School Reform Again: From Pillar Back to Post
By Peter SchragThere’s nothing surprising in California’s most recent attempt to re-do California’s school accountability and rating system. The system’s problems were probably predictable a dozen years ago when it was first set up.
What’s interesting is the question of whether the sharp improvements of the past ten years on the state’s Academic Performance Index, the API, really mean anything, and if so, what.
When State Senate President pro-tem Darrell Steinberg tried to fix the system last year by de-emphasizing tests and including criteria like dropout and graduation rates, Gov. Jerry Brown shot it down, not because he liked the existing test-based regime, but because “adding more speedometers to a broken car won’t turn it into a high-performance machine.”
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11 Stories That Are Making History
By Jeanne WoodfordDeath Penalty Focus
Jeanne WoodfordOn March 1st, I participated in one of four simultaneous press conferences held across California to announce that the SAFE California Campaign would be on the November 2012 ballot. As the official proponent of the SAFE California Act, I was proud to present the 800,000 voter signatures collected by SAFE California volunteers and signature gatherers -- well above the 504,000 minimum required to qualify. (You can thank those volunteers – and everyone responsible for this achievement – using our online thank you card.)
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Cuts and Consequences - How Budget Cuts Hurt The Economy
By Dave JohnsonIs smaller government really better for the economy?
Conservatives chant that taxes and government "take money out of the economy" and we need to "cut and grow," meaning if government spending is cut way back the economy will grow as a result. Europe's conservatives are also forcing cuts in the things their governments do for regular people, claiming "austerity" will bring "confidence" that grows their economies.
How is this experiment working out? What are we learning about the effect on the larger economy when government is cut?
What Does Government Do?
Almost everything the government does is because it needs to be done. We need roads, bridges, schools and colleges, dams, courts, police and fire departments, water management, etc. (We can discuss the need for military spending another time.)
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