If You Can't Defend It, Don't Spend It
Education policy analyst Ben DeGrow joins host Amy Oliver to explain the case for Colorado school districts opening up their detailed financial records so taxpayers can search them online, as highlighted in his new issue backgrounder “Shining the Light on Colorado School Spending”. Colorado has the chance to become a national leader in online financial transparency in education.
Independent Thinking: Transparency for Colorado School Districts
Watch this 3-part YouTube replay of the January 26 episode of Independent Thinking with host Jon Caldara. Guests citizen activist Natalie Menten and Independence Institute policy analyst Ben DeGrow discuss spending transparency in Colorado school districts and pending legislation.
Financial Transparency Strengthens the Public in Public Education
Colorado has a tremendous opportunity to lead the way in making public education a more truly public enterprise by pursuing policies that promote true financial transparency.
How the State Can Save $600 Million a Year
Colorado faces a significant shortfall in the state budget. In December, legislative staff economists projected a $631 million deficit in the fiscal year 2008-09 state budget.
Charter School Building Dollars at Risk
Jim Griffin, executive director of the Colorado League of Charter Schools, makes the case why facilities grant funding for public charter schools should be preserved as promised, and not cut. As he explains, charters are already at a disadvantage with other public schools in the amount of money they receive to purchase property and take care of construction, maintenance, and renovation.
Web of Deceptions: 16 Ways RTD Deceived Voters About FasTracks
Voters should not trust anything RTD says. Instead, they should seek out alternatives that will provide far greater benefits than FasTracks at far lower costs.
Why Kids Count Can’t Count
The Colorado Children’s Campaign says Colorado’s children are in trouble. In its 2008 KidsCount in Colorado! report, the Campaign claims that “poverty is the biggest obstacle to opportunity for children, and between 2000-2006, the number of children living in poverty in Colorado increased by 73 percent—the highest increase by far of any state in the nation.”
Why Kids Count Cant Count
So how does it get a 73 percent increase? By serving up artificially low 2000 numbers.
Do Unions and Charter Schools Mix?
Recent news of the American Federation of Teachers organizing teachers in two KIPP charter schools in New York City raises the profile of the growing movement to unionize charter schools. Syndicated columnist and former Colorado education commissioner William Moloney discusses the significance of the news in the broader context of growing Democrat support for charter schools in Colorado and nationally, as well as the efforts of labor officials to advance costly and intrusive card-check legislation in Congress. The chances of academic success for many American students’ may be at stake.
Shining the Light on Colorado School Spending
In the interest of expanding public accountability and economic efficiency, Colorado school districts, charter schools, and other local public education agencies ought to follow the lead of state government by exploring online financial transparency.
Reducing Recidivism and Lowering Corrections Costs
In Colorado, recidivism is defined as “a return to prison for either new criminal activity or technical violation of parole, probation or non-departmental community placement within three years of release.” Recidivism is also a major factor in the decades worth of massive growth in the state’s prison population that taxpayers are obligated to pay for.
Smoke ’em if You Got ’em, It’s for the Children
In 2004, Coloradans overwhelmingly passed Amendment 35, a tobacco tax that helps expand state-funded health care for the working poor, the uninsured and children.
Amendment 35 also funds professional busybodies who use tax dollars to try and get people to quit smoking.
