As with many of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet appointments to date, there has been significant controversy over his pick for Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos. DeVos is a staunch advocate of school choice programs and believes that the privatization of education through voucher programs and the expansion of charter schools will help children from low-income families who are trapped in failing schools.
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DeVos doesn’t deserve to be criticized for supporting worthwhile, effective school reforms. There are millions of American families who desperately wish that their children could attend a different school. Donald Trump’s secretary of education nominee, Betsy DeVos, wants to give them that option, while all too many on the left would like to preserve the educational status quo. School reform is a complex and multi-faceted issue, but there is at least one relatively clear divide between left and right: With few exceptions, the Left wants to improve and reform American education by doubling down on financial, moral, and intellectual support for public schools with a unionized work force; DeVos and other conservative reformers, by contrast, want to improve and reform education by introducing market competition and giving families as many viable educational options as possible.
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Jacob Branum is graduating from high school in June, and the Memorial-area teen is headed off to University of Texas at Austin in the fall to study Kinesiology or Nutrition Science, he hasn't settled on one just yet. His trajectory may sound typical, but his path there was anything but. The 17-year-old is a student at Texas Online Prepatory Academy where he's taken 100 percent of his high school courses online, and before that was home schooled with is older sister by their mother.
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MADISON, Wis.–()–Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has officially proclaimed Jan. 22-28 as “School Choice Week” for the Badger State. He joins 14 other governors and more than 500 mayors and county leaders nationwide who have issued similar proclamations in their states and cities.
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According to a recent Forbes article, online learning is still just getting started as an industry. Forbes also made a prediction that a ‘new world of curation and collaboration tools’ will be coming this year. Just imagine the effect on education.
At a time when there is a widely-reported international digital skills gap, online learning could offer many flexible options for those who need it. According to SAP recruitment specialists Eursap, digital skills have become more significant due to a saturated job market. This means it’s becoming more important for candidates to distinguish themselves.
In order to get the best training and truly specialise in a subject, it will be crucial for individuals to understand what learning environment works best for them. Knowing whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert will be extremely useful.
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With Republicans now controlling the governorships and legislatures in 25 states, the prospect for a conservative revolution is stronger than at any time in my lifetime. I am hopeful that Republicans in Washington will seize this opportunity to shift power and money back to the states, heeding the Tenth Amendment and fully harnessing the benefits of federalism. The state laboratories of government should have ample chance to innovate with scores of new ideas and policies to spark economic growth and improve education to lift people out of poverty and lift up the middle class.
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President-elect Trump has selected a longtime champion of school choice, Betsy DeVos, as the next secretary of education. DeVos will bring renewed attention to education policy in 2017, providing hope for parents across the country who don't want their child's educational options dictated by their zip code.
The 2016 election showed that educational freedom is a priority for voters and their families. Of the 121 state-level candidates supported by the American Federation for Children, a pro-school choice organization chaired by DeVos until her selection was announced, 108 won their elections.
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Centre’s Kansas Online Learning Program, now is in its seventh year, has benefited the district’s traditional classes, coordinator Vickie Jirak told the Centre school board Monday.
“When I went through the numbers, I was on a natural high,” she said. “Virtual has paid for itself and helped our brick and mortar.”
In the program’s first five years, the district received $5,000 from the state for each student enrolled on Sept. 20. Enrollment ranged from 23.7 in 2010-’11 to 282.8 in 2014-’15.
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(UNDATED) - As 2017 promises to bring new growth to educational opportunity around the country, tens of millions of parents, teachers, students, citizens and community leaders are planning celebrations during National School Choice Week.
Locally St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School and the Bedford Chamber of Commerce are participating.
21,392 independently-planned events will take place from January 22-28 including pep rallies, science fairs, school tours, policy forums, and rallies in more than 25 state capitals. These celebrations will be attended by tens of millions of Americans in all 50 states over just seven days.
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RACINE — The deadline for those who would like to sign up for the Racine Unified School District School Choice program is Sunday, Jan. 15. Current and new students to the Racine Unified School District can apply for school choice.
School Choice an opportunity to apply for enrollment into one of Racine Unified School District’s magnet, charter or alternative schools or a school that is not your boundary school.
Families can apply for School Choice online at www.rusd.org/district/enrollment or visit the Racine Unified School District Welcome Center, 3109 Mount Pleasant St., from 7:30 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Current Racine Unified School District families will be required to log on to the Parent Portal. Those who do not have an Infinite Campus access code (GUID) may visit any Racine Unified School District school to pick it up.