Lance T. izumi

Commentary

Competition, Not Control, Will Improve Schools

Freedom Politics, July 30, 2009 U.S. Rep. John P. Kline, Minnesota Republican recently gained the ranking minority slot on the House Education and Labor Committee, a signal that Republicans are re-thinking their support for federal education activism in favor of local control, their old-time religion. The GOP should remember that ...
Commentary

Sweden, Universal School Choice Vouchers, and the Case for Participation by For-Profit Firms

SWEDEN, UNIVERSAL SCHOOL-CHOICE VOUCHERS, AND THE CASE FOR PARTICIPATION BY FOR-PROFIT FIRMS Speech at the Almedalan Week Seminar Sponsored by Almega Tjansteforetagen and Friskolornas Riksforbund At Visby, Sweden On July 2, 2009 By Lance T. Izumi, J.D. Koret Senior Fellow and Senior Director in Education Studies Pacific Research Institute Preface: ...
Commentary

Obama’s Voucher Plan Isn’t Enough

In order to head off a public-relations catastrophe, Barack Obama has spun a partial about-face in his opposition to the school-choice voucher program for low-income students in Washington, DC. The president’s move, however, falls far short of truly saving the program and helping the legions of disadvantaged children in the ...
Commentary

Obama’s Credibility Chasm

Barack Obama’s stubborn refusal to re-think his opposition to the school-choice voucher program in Washington, DC is further evidence, as if we need any more, that the centrist-talking candidate of 2008 was a smokescreen for the ideologically liberal now president who’s unafraid to show his true colors. Throughout the campaign ...
Commentary

Obama’s Education “Reforms”

In his first big education speech earlier this month, President Barack Obama tried to show that he is a reformer, and not a shill for the education special interests that dominate the Democratic Party. While he had a few worthwhile ideas, others sounded good until one turned to the details. ...
Commentary

School choice for more than just Obama, Gates

Bill Gates recently released his annual letter on the state of his foundation. It turns out that he, President Obama and Chicago school chief Arne Duncan, the president’s pick for education secretary, have something in common. All say that the key experience in their life was their attendance at their ...
Commentary

Sweden’s Choice

Why the Obama administration should look to Europe for a school voucher program that works. Click here to see full screen of video.
California

The Obama Stimulus, Education, and California

Now that President Obama has signed the three-quarter-of-a-trillion-dollar stimulus package, which contains $100 billion for public schools, many observers on the left and the right are concluding that the package won’t change very much in America’s underperforming government education system. The stimulus package contains various pots of money for public ...
Commentary

Obama’s Ed Plan: Hold Your Wallet, But Don’t Hold Your Breath For Better Results

Now that Barack Obama has achieved his electoral goal, he has the opportunity to solve all those problems he pointed out during the presidential campaign, when he correctly noted the poor performance of too many students in America. His proposals to address the achievement crisis, however, are not only expensive, ...
Commentary

A Lesson Plan for Republicans

Once they emerge from their electoral funk, Republicans must figure out an opposition game plan, including how to address education issues in the Obama era. A successful strategy must: pinpoint the shortcomings in policies flowing from the Democrat-controlled White House and Congress, offer a clear contrasting alternative agenda based on ...
Commentary

Competition, Not Control, Will Improve Schools

Freedom Politics, July 30, 2009 U.S. Rep. John P. Kline, Minnesota Republican recently gained the ranking minority slot on the House Education and Labor Committee, a signal that Republicans are re-thinking their support for federal education activism in favor of local control, their old-time religion. The GOP should remember that ...
Commentary

Sweden, Universal School Choice Vouchers, and the Case for Participation by For-Profit Firms

SWEDEN, UNIVERSAL SCHOOL-CHOICE VOUCHERS, AND THE CASE FOR PARTICIPATION BY FOR-PROFIT FIRMS Speech at the Almedalan Week Seminar Sponsored by Almega Tjansteforetagen and Friskolornas Riksforbund At Visby, Sweden On July 2, 2009 By Lance T. Izumi, J.D. Koret Senior Fellow and Senior Director in Education Studies Pacific Research Institute Preface: ...
Commentary

Obama’s Voucher Plan Isn’t Enough

In order to head off a public-relations catastrophe, Barack Obama has spun a partial about-face in his opposition to the school-choice voucher program for low-income students in Washington, DC. The president’s move, however, falls far short of truly saving the program and helping the legions of disadvantaged children in the ...
Commentary

Obama’s Credibility Chasm

Barack Obama’s stubborn refusal to re-think his opposition to the school-choice voucher program in Washington, DC is further evidence, as if we need any more, that the centrist-talking candidate of 2008 was a smokescreen for the ideologically liberal now president who’s unafraid to show his true colors. Throughout the campaign ...
Commentary

Obama’s Education “Reforms”

In his first big education speech earlier this month, President Barack Obama tried to show that he is a reformer, and not a shill for the education special interests that dominate the Democratic Party. While he had a few worthwhile ideas, others sounded good until one turned to the details. ...
Commentary

School choice for more than just Obama, Gates

Bill Gates recently released his annual letter on the state of his foundation. It turns out that he, President Obama and Chicago school chief Arne Duncan, the president’s pick for education secretary, have something in common. All say that the key experience in their life was their attendance at their ...
Commentary

Sweden’s Choice

Why the Obama administration should look to Europe for a school voucher program that works. Click here to see full screen of video.
California

The Obama Stimulus, Education, and California

Now that President Obama has signed the three-quarter-of-a-trillion-dollar stimulus package, which contains $100 billion for public schools, many observers on the left and the right are concluding that the package won’t change very much in America’s underperforming government education system. The stimulus package contains various pots of money for public ...
Commentary

Obama’s Ed Plan: Hold Your Wallet, But Don’t Hold Your Breath For Better Results

Now that Barack Obama has achieved his electoral goal, he has the opportunity to solve all those problems he pointed out during the presidential campaign, when he correctly noted the poor performance of too many students in America. His proposals to address the achievement crisis, however, are not only expensive, ...
Commentary

A Lesson Plan for Republicans

Once they emerge from their electoral funk, Republicans must figure out an opposition game plan, including how to address education issues in the Obama era. A successful strategy must: pinpoint the shortcomings in policies flowing from the Democrat-controlled White House and Congress, offer a clear contrasting alternative agenda based on ...
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