Lance T. izumi
Commentary
Big mistakes by ‘big ideas’ critic
Apostasy is always news if the apostates are well-known persons on the right, and the case of noted New York University education historian Diane Ravitch is no exception. Mrs. Ravitch, who used to support bold reforms such as school choice, is making headlines condemning those “big ideas” as bad policy. ...
Lance T. izumi
April 22, 2010
California
HOW OBAMA-ED HURTS CALIFORNIA
California’s rigorous academic content standards are one of the few bright spots on the state’s otherwise dismal education landscape. Now, however, President Obama’s drive to nationalize education could doom the standards. Created in the late 1990s, California’s math and English standards give guidance to educators regarding the grade-level knowledge and ...
Lance T. izumi
April 13, 2010
Commentary
First ObamaCare, now ObamaEd
The Daily Caller, April 12, 2010 President Obama has extended federal control over health care and is now trying to centralize education policy by imposing Washington’s dictates on states and local jurisdictions. Though aimed at improvement, the president’s agenda will weaken strong state standards, set in motion a domino effect ...
Lance T. izumi
April 12, 2010
Commentary
Where’s superman for the middle class?
The documentary “Waiting for Superman” by Oscar-winning director Davis Guggenheim, who previously directed Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth,” was a big hit at the recent Sundance Film Festival. Voted best U.S. documentary by Sundance moviegoers, Guggenheim’s film exposes the immense flaws in America’s public school system and follows the lives ...
Lance T. izumi
April 4, 2010
Commentary
Learning from Canada’s schools
Washington Times, February 23, 2010 In a speech on Canadian television touting the health care system of our northern neighbor, liberal filmmaker Michael Moore said, “It’s not that you need to become more like Americans, we need to become more Canadian-like.” If America mimicked Canadian education policy, however, Mr. Moore ...
Lance T. izumi
March 23, 2010
Commentary
Help kids win battle of the bulge
Across the country, children’s physical fitness has been placed on the front burner. First lady Michelle Obama has made childhood obesity her top priority. In Sacramento California, a major conference on physical education research was recently held at the state Capitol. The message is that fit kids not only get ...
Lance T. izumi
March 19, 2010
Commentary
Obama wants to lower the bar at schools
Orange County Register, March 9, 2010 Despite the recent news that California wasn’t chosen by the Obama administration as a finalist state for the $4 billion Race to the Top education-funding program, with its required adherence to new national standards in English and math, the state will still be forced ...
Lance T. izumi
March 9, 2010
Education
Will Education Standards Really Help Failing Schools?
During a speech to the National Governors Association, President Obama stated: I want to commend all of you for acting collectively through the National Governors Association to develop common standards that will better position our students for success.and today, Im announcing steps to encourage and support all states to transition ...
Lance T. izumi
February 26, 2010
Common Core
Why Race to the Middle?
Why Race to the Middle? First-Class State Standards Are Better than Third-Class National Standards, jointly published today by Pioneer Institute in Massachusetts and Pacific Research Institute (PRI) in California, is authored by Zeev Wurman, a Silicon Valley executive active in developing Californias standards and assessments in the mid-1990s, and Dr. ...
Lance T. izumi
February 23, 2010
California
California Focus: ‘Race to the Top’ won’t get there
Orange County Register, January 26, 2010 As California and other states scramble for shares of Barack Obama’s $4 billion pot of “Race to the Top” education funds, it’s easy to overlook the recent dagger to the heart dealt by the president and the Democratic-controlled Congress to the successful and popular ...
Lance T. izumi
January 26, 2010
Big mistakes by ‘big ideas’ critic
Apostasy is always news if the apostates are well-known persons on the right, and the case of noted New York University education historian Diane Ravitch is no exception. Mrs. Ravitch, who used to support bold reforms such as school choice, is making headlines condemning those “big ideas” as bad policy. ...
HOW OBAMA-ED HURTS CALIFORNIA
California’s rigorous academic content standards are one of the few bright spots on the state’s otherwise dismal education landscape. Now, however, President Obama’s drive to nationalize education could doom the standards. Created in the late 1990s, California’s math and English standards give guidance to educators regarding the grade-level knowledge and ...
First ObamaCare, now ObamaEd
The Daily Caller, April 12, 2010 President Obama has extended federal control over health care and is now trying to centralize education policy by imposing Washington’s dictates on states and local jurisdictions. Though aimed at improvement, the president’s agenda will weaken strong state standards, set in motion a domino effect ...
Where’s superman for the middle class?
The documentary “Waiting for Superman” by Oscar-winning director Davis Guggenheim, who previously directed Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth,” was a big hit at the recent Sundance Film Festival. Voted best U.S. documentary by Sundance moviegoers, Guggenheim’s film exposes the immense flaws in America’s public school system and follows the lives ...
Learning from Canada’s schools
Washington Times, February 23, 2010 In a speech on Canadian television touting the health care system of our northern neighbor, liberal filmmaker Michael Moore said, “It’s not that you need to become more like Americans, we need to become more Canadian-like.” If America mimicked Canadian education policy, however, Mr. Moore ...
Help kids win battle of the bulge
Across the country, children’s physical fitness has been placed on the front burner. First lady Michelle Obama has made childhood obesity her top priority. In Sacramento California, a major conference on physical education research was recently held at the state Capitol. The message is that fit kids not only get ...
Obama wants to lower the bar at schools
Orange County Register, March 9, 2010 Despite the recent news that California wasn’t chosen by the Obama administration as a finalist state for the $4 billion Race to the Top education-funding program, with its required adherence to new national standards in English and math, the state will still be forced ...
Will Education Standards Really Help Failing Schools?
During a speech to the National Governors Association, President Obama stated: I want to commend all of you for acting collectively through the National Governors Association to develop common standards that will better position our students for success.and today, Im announcing steps to encourage and support all states to transition ...
Why Race to the Middle?
Why Race to the Middle? First-Class State Standards Are Better than Third-Class National Standards, jointly published today by Pioneer Institute in Massachusetts and Pacific Research Institute (PRI) in California, is authored by Zeev Wurman, a Silicon Valley executive active in developing Californias standards and assessments in the mid-1990s, and Dr. ...
California Focus: ‘Race to the Top’ won’t get there
Orange County Register, January 26, 2010 As California and other states scramble for shares of Barack Obama’s $4 billion pot of “Race to the Top” education funds, it’s easy to overlook the recent dagger to the heart dealt by the president and the Democratic-controlled Congress to the successful and popular ...