliaths
Almost the instant last Sunday’s final Elite Eight game ended, sportswriters started pounding out terms like “powerhouses” and “titans” to describe the teams remaining in this year’s NCAA basketball tournament. ...
They’re All Federal Educators Now
For decades, conservatives stood against big-government intrusions into American education. They defended local control of schooling, championed parental choice, and pushed to abolish the federal Department of Education. But then, ...
Obesity Threat
American higher education is getting dangerously fat. Unfortunately, the federal government’s idea of a diet is to feed colleges more and cut back on their exercise.
The signs of bloat are ...
Public Choices
It’s back-to-school time, and many of the adults trying to run American education have a lot to learn. They ought to start by memorizing a simple formula: increased federal funding ...
Chartless
“Dracula landlords.” If you lived near New York City in the late ’80s or early ’90s, you no doubt heard about them: cruel tenement owners who refused to provide even ...
Schoolyard Promises
In elementary schools, there is a popular strategy kids use to get other children to do things for them: bribery. “I’ll be your best friend” and “I’ll invite you to ...
No Federal Failure Left Behind
No matter how you look at it, federal involvement in education has been a failure. Nonetheless, with the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), the federal presence is getting bigger, ...
Primary-Level Complaints
“D.C. School Voucher Applications Fall Short,” read the front-page headline in the June 11 Washington Post. According to the article, only 1,200 low-income children would be provided with vouchers through ...
I Could Make a Living…
All last week, John Kerry was playing the rock star, touring college campuses on his “Change Starts With U Campus Tour 2004.” It wasn’t just a gimmick–each stop featured performances ...