Free Republic

From a macro perspective, the most distressing aspect of America’s education system is that taxpayers spend a lot of money (more than any other people in the world, on a per-student basis) and we get very mediocre results. And it’s getting worse over time. This famous chart, prepared by my colleague Andrew Coulson, shows how spending and bureaucracy have skyrocketed since 1970 while test scores have been stagnant. Blacks and other minorities are the biggest victims. They are trapped in the worst-performing schools, largely because leftist politicians would rather curry favor with union bosses then help the poor. But I...

The man who voices the puppet of Elmo on Sesame Street has taken leave amid allegations he had a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old boy. Kevin Clash, 52, has taken a leave of absence from the popular children's show after the programme's lawyers were contacted by a 23-year-old man who claims he had a sexual relationship with the puppeteer seven years ago, when he was aged 16. TMZ, who reported the allegations, said that Mr Clash had admitted he had a relationship with the man, but only after the accuser was an adult and said the accusations were both false...

The following is from the Deer Valley, Arizona school district. Would you entrust your kid to people who speak this way? DEER VALLEY -- The Deer Valley Interest-Based Negotiation Team has created a Straw Design, basically a draft of the negotiated agreement for the 2003-2004 year. A loop-out meeting to discuss the Straw Design and hear staff and community feedback will be held Monday, June 16th in the Governing Board Room at the District Office, 20402 North 15th Avenue. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. Prior to the meeting, a copy of the Straw Design will be available on-line...

<p>It is fitting that Scottsdale schools Superintendent Barbara Erwin and other district employees recently registered as lobbyists. It is fitting because the public education establishment is more concerned with influencing legislators than educating children.</p> <p>The National School Boards Association, the American Association of School Administrators and the largest teachers union, the 2.7 million-member National Education Association, are the Big Three of public education and the most powerful lobby in the state and nation.</p>

I was in a conversation with a friend of mine about her 3rd grader's science report. He is to write a report on fingerprinting. For this report, the child is to fingerprint five individuals, per the teachers request. Not only are the parents and this child participating in the fingerprinting, but the teacher gave my friend names of classmates to be fingerprinted for this report as well. My suggestion was that they DO NOT fingerprint any child without the parents permission. Am I wrong about this? The purpose of the fingerprinting is to allow the third grade class to see...

The following letter from Bob Chase, President of the National Education Association, was sent to NHEN in response to an NHEN query about the reasoning behind the NEA's position that "home schooling programs cannot provide the student with a comprehensive education experience." [Read the entire resolution at http://www.nea.org/resolutions/00/00b-68.html] In his letter, Mr. Chase discusses the NEA's reasons for making their resolution. February 26, 2002 Dear Ms. Hardenbergh: Thank you for your recent comments about my speech at the National Press Club. I also appreciate the information on homeschooling and the National Home Education Network. The Association is very concerned about...