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Home » News & Analysis » Commentary (Page 6)
July 8, 2020
The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue is a victory for education opportunity and excellence. Issuing one of its final decisions for the 2019-2020 session, the Court on June 30 ruled that a provision in Montana’s Constitution which had the effect of denying parents the choice of attending religious schools is discriminatory and violates the free exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution. Commonly called a “Blaine Amendment,” such provisions have existed in 37 state constitutions. The Espinoza decision portends the beginning of their demise. Read more »
July 2, 2020
Prayers of thanks, huzzahs and hoorays are being heard across the country since the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court June 30 that it is unconstitutional to discriminate against parents simply because they choose to send their children to a religious school. Wrote Chief Justice John Roberts in the 5-4 majority opinion in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, “Drawing on ‘enduring American tradition,’ we have long recognized the rights of parents to direct ‘the religious upbringing’ of their children.” Read more »
June 5, 2020
It’s hard to believe, but an A rated school in Albuquerque, New Mexico for over four years - only one of 13% of schools in the state with that distinction - has been denied an expansion to serve the 1,000 students on the waiting list. Even in a time of Covid, and uncertainty over schooling, more than 1,000 parents trust that the Mission Achievement and Success Charter School (MAS) will serve their children well, no matter the environmental factors we face today. Read more »
May 18, 2020
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, using discretion written into the coronavirus stabilization law, is using millions of dollars to pursue long-sought policy goals that Congress has blocked. New York Times | May 15, 2020By Erica Green, correspondent in Washington who covers the U.S. Department of Education and Secretary Betsy DeVos, focusing on higher education policy, educational equity […] Read more »
May 13, 2020
Forbes | May 12, 2020By Jeanne Allen, Founder and CEO of CER Amid the shutdown, public school students now limited to their homes have become entirely dependent on the decisions of their districts to enable education to be delivered “where” they currently sit. Many districts did indeed begin full-service education for students. Not surprisingly, most […] Read more »
May 6, 2020
Forbes | May 5, 2020By Jeanne Allen, Founder and CEO of CER With the doors to most of K12 and higher education shut for the rest of the academic year and beyond, it’s time to implement a dramatically different way of educating our nation’s youth, and make it stick. We can’t allow our kids to […] Read more »
April 10, 2020
Forbes | April 9, 2020By Jeanne Allen, Founder and CEO of CER It was a simple statement I made on Twitter after seeing some less-than-nice comments about a parents’ ability to do education at home. “Every family has the capacity to educate their children.” It elicited many responses, some in agreement; others, not so sure: […] Read more »
April 3, 2020
Forbes | April 2, 2020By Jeanne Allen While the impact of the pandemic on education doesn’t have an official start date in the United States, by March 11th, many of Washington state’s schools, including in Seattle, were closed for business. Meanwhile in neighboring Northshore, Washington, whose schools had closed a week earlier out of precaution, […] Read more »
March 31, 2020
With Schools Closed, Kids With Disabilities Are More Vulnerable Than Ever NPR | March 27, 2020 With school closed, Marla Murasko begins her morning getting her 14-year-old son, Jacob, dressed and ready for the day. They have a daily check-in: How are you doing? How are you feeling? Next, they consult the colorful, hourly schedule […] Read more »
March 16, 2020
Forbes | March 13, 2020By Jeanne Allen Every challenge is an opportunity, they say. I’ve been thinking about the impact of the coronavirus, and the kinds of tools and services that could be focused on ensuring that students don’t miss a beat in their learning. COVID-19 has brought home the reality  that education technology that […] Read more »