Some issues just won’t go away. Despite two hundred years of debate, Americans still don’t agree about the proper relationship between government and religion. Pity poor James Madison who after writing the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights still had to take quill in hand and argue against the establishment of a state religion. But even his mighty quill was not enough. There remains a movemContinue Reading »

The changing face of public education. Since 1950, public school enrollment has increased 96 percent. In that same time, teacher employment went up 252 percent and non-teaching staff, 702 percent. (h/t Huffington post) (The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice)

Every little bit helps. The superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools has given up $35,000 in pay raises the last two yeContinue Reading »

Higher education in the presidential election. President Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney share their ideas for higher education reform. (TIME)

“You’ve never seen a tax dollar work harder.” National Teacher of the Year Rebecca Mieliwocki, during a Q&A, talks about returning esteem to the teacher profession by, in part, creating career ladders (with salary bumps) for educators. (Education WContinue Reading »

Changing standards. Fifth-graders in Pittsburgh Public Schools are delving into sixth-grade math topics, as the district makes the transition to Common Core State Standards. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

The “new” liberal arts. A call for the liberal arts to “show some spine and create a response” to the critics who say a degree in “soft studies,” like humanities and social sciences, has no Continue Reading »

That other election. Four states (Indiana, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota) will select new education chiefs next month. (Education Week)

If you want another opinion. Here’s a collection of edu-experts’ thoughts on the presidential candidates’ education plans. (Los Angeles Times)

Looking ahead to ‘13. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad will push for higher teacher salaries and a yearlContinue Reading »

Education in Election 2012. The Obama and Romney campaigns are debating this week at eduwonk.com. Just as many polls show the race as essentially even, so are the Eduwonk postings, with one apiece.

Teaming up. Fourteen school districts in one New Jersey county get together to split costs and training for a new teacher evaluation system. (Hunterdon Democrat)

“This is no time for huContinue Reading »

Long gone are the new school year resolutions. Roxanna Elden explains how teachers can avoid what she calls the “disillusionment phase” that often comes in October. (NPR)

Available, but are they practical? College net-price calculators are often too difficult for prospective students and families to find and use, according to this new report. (The Institute for College Access and SuccessContinue Reading »

Where did all the money go? Fifty years ago, Colorado funded about 98 percent of higher education costs for its state universities; today, that number is around 30 percent—and dwindling. (Denver Post)

Education (barely) in the mix. This interactive graphic shows a breakdown of education mentions at both Democratic and Republican conventions. (New York Times)

Happy birthday. 20 yeaContinue Reading »

Lots to say today about that Wisconsin representative, Paul Ryan, following the announcement that he’d join Gov. Mitt Romney on his quest for the White House this November:

What it means for education … Rick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute explains why Ryan’s nomination could make education “surprisingly significant” in this election. (Rick Hess Straight Up/EducaContinue Reading »