A weekly report on education news and commentary you won’t find anywhere else — from the nation’s leading voice on education innovation and opportunity.

POLICIES CONGRESS SHOULD ADOPT...RETURN OF THE POD PEOPLE… THE BATTLE OVER “SCHOOL”....

SHOW US THE MONEY. Six weeks have now passed since the CARES Act appropriated $13 billion for K - 12 schools, yet only 2 percent of that has been drawn down. This is frankly scandalous.

Read CER’s new Four Freedoms Policy Agenda to get the relief — and the schools working...today

WISDOM IN THE GRANITE STATE. New Hampshire Governor John Sununu is not letting his state’s CARES money sit idle. He is using it for its intended purpose, helping all Granite State students attend schools this fall. If only all the governors could put politics aside for just a moment and follow Sununu’s example of doing what is right for the kids.

POD GENERATION. A new generation of “pod people” — much nicer than those in the 50’s film “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” — is appearing in response to COVID. Parents are teaming up to provide “learning pods” in different homes on different days of the week, while assuring that quality education takes place. Recent examples of what innovative thinking can do come from Kansas City, Los Angeles and Denver. This is also producing a demand for teachers, or qualified professionals with subject matter expertise, who are looking for work alternatives.

BEACH BAG BOOK GIVEAWAY. Feed the mind while relaxing (a little) this summer before the world changes again. CER’s Beach Bag Book giveaway gives you a chance to not only build up that book bag this summer but to get informed and entertained without doing a lot of work.

CER’s experts will personally curate your education reading material this summer from amidst a library of books you won’t easily find anywhere. Operators are standing by!

TO OPEN OR NOT TO OPEN. The debate rages on. Let’s be clear. We believe that this remains a local decision — as Dr. Anthony Fauci has argued, the epidemic varies everywhere — and we believe choices must be at the heart of every decision a parent or teacher makes, whether to go in person, online, a combo or somewhere else entirely different. But we do not believe this is a time to play politics. Alas, would that we had a magic wand. Here’s just a sampling of the news playing out across the country.

From today’s Wall Street Journal an editorial explaining how unions are using COVID and their conditions for opening schools as "political extortion".
Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with its views why it is urgent and vital to students' health that schools re-open.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem highlights that science shows not going to schools hurts kids much worse than COVID.
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan obviously agrees with the CDC and fellow Governor Kristi Noem.
Our own Jeanne Allen has been much in demand by the media. Buckle up and read her latest on these topics.
It was announced that a majority of schools on military bases plan to open for in-person learning.
Our neighbors to the north present a clear example of successfully opening schools amid the COVID crisis.

INNOVATION CONTINUES AT CHARTERS. To close on some good news, schools in Wisconsin, Colorado and Nevada show the power of creative thinking and the freedom to do what best fits their local situation with successful navigation of the COVID crisis.

Wow — it’s August already. Labor Day is bearing down on us with more than the usual angst and stress of “back to school” concerns. That’s inescapable. But we hope you can take a little time this month to relax and, as we try to do every day, count our blessings.

To help at least a little, here’s an American icon — Louis Armstrong — on the wonderful world we have. And as always — let us know if we can be of assistance to you in any way.

Founded in 1993, the Center for Education Reform aims to expand educational opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans — particularly our youth — ensuring that conditions are ripe for innovation, freedom and flexibility throughout U.S. education.