What is Going On? Cases Rise and Oregon Schools Open
By Helen Doran “What is going on?” That’s what many Oregon parents are…
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Poll Shows Support for Parents to Use State Education Funding for School Choice
By Kathryn Hickok A RealClear Opinion poll released at the end of September…
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I was homeschooled. Here is why I support school choice.
By Helen Doran Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, many parents now find themselves…
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Achieving Equity: Oregon Students Deserve a Money-Back Guarantee
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. On September 21, 2020, Oregon’s Senate heard policy proposals…
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Emancipate the Students
By John A. Charles, Jr. The state legislature is seeking policy proposals for…
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Oregon Students Deserve Stability
By Helen Doran Oregon guidelines for the 2020 fall semester have been remarkably…
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A Money-Back Guarantee for Oregon Students
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Oregon public school students are not likely to return…
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School Choice Means Equitable Funding
By Cooper Conway Last week, the United States officially surpassed 4 million documented…
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COVID-19 is limiting classroom access; it’s time to stop limiting Oregon’s online charter school enrollment
By Cooper Conway The Oregon Education Association (OEA) recently penned a letter to legislators urging…
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Coronavirus Shouldn’t Stop Learning
By Cooper Conway On March 16, Governor Kate Brown directed Oregon schools to…
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Supreme Court Upholds Parents’ Right to Choose Religious Schools
By Kathryn Hickok The U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 30 in Espinoza v….
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Supporting Students, Not Systems, Is Social Justice
By Cooper Conway George Floyd’s tragic death has led to growing calls for…
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To Meet Kids’ Urgent Education Needs, Oregon Should Give Parents a “Money-Back Guarantee” Through School Choice
By Kathryn Hickok School choice has been increasing in popularity with parents for…
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Education Savings Accounts Are an Innovative Way to Provide Flexible, Safe K-12 Options
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. The COVID-19 pandemic has wrecked state and local budgets….
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School Choice Can Help Solve K-12 Social Distancing Challenges
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. The COVID-19 pandemic has wrecked education budgets. And, it’s…
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Flexibility and Students’ Needs Should Drive Education Options in 2020
By Kathryn Hickok Oregon’s experience with COVID-19 will change the ways students in…
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Portland’s homeless population needs a “hand-up,” not another Metro money grab
By Rachel Dawson The Oregon nonprofit Cascadia Clusters understands the value of providing…
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Online charter school students were learning at home just fine, so why have their schools been taken away from them?
By Kathryn Hickok If Oregon charter school students can stay at home and…
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Supreme Court Espinoza Case Debates Parents’ Freedom to Choose Religious Schools
By Miranda Bonifield When Kendra Espinoza’s husband suddenly left their small family, her…
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Miss Virginia: A Trailblazer for Educational Opportunity for Today’s Kids
By Kathryn Hickok and Miranda Bonifield Virginia Walden Ford is a Washington, D.C….
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National School Choice Week Celebrates All the Ways Kids Learn
By Kathryn Hickok January 26-February 1 is National School Choice Week, the world’s…
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Espinoza and Equal Opportunity in Education
By Miranda Bonifield In 1926, an Oregon school controversy made it all the…
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Miss Virginia
By Miranda Bonifield Virginia Walden Ford is a mom whose extraordinary sacrifice and…
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Charter Schools Create Diverse Choices for Students with Different Needs
By Miranda Bonifield Parents know the educational needs of their children are as…
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Fresh Spinach for Indifferent Students: Oregon’s Costly Farm-to-School Program
By Helen Cook When did you last hear a child profess his love…
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Is Oregon Really “Disinvesting” in Education?
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. The Portland Association of Teachers declares Oregon has suffered…
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Education Savings Accounts Give Parents the Power of Choice in K-12 Education
By Kathryn Hickok This month, the Tennessee legislature passed a new Education Savings…
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Tennessee’s New Education Savings Account Law Puts More Parents in the “Driver’s Seat” of Their Kids’ Education
By Kathryn Hickok This month Tennessee enacted a new Education Savings Account (ESA)…
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Why Record-Breaking Revenues Aren’t Enough
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. This week, Oregon is facing a one-day teacher strike,…
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Florida Legislature Gives 18,000 More Children the Chance for a Great Education
By Kathryn Hickok This week, the Florida legislature passed a bill that would…
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Free to Choose with Freedom Scholarships
By Miranda Bonifield School choice made a splash in the headlines last month…
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Cultivating Educational Choice with Education Savings Accounts
By Miranda Bonifield A Portland public school made headlines last week for offering…
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Education Savings Accounts: A “Ticket to the Future” Today
By Kathryn Hickok Derrell Bradford has spent his adult life passionately advocating for…
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What’s at the Root of Oregon’s Rock-Bottom Graduation Rate?
