Education Policy

Source: Heritage Foundation

Date: 5/22/2023

Education Freedom and Work Opportunities as Catalysts for Increasing the Birth Rate Among Married Couples

Pursuing new, commonsense approaches to education reform and work-family policies, from childcare and early education through higher education and workforce flexibility, will foster the conditions for family flourishing and increase birth rates for married couples. Affordable childcare from a variety of providers, including at-home options, access to high-quality K-12 education that reflects a family's values, a higher education landscape that provides numerous routes to upward mobility, and flexible work arrangements will give couples the confidence that they can have the number of children they desire. Public policy should support families as they form and grow, and can do so through reducing government regulatory overreach, directly funding students instead of institutions, and by removing barriers to a flexible workforce. Ultimately, these reforms will support couples as they raise their children to become productive members of a free society.

Think Again: Do Charter Schools Drain Resources From Traditional Public Schools?

Source: Thomas B. Fordham Institute

Reviewed by: Huriya Jabbar, University of Texas at Austin

The report references most of the relevant literature and fairly assesses the evidence. However, it makes claims and policy recommendations that are untested empirically and unwarranted based on the research. For example, it concludes that districts' higher expenditures in a charter environment are due to policies protecting traditional public schools from revenue fluctuations caused by charter competition. In doing so, it fails to consider other possible explanations, such as charters strategically enrolling relatively few students who are particularly costly to educate.

The Source Code: Revenue Composition and the Adequacy, Equity, and Stability of K-12 School Spending

By: Bruce D. Baker, Matthew Di Carlo, and Zachary W. Oberfield; Albert Shanker Institute

The Albert Shanker Institute has a new report that studies the sources of school funding, from local property tax to state tax collections, to determine what makes both equitable and stable school funding sources.

Teach Truth Day of Action June 10

By: Zinn Education Project

Learning for Justice is proud to once again co-sponsor the Teach Truth Day of Action coordinated by Zinn Education Project, Black Lives Matter at School and the African American Policy Forum. This year's day of action is set for June 10. We encourage educators, students, parents, caregivers and community members to rally across the country and pledge to teach truth and defend LGBTQ+ rights.

Several states look to roll back letter grading systems for schools

By: Anna Merod, K-12 Dive

Recent state legislative moves show momentum might be gaining to roll back grading systems in statewide accountability measures.

State Support for Civic Engagement

By: Charlie Thompson, Learning Policy Institute

This report From the Learning Policy Institute describes how 10 states are implementing policies that increasingly support a new approach to civics education that engages students in inquiry, civic reasoning, and civic action.

Ed Dept cracks down on book removal process by Georgia district

By: Naaz Modan, K-12 Dive

In one of the first settled cases of its kind, the U.S. Department of Education has found Georgia's Forsyth County Schools' process of removing library books discriminated against students based on sex and race, violating both Title IX and Title VI.

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