Category Archives: Fiscal & Economic

The Sprawl of School District Activities

Posted on November 8, 2013 by axooms

The Denver Post published an Op-Ed I wrote, but did not have space for the accompanying graph.  Here it is:

Posted in Facilities, Fiscal & Economic | Leave a comment

Housing and Public Schools

Posted on June 10, 2013 by axooms

Imagine, for a moment, that the public school district of the city in which you live decided to start a program to charge families who wanted to send their kids to a specific school.  The price was pretty expensive — … Continue reading →

Posted in Engagement, Fiscal & Economic, Poverty | Tagged | 5 Comments

Colorado Education’s Little Man Complex

Posted on May 22, 2013 by axooms

Anyone who follows education policy knows that many programs are oversold. Initiatives and bills are touted as groundbreaking, landmark, and unprecedented — often well in advance of any ground broken, land marked, or precedent undone. This is generally part of … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiscal & Economic, Politics, Whimsy | 1 Comment

The Tragic Legacy of Rachel B. Noel

Posted on February 8, 2013 by axooms

This week marks the 40th anniversary of the landmark Keyes case, which was instrumental in desegregating the Denver school system. Colorado Public Radio’s enterprising Jenny Brundin has a brief but mesmerizing story that summarizes the case. Keyes was remarkable as it marked … Continue reading →

Posted in Engagement, Fiscal & Economic, Poverty, School Performance | Tagged | Leave a comment

DPS’s gifted and talented: separated or segregated?

Posted on February 4, 2013 by axooms

There was a terrific article a few weeks back in the New York Times about the demographic imbalance in the gifted and talented (G&T) programs within the public school system in New York City. The school system serves primarily students … Continue reading →

Posted in Engagement, Fiscal & Economic, Poverty | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Michael Bennet and Educational Re-Gifting

Posted on January 5, 2013 by axooms

Current United States Senator and former DPS Superintendent Michael Bennet is the subject of a Maureen Dowd column in the New York Times.  One has to overcome Dowd’s unfortunate fetish for both absurd analogy (Vail’s ski cliffs) and odd personal … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiscal & Economic, School Performance, Whimsy | Tagged | Leave a comment

Tuition subsidies: A difference of degrees

Posted on October 29, 2012 by axooms

States subsidize college for many of their residents.  Generally this has been perceived as a good trade-off: a state (and its taxpayers) benefit in a variety of ways by having a more educated populace and workforce. But with budgets under … Continue reading →

Posted in College and Career Preparation, Fiscal & Economic, Higher Education, Innovation, Teacher Compensation, Teacher Preparation | Leave a comment