By Kathryn Hickok Last week the National Foundation for Education Statistics released the…
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Education Savings Accounts: Fiscal Analysis of a Proposed Universal ESA in Oregon
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Executive Summary Education Savings Accounts deposit a percentage of…
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More Money for Schools Is Meaningless Without Controlling PERS Costs
By John A. Charles, Jr. Several members of the Portland Public Schools Community…
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Taiko Drums, Jazz Choir to Perform at Salem School Fair during National School Choice Week
RSVP for FREE to Options in Education Fest – 2019 SALEM (Jan. 11,…
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Options in Education Fest Celebrates Oregon Parents’ Education Choices
By Bobbie Jager As a mother of 13 children (no, that’s not a…
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Annual School Choice Week Celebrates K-12 Education Options
By Kathryn Hickok Every January, National School Choice Week shines a spotlight on…
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More Spending Won’t Solve Educational Woes
By Miranda Bonifield Increasing funding to Oregon’s school system may seem like an…
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Lessons in Education from Gandalf the Grey
By Miranda Bonifield Cascade Policy Institute has supported parental choice in K-12 education…
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School Choice Improves Student Mental Health
By Miranda Bonifield If you’ve done your homework on school choice, you know…
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Survey Shows Florida Scholarship Parents Are Overwhelmingly Satisfied with Their Children’s Schools
By Kathryn Hickok Florida’s Tax Credit Scholarship Program currently helps more than a…
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Watch “School Choice Changes Lives!” Online Now
By Steve Buckstein On September 25, Cascade Policy Institute and its School Choice…
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Oregon Parents Need More Options for Children with Learning Challenges
By Miranda Bonifield For students born with learning disorders like dyslexia, learning to…
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Can School Choice Change Lives?
By Steve Buckstein Can School Choice Change Lives? Join Cascade Policy Institute and…
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The Smartest Choice Is School Choice
By Miranda Bonifield What do 29 states and nations from Australia to the…
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Time to Stop the PERS Pac-Man from Eating Teachers’ Salaries and Taxpayers’ Pocketbooks
By Steve Buckstein What do Pac-Man and public pensions have in common? An…
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Stop Waiting for Superman—Be a Voice for Choice Instead
By Miranda Bonifield Are we waiting for Superman? In 2010, a documentary by…
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How the PERS Pac-Man Eats Teacher Salaries
By Steve Buckstein and Kathryn Hickok What do Pac-Man and public pensions have…
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Children’s Scholarship Fund Gives Low-Income Parents Real Education Choices
By Kathryn Hickok This spring, the Children’s Scholarship Fund-Oregon program sponsored by Cascade…
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Underestimating Public School Spending
By Steve Buckstein A 2017 national poll on education issues found, among other…
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School Choice Leads to Student Success
By Kathryn Hickok Parents know a solid education prepares their children for life,…
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Charters Schools Are a Laboratory for Innovation Within Public Education
By Kathryn Hickok This is National Charter Schools Week. Did you know almost…
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Amateur Hour at the State Land Board
By John A. Charles, Jr. Oregon owns 1.5 million acres of School Trust…
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End PERS—For a Day!
By Steve Buckstein Most Oregonians know that our state’s Public Employees Retirement System…
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Study: School Trust income would go up by 600% if lands were sold
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: John A. Charles, Jr. 503-242-0900 [email protected] PORTLAND, Ore….
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Time to Decentralize Oregon’s Education Reform Efforts
By Kathryn Hickok and Steve Buckstein Three years ago, Oregon state government killed…
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Four Strikes and You’re Still Out: Oregon’s Ongoing Quest to Centralize Education Policy
By Steve Buckstein In 2015 Oregon state government killed off what should have…
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What’s at the Root of Oregon’s Education Problems? (Steve Jobs Already Told Us the Answer)
By Steve Buckstein The Oregon legislature will embark on an “impossible mission” to…
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Oregon Parents Deserve to Be the Voice for Kids’ Education Options
By Bobbie Jager For the second year in a row, Oregon has reported…
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School Choice Is More Than “Just Choosing a Different Brick Building”
By Kathryn Hickok This week is National School Choice Week, the world’s largest…
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Cascade Policy Institute Celebrates National School Choice Week 2018
January 16, 2018 For Immediate Release Media Contact: Steve Buckstein 503-242-0900 Oregonians will…
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National School Choice Week Celebrates Diversity in K-12 Education
By Kathryn Hickok National School Choice Week is the world’s largest celebration of…
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Give Oregon Kids the Power of Educational Choice, Like Kids in Florida
By Kathryn Hickok Denisha Merriweather failed third grade twice. Today, she is finishing…
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Taxpayers Aren’t at Fault for Oregon’s Abysmal Graduation Rate
By Kathryn Hickok Willamette Week recently reported that, sadly, Oregon has the third-lowest…
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Military Families Want Flexible Education Options for Their Kids
By Kathryn Hickok EdChoice recently conducted a groundbreaking survey of military-connected families seeking…
Read Blog DetailWin $15,000 for a video telling your school choice story
Choices in Ed Video Competition Entry Deadline is December 1, 2017 Dear School…
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Why Protesters of Betsy DeVos Can’t Understand What She’s Talking About
By Steve Buckstein What would you do if you read an article about…
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Choice Thinking: Why does the public ignore, distort or reject school choice facts and arguments?
by Richard Meinhard, Ph.D. and Steve Buckstein September 10, 2001 (contact information updated…
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“Shuffling” Is for Playing Cards, Not School Kids
By Kathryn Hickok Portland Public Schools is redrawing the boundaries of more than…
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On 25th Anniversary, Charter Schools Have Much to Celebrate
By Kathryn Hickok America’s charter school movement celebrates its 25th anniversary this month….
Read Blog DetailLet Parents Wield School Spending Power
By Kathryn Hickok Are we missing the trees for the forest in Oregