Comments on: Douglas County School Board Enacts Voucher Pilot Program, Makes History

By: Colorado school district pays teachers based on merit, not seniority « Watchdog.org

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 18:48:51 +0000

[...] cut all ties with their teachers’ union. About 18 months before that, the county introduced a groundbreaking new voucher system. In spite of union criticisms, dropout rates have continuously declined, and record numbers of [...]

By: Ed is Watching » Dougco School Board Approves Choice Program: Looking Back One Year Later

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 17:55:10 +0000

[...] you believe it was one year ago today that the Douglas County Board of Education voted to adopt the groundbreaking Pilot Choice [...]

By: Peoples Press Collective | Colorado Politics | Please Ask First Before Using Students as Props for a Statewide Tax Hike :

Wed, 18 May 2011 17:31:34 +0000

[...] the Douglas County school board or district staff use students in any such fashion to promote the groundbreaking new choice scholarship program? With or without parental [...]

By: Ed is Watching » Please Ask First Before Using Students as Props for a Statewide Tax Hike

Wed, 18 May 2011 17:05:45 +0000

[...] the Douglas County school board or district staff use students in any such fashion to promote the groundbreaking new choice scholarship program? With or without parental [...]

By: GoBash.org » Blog Archive » GOOD News: Douglas County Adopts Groundbreaking Pilot Voucher Program

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:27:09 +0000

[...] a week for parental choice and school reform in Colorado. As reported at Ed Is Watching, the Board of Education for Colorado’s third largest school district voted unanimously on [...]

By: Ed is Watching » Many Interesting Angles to Watch as Douglas County Voucher Pilot Rolls Out

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 20:20:04 +0000

[...] a little hometown Colorado bias at work here, but in my mind Douglas County vouchers is the education story of the year. I hope you didn’t think the story was essentially over once the Board adopted the program a [...]

By: Ed is Watching » Studies Show Vouchers Help Kids, Schools; What About Research of Douglas County?

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 17:36:55 +0000

[...] suggestion for the next place to study? Douglas County, here in our own Front Range backyard, which launched a local pilot voucher program just last [...]

By: Eddie

Eddie — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 15:37:50 +0000

Thanks, Janet. I read Ravitch’s book and attended a Q & A event last spring here in Denver where she discussed her book. I’m not sure we can say her book does anything “objectively.” It’s a different perspective, to be sure, and raises some interesting questions. But ultimately it left me shrugging my shoulders and scratching my head. Example: She says charter schools are a bad / unnecessary reform, and that we need to return to enriching the curriculum through a strong focus on cultural literacy, etc. Here in Colorado the vast majority of schools that have made the move to the Core Knowledge / cultural literacy focus indeed have been charter schools.

For a more thorough critique of Ravitch’s book, I recommend this post and the accompanying links — a 5-part series by Stuart Buck, a University of Arkansas doctoral fellow: http://jaypgreene.com/2010/04/09/ravitch-is-wrong-week-day-5/

By: Janet Fichter

Janet Fichter — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 17:56:47 +0000

May I highly recommend Diane Ravitch’s book, “The Death and Life of the Great American School System.” She objectively tackles the issues of accountability, testing and school choice as she recounts how her own views about them have changed. It is worth reading to broaden your perspective on the dangers of school choice.

I’m neutral about school choice; but as a public school teacher, I applaud her tackling the lack of perspective involved in the accountability and testing movement. I live for the day when we can show student academic achievement in a broader, more reflective way. We need to give parents and society a more authentic view of what their children are learning.

Please join me in doing what you can to change the high stakes testing movement in public education. Thank you,
A public servant who loves America’s children.