http://www.ediswatching.org Keeping an eye on Colorado laws, policies, and other developments that affect parents’ educational choices Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:37:50 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The kids in Denver were big winners when the local school board and teachers union headed off a potential strike at the eleventh hour. They also won when it was agreed that tense negotiations would be averted for another three years. But how well did they fare from the actual ... http://www.ediswatching.org/2008/08/compromise-boost-to-denver-procomp-accepted-now-its-time-to-ratify/ With everybody still focused on that big political party going on in Denver, and the news being generally slow, it seems like a good day to bring your attention to a potentially valuable service for parents of kids younger than I am. It's called Colorado Bright Beginnings, a non-profit group ... http://www.ediswatching.org/2008/08/colorado-bright-beginnings-a-service-for-families-with-young-children/ There's a big political party known as the Democratic National Convention going on in the heart of our state this week. Maybe you've heard of it. My parents say there's lots of crazy stuff going on there - things that I'm too young to see, things that could warp my ... http://www.ediswatching.org/2008/08/some-democrats-in-denver-are-willing-to-challenge-the-teachers-unions/ More clear, accurate, available and usable information about public education is a good thing - good for parents, teachers, policy makers, and taxpayers -- and ultimately for students like me. One good example of a step forward in this area is the Colorado Department of Education (CDE)'s new student growth ... http://www.ediswatching.org/2008/08/student-growth-model-enlightens-public-financial-transparency-next/ If you are going to enter a debate with Dr. Jay Greene over what the research on school choice says, you had better at least come in fully armed. Leo Casey, the blogger for the American Federation of Teachers, made the accusation that Greene cherry-picks evidence, but he probably wasn't ... http://www.ediswatching.org/2008/08/jay-greene-shows-again-debating-the-facts-is-a-winner-for-school-choice/ Retiring Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo - and former president of the Independence Institute (long before I was even born) - has a great piece published in today's Rocky Mountain News. Most people associate Rep. Tancredo with the issue of immigration, but his deepest roots go back into education as a ... http://www.ediswatching.org/2008/08/tom-tancredo-touts-choice-and-competition-as-education-reform-keys/ Correction: Insight School is a district choice school, not a public charter school, as originally written. The change has been reflected in this post. We apologize for any confusion caused. School is getting back into gear for most students across Colorado. An ever more popular and innovative option for parents and ... http://www.ediswatching.org/2008/08/a-glimpse-at-new-schools-insight-school-of-colorado/ Successful schools need to be highlighted, and West Denver Prep Charter School gets the appropriate treatment from Nancy Mitchell in today's Rocky Mountain News:West Denver Preparatory Charter School was born over lukewarm coffee in the basement of a church called The Pearl in a graffiti- stained neighborhood at the south ... http://www.ediswatching.org/2008/08/west-denver-prep-gets-well-deserved-attention-an-example-to-be-followed/ On its very first day of class, here's a quick update on the Early College High School at Arvada, via an email one of my friends in the Education Policy Center received from school director Sarah Brock:...First of all, due to strong community request and concern regarding the upcoming changes ... http://www.ediswatching.org/2008/08/early-college-hs-at-arvada-update/ Last week I told you about how charter schools in Aurora were getting shortchanged in a proposed bond measure. The local newspaper, the Aurora Sentinel, fired back at the charter schools with a strange and poorly informed editorial. There's no need to rehash all the places where the newspaper's editors went ... http://www.ediswatching.org/2008/08/charter-school-supporters-respond-to-weak-aurora-sentinel-arguments/