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Center for Education Policy |
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Dear Colleague,
Welcome back. We are excited to share the latest from The Heritage Foundation’s Center for Education Policy.
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The Heritage Foundation Releases 2023 Education Freedom Report Card
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Education remains a top priority for millions of American families, and parents should be empowered to choose a safe and effective education for their children. In its continuing efforts to help every child achieve the American Dream, The Heritage Foundation has released the second edition of its Education Freedom Report Card to promote education freedom in each state.
The report card measures four categories (Education Choice, Teacher Freedom, Transparency, and Return on Investment) that encompass more than two dozen discrete factors.
In this 2023 edition of the Education Freedom Report Card, Florida remains the top-ranked state across the board. Florida lawmakers have once again expanded education freedom and promoted parents’ rights while creating a laudable return on investment for taxpayers.
The Heritage Foundation is also pleased to recognize the states that made the most significant gains since last year, beginning with Iowa.
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Access the 2023 Education Freedom Report Card here.
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Season 2 of the Heritage Foundation's School Board Training is Officially Live!
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The Heritage Foundation released Season 2 of its School Board Training Series to equip new members. The series provides school board members with the tools, knowledge, and resources they need to succeed in their roles on the board.
Designed for busy board members and parents, this training is available on demand to learn at your own pace and convenience.
View the Season 2 training sessions here.
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Commentary from our Experts on the Latest Education News
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The Boston Herald, Lindsey Burke
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Public schools don’t have a teacher shortage problem. They have a problem with the misallocation of abundant resources. Reorient the focus to hiring and rewarding excellent teachers who can be assured they — and their students — spend their days in safe and orderly schools. Lindsey Burke explains that only then can "public education begin a long-overdue process of academic improvement and renewal."
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City & State PA, Giana DePaul and Madison Marino
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Pennsylvania has experienced high tensions in the education debate this past year. Every child in the Commonwealth deserves an extraordinary education. And their parents know best what they need. Giana DePaul and Madison Marino assert, "Pennsylvanians should settle for nothing less than universal ESAs that ensure every parent and student has access to a robust and competitive education."
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Fox News, Mike Gonzalez and Lindsey Burke
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Americans are finally catching on that the oppressor-oppressed narrative being taught in our schools and universities is not a conspiracy theory disseminated by conservatives. It’s real. Mike Gonzalez and Lindsey Burke explain that "Jewish students having to barricade themselves in a college to escape a mob in Manhattan, of all places, has opened people’s eyes to the threat woke ideology represents to civilization."
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National Review, Jonathan Butcher
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Administrators at schools such as Carnegie Mellon should notice how lawmakers are disassembling DEI programs at other schools. Jonathan Butcher warns officials: "Courts and federal investigators have not been kind to schools that issue policies based on obscure language. Universities can close the offices willingly, after the embarrassing press release that follows a defeat in court, or following a drop in fundraising. In any case, the departments will not stand."
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Washington Examiner, Kevin Roberts and Lindsey Burke
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Parents should be in the driver's seat of their children's education. Yet right now, too many families are confined to a system that doesn’t align with their values or the specific needs of their children. Kevin Roberts and Lindsey Burke write, "Iowa is among those states breaking away from the monopoly enjoyed by the education establishment. Their road map is now available for more states to follow."
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The Federalist, Jonathan Butcher
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We laugh hardest when we know what we’re laughing at, whether it’s ourselves, someone else, or the culture around us. Those familiar with Burr’s criticisms of woke sensibilities during his stand-up routines won’t be disappointed in “Old Dads.” Jonathan Butcher explains, "Audiences may find a laugh, but those looking for meaning in the absurdity will have to go elsewhere."
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Washington Times, Jay Greene
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Universities are not in the education business. They are in the misty-eyed nostalgia business. A key part of their revenue consists of donations from aging alumni whose fond memories of late nights with good buddies and first loves to serve as a sort of fountain of youth. Jay Greene articulates, "But this misty-eyed nostalgia business model is in danger of disruption by scores of student groups at universities across the country endorsing or rationalizing, in the name of 'decolonization,' the atrocities being committed by Hamas."
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Heritage Experts in the Media
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Heritage expert Jonathan Butcher explains that community colleges offer high school students, graduates, and adults academic opportunities and career training. Yet community colleges have long reported dismal completion rates. Educators should focus on improving student outcomes, not diverting attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. No evidence exists that DEI programs improve student learning or help two-year college students earn a degree. DEI offices introduce nonacademic and even sexually explicit functions, such as drag shows, to campus and likely conflict with the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision against racial preferences in college admissions. Community college leaders should close their DEI offices and redirect school spending to programs specifically designed to improve student outcomes.
Read the full backgrounder here.
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