Every state requires public school teachers to be “certified,” and most of that certification runs through a university school of education. New research by TPPF’s Kate Bierly asks a simple question: is that credential actually worth anything? The answer, backed by decades of data, is no. Teacher training used to happen in “normal schools.” The practical, two-year...
The 86th Texas Legislature sought to enhance public debt transparency through the creation of Voter Information Documents (VID). However, this instrument is not accurately providing debt amounts and needs reform. Key points: Governments are manipulating the VID methodology to deny voters accurate tax impact estimates. Many VIDs are dissimilar, making comparative analysis challenging. There is...
A few weeks ago, I received a call from a very frustrated friend. She is exactly the kind of teacher every parent hopes their child gets. She is dedicated, thoughtful, and has high expectations for her students. The issue that prompted her call was not a disagreement over curriculum or school resources, but ice cream....