WCVB-TV Boston covers BHI's Big Education Study: $1.3 Billion Easily Cut From School Spending

WCVB-TV (Channel 5) on BHI's Study: $1.3 Billion Easily Cut From School Spending

It's time to revisit the foundation budget. Read the study from the Beacon Hill Institute.

BHI releases study on education spending in Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts could cut more than a billion dollars from education spending without measurably affecting the performance of public schools. This is a finding of a study released today by the Beacon Hill Institute and entitled, Why Massachusetts Should Spend Less on Education. Read more.

Complete study is available at beaconhill.org.

An embarrassment of riches

So many entries, so little time! The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics is online.

Strickland ignores successful school choice program

Here is my letter to the editor published in last Wednesday's Cleveland PlainDealer.

The June 19 article "Strickland school summit tries to ID what works" discusses Gov. Ted Strickland's desire to help Ohio's children get a good education. Yet, Strickland remains hostile to one of the highest-performing programs: school choice.
The summit is called the Governor's Institute for Creativity & Innovation in Education. Ohio already houses a creative and innovative plan for education in its EdChoice program. Studies show that school choice improves school performance and acts as an option to discourage dropping out.
If Strickland honestly wants to help Ohio's children, he must re-examine his beliefs and embrace the program that has helped education in Cleveland so much.

School Choice Introduces Competition

Here is my letter to the editor published in today's Boston Globe:

AS GOVERNOR Patrick aims to reduce the achievement gap between white and minority students in public education ("Patrick targets gaps in learning," Page A1, June 23), his Readiness Report leaves out the most effective mechanism for improving education for all students in Massachusetts: school choice.

Patrick's plan does not include proposals for a school voucher plan, an education tax credit, or lifting the cap on the number of charter schools. School choice programs have granted access to better education for students across the United States. Governor Patrick recommends creating readiness schools, but these will still fall under the supervision of local school boards, restricting their ability to create modern curricula to properly educate students for the 21st century.

The only way to bring these reforms to public education is to force public schools to compete with their counterparts in the private sector. As Americans have witnessed in the broader economy, competition breeds increased quality and variety. Why is education different?

JOHN MACEK III