People in Washington rarely like to admit they’ve been surprised. “I heard that last week,” they will often say when some bombshell hits the newspaper.

Denizens of think tanks also don’t like surprises. After all, their job is to stay in close touch with what’s happening and what’s on the horizon.

Still, there were some surprises for our WashingContinue Reading »

A couple weeks ago, when the Romney campaign unveiled its education plan, I predicted that it would quickly be characterized as a voucher program because it dares to include private schools in its choice proposals. Sure enough, in its first major story about the Romney plan, the nation’s newspaper of record, The New York Times, did just that on Tuesday.

It was no small task. The Continue Reading »

In recent posts on The Quick and The Ed, Education Sector staff members have discussed the downsides of Romney’s recently announced school choice plan.  Policy Analyst Anne Hyslop argued that with school choice, a student’s educational opportunities will depend on the engagement and capabilities of the parent, as well as the luck of the lottery.  Under Romney’s plan, students with unengaged or Continue Reading »

The 2012 Scripps National Spelling Bee began preliminary rounds today, so here are some appropriately themed Quick Hits to satisfy those who would lose (let’s face it) to a six-year-old.

F-e-a-r-l-e-s-s. Lori Anne Madison, the youngest qualifier for the national contest, isn’t stressed about competition as she sailed through the second round today. (Washington Post)

Clearly,Continue Reading »

To create jobs, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney wants to cut taxes on “job creators” and generally get the government out of the way. But many manufacturers around the country say the jobs are already there. What’s missing are the skilled workers to fill them. So is cutting the government out really the answer? In at least one case, in Charlotte, N.C., governmentContinue Reading »

Ostensibly, the recent debate over the federal budget was about dollar amounts that are trivial compared to the size of the deficit and the structural mismatch between revenues and government services. But what’s really on the table is the balance between the private and public sectors in American life. Even the most ardent Republicans (save for some radical Libertarians) recognize that the govContinue Reading »