'Florida tax credit analysis finds participant gains'

"A careful analysis of test score gains by David Figlio of Northwestern University has found a modest but statistically significant gains for Florida tax credit students," Matt Ladner reports. "Money quote from the study, with a definite echo of previous random assignment studies: 'These differences, while not large in magnitude, are larger and more statistically significant than in the past year’s results, suggesting that successive cohorts of participating students may be gaining ground over time.'"

School choice not only helps children

It helps taxpayers.

'School choice gains traction'

And not a moment too soon, says Acton Institute research fellow Kevin E. Schmiesing, because the education and formation of children is too important to be left to the government.

'Bullying a top concern at Tulsa-area schools'

Data collected by the Oklahoma State Department of Education show that "bullying is the greatest day-to-day threat to students' safety and security in Tulsa County's largest school districts -- Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Jenks, Owasso, and Union," the Associated Press reports.

Just one more reason many of us are choosing to follow the lead of Horace Mann, the father of the public school system.

'School choice is here to stay'

"Since the 2010 elections," Dick Komer writes in The Wall Street Journal, "the teachers union backlash has been stopped in its tracks."

'Shovel more dollars into the jaws of failure'

"Beyond the lack of education in what's most important—our knowledge of God—slouches a frequent lack of education in what's needed to get a good job," Marvin Olasky writes.

The 10-year-old No Child Left Behind (NCLB) plan was supposed to help children stuck in bad public schools. The bipartisan deal that greased its passage gave liberals what they wanted, a huge increase in dollars from taxpayers. It was supposed to give conservatives a way to demand that schools push their students to become proficient in reading and math.

After a decade, it looks like NCLB proponents snookered conservatives. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan acknowledges that 80,000 of the nation's 100,000 public schools could be declared failing this fall—so he wants to dumb down the passing grade. He's like the corrupt teacher who sees 80 percent of his students fail, and gives them C's anyway. Duncan says grades of F will demoralize public-school administrators and teachers, but what about the students who are demoralized now, or will be once they graduate without adequate skills?

Olasky concludes, "The status quo is broken, the NCLB fix hasn't worked, and the alternative proposal we're hearing is: Shovel more dollars into the jaws of failure."

Jeb Bush says ESAs a 'game changer'

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush recommended to Gov. Rick Scott that he push for Education Savings Accounts, saying ESAs "will be a game changer for the country." He also suggested that Gov. Scott should consider selling the Florida Virtual School.

The year of school choice

In the March issue of OCPA Perspective, Greg Forster pronounced it likely that "we're on the cusp of yet another huge expansion of choice."

Turns out he was right.

Jenks indigence watch

A new 80,000-square-foot, $22 million facility features a 120-seat planetarium and a two-story greenhouse, the Tulsa World's Kim Archer reports.

This is getting a little out of hand

"This makes it nineteen (19) high-quality empirical studies finding school choice improves public schools," Greg Forster writes, "and zero (0) studies finding it harms public schools."

'Online schooling seeing explosive growth in Oklahoma'

Good reporting from the Tulsa World's Andrea Eger.

'You may have to hurt the kids now to help them for the future'

As I pointed out this spring in The Oklahoman, public education is being redefined. And there are some people who are not coping well with the reality de novo.

One example is the retired Oklahoma educator Edwin Vineyard, who says would-be pension reformers in the Oklahoma legislature probably "should die and go straight to hell." (Who knew liberals even believed in hell?) Another example comes from a group called Save Our Schools. Read the comments yourself and tell me if the members don't remind you of horse-and-buggy drivers, vaguely aware (and fearful) that Henry Ford is cooking up something down the street, but not really sure what to do about it.

Of course, one option is to "hurt the kids." As one member wrote:

I know I am a retired teacher and are behind the times, but I remember when we got thousands of teachers to take off (Blue Flu) to go to the Capitol to show support for State Question 1017. It was enacted. I appreciate all the teachers concerns, but with the present Republican controlled Government, the only way to get them to listen is to do something that will hurt them. I can promise you that not 1 letter from teachers is even read as Claudia's efforts have proven. Using the polls won't do any good because there are too many conservative voters. Some kind of work slow down or stoppage to put the school districts in jeopardy of failing (A,B,C,D,F). If school districts start failing by this ridiculous process and losing funding, the parents (or voters) will get something done. Teachers have no power whatsoever politically in Oklahoma. You have to use what you have and that is that you still control the classroom. I hate to say this, but you may have to hurt the kids now to help them for the future. How could teachers be demonized any worse. I think it is to the point that you will have to risk your jobs to get action. We were told not to go the Capitol for 1017, but did any way. Time for acting, not talking or you are going back 50 years. I know I am going to get hammerd, so please be gentle.