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America’s K–12 schools have undergone a massive shift over the past two months because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools, teachers and students are doing many things today that they were not doing—or even planning for—on March 1. So far, a lot has been written, webinar-ed and Zoomed during this time. To keep up with the […]
Public pension plans in the United States face about $1 trillion in investment losses due to the COVID-19 recession, according to a recent report by Moody’s. Before the COVID-19 recession hit, states already faced more than $1 trillion in unfunded liabilities. This situation does not bode well for states, school districts and certainly teachers. In […]
K-12 education historically has been insulated from recessions, but the fallout from COVID-19 will strain state and district budgets and leave lawmakers and other public officials struggling to figure out financial solutions for years to come. Policymakers will be hard-pressed to find solutions to these challenges, but the answer is not growing the traditional system, […]
The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting all of our lives in unique ways. Our team has been adapting some of our work to be more responsive to the extraordinary times we are living in right now. One of our goals is to inform policymakers, stakeholders and the public about school choice programs and to better understand […]
Much attention has rightly been paid to American families across the nation who continue to help their children learn at home during this pandemic. When will schools go back? Will they even go back in the fall, and what will that look like? Our economy—with one in five American workers currently out of a job—has […]
Despite strong public support for the program, Ohio lawmakers froze the state’s Educational Choice (EdChoice) Scholarship Program for one year. Alterations to private school choice programs were not at the top of mind for most state legislatures by the time the COVID-19 pandemic swept the country, but the EdChoice Scholarship was a major agenda item […]
Are vouchers effective? Do kids need to be in small classes? Are charter schools helping or hurting? Whether it’s lawmakers debating a new education reform program or journalists framing up a story about a new policy at a local school, there’s one question that always comes up: What does the research say? Research is one […]
Last week, the federal government approved $2 trillion (I’ve never actually typed that out before, it’s a big number—let it sink in) in stimulus dollars to help individuals and organizations through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Of that, $349 billion is allocated to the Payroll Protection Program, which is the […]
When I present on what education savings accounts (ESAs), vouchers and tax-credit scholarships are and how they work, I always try to start with one big request: Raise your hand if you know someone who has used a school choice program. There are usually no hands in the air at that point except my own. […]
“If my child attends a school of choice, can I get help with transportation?” This is an incredibly common question amongst parents interested in taking advantage of inter-district enrollment programs, charter schools, or private school choice programs. They want to send their child to a different school, but they cannot get them there on their […]