From Harvard University: https://cepr.harvard.edu/news/scary-truth-about-how-far-behind-american-kids-have-fallen Students of all ages still haven’t made up the ground they lost during the pandemic. Sometimes, panics are overblown. Sometimes, older generations are just freaking out about the youngins, as they have since time immemorial. That’s not the case, unfortunately, with kids’ learning right now, more than four years after the pandemic shuttered classrooms and disrupted the lives of millions of children. The effects were seen almost immediately, as students’ performance in reading and math began to dip far below pre-pandemic norms, worrying educators and families around … [Read more...]
Opinion: ‘We are running short on cash’
This article was published at ClarkCountyToday.com On Jan 7, 2025 Clark County residents Dick Rylander and Larry Roe offer the first of a series of columns on funding for public schools Dick Rylander & Larry Roe for Clark County Today Washington State public schools are at the center of a financial bubble and standing at the precipice of failures. As a state we have promoted the institution of public schools as the vehicle to improve our community. Pundits have jumped on board to promote platforms for advocates to suggest many education programs that will make our schools and our communities better (S.E.L.; PBIS; Common Core, DEI and other programs). Our politicians have … [Read more...]
School Choice Is Usually a Conservative Issue. Not in Kentucky
From the Free Press Oct 31, 2024. The article is long and provides in depth information about their situation...some of which may be useful to you. LOUISVILLE, KY—More Grace Christian Academy is located inside a small, run-down church in the West End, the poorest neighborhood in the biggest city in Kentucky. In 2021, at the height of Covid school closures, Cecil Blye opened the school, named after the nearby church where he serves as pastor. There are about a dozen kids, almost all black, from first through twelfth grade. By the time most of them started at the school, Blye told me, they were at least two to three grade levels behind. He said none of their parents pay the school’s $100 … [Read more...]
Changing demographics impact schools
The number of children in public schools is declining. Though the U.S. population continues to grow, the number of kids attending public K-12 schools will likely never again reach its 2019 peak. The rise of homeschooling—from around 2.8 percent of the school-aged population pre-pandemic to around 5.8 percent now (reliable statistics are hard to come by)—is a chief contributor to that decline, along with ever-decreasing birth rates. Between fall of 2019 and fall of 2030, the National Center for Public Education Statistics (NCES) projected this past February, public school enrollment will decrease by 7 percent, from 50.8 million to 47.3 million. The NCES estimates that taxpayer expenditures … [Read more...]
Louisiana passes Universal School Choice
The original article can be found at The Washington Policy Center Today the Louisiana legislature passed the LA GATOR program, offering an Education Savings Account (ESA) to all Louisiana students. The law now goes to Governor Jeff Landry, who is expected to sign. With his signature Louisiana will become the twelfth state in the nation to pass universal school choice, joining Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Utah and West Virginia. As EdChoice President and CEO Robert Enlow declared “This is an exciting moment for Louisiana families, who are no longer constrained by zip codes, but empowered to seek the best educational path for … [Read more...]
School Choice Voucher Program – Update
So which states have taken action on school vouchers? Here's what our searches have produced: https://www.ncsl.org/research/education/interactive-guide-to-school-choice.aspx Welcome to NCSL’s Interactive Guide to School Choice. School choice comes in many different forms and all 50 states plus the District of Columbia provide parents the ability to send their child to a school outside their neighborhood in some way. Charter schools, magnet schools, open enrollment programs and state turnaround districts all provide public school options to parents. School vouchers, education savings accounts and scholarship tax credit programs expand those choices to include private schools. Clicking … [Read more...]
Comparison of Private and Public Schools
From an article at ThoughtCo written by Robert Kennedy an interesting look at the pros and cons of private vs. public schools. It's important to note that there are religious private and for-profit private which have vastly different costs. Religious private have dramatically lower costs in most cases. Let's see what M. Kennedy has to say... You may be considering whether private or public schools are better options for an obtaining an education. Many families want to know more about the differences and similarities between them. Learning about what private and public schools offer can help students and parents make an educated choice. What's Taught Public schools must adhere to … [Read more...]
People Are Pulling Their Kids Out of Public Schools
Found this article. Following is the text. If you want see the original click: People Are Pulling Their Kids Out of Public Schools the author is Alex Parker A number of folks are bidding farewell to public education. According to a report by The New York Times, some states are seeing their public school students find other means. The headline says a lot: “U.S. Public School Enrollment Drops as Parents, Frustrated by Lockdown, Pull Their Children Out” Massachusetts, for one, has seen shrinkage to the tune of 37,000 kids — a 4% decrease. North Carolina’s enrollment is down by the same percentage, having begun the school year at a deficit of 5%. In the case of The Baked … [Read more...]
Rather Than Reopen, It’s Time to Rethink Government Education
During August of 2020 we are focusing on bringing information about potential changes/evolution of public schooling due to the switch by public schools from physical classrooms to virtual classrooms. The article below appeared at: https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/08/school-reopenings-rethink-public-education/ and written By CATHY RUSE & TONY PERKINS They share some interesting thoughts that will resonate with many parents (especially Christians). Give it a read. What’s that popping sound? Could it be a million figurative light bulbs clicking on above public-school parents’ heads? The vast majority of American families send their children to public schools. Only 11 … [Read more...]
Home schooling “20 years later”
I remember one of my colleagues home schooling their children over 30 years ago. It was unusual and almost "fringe". It was a struggle, frowned on by many and decried by those in public education. Materials and support were hard to find. Fast forward to 2020 and the home schooling world has evolved. Today we bring you and article from the HSLDA: https://hslda.org/content/docs/news/2019/20191001-federal-report-homeschooling-doubled-in-last-20-years.aspx?fbclid=IwAR2mc-XjnqMwKvC12vklb_yy_C7XIgv7WJ5meU2gEFzS_tiqG5bAAeabANs that walks through those changes. Give it a read. Federal Report: Homeschooling Doubled in Last 20 Years by Maggie McKneely • October 1, 2019 The first federal … [Read more...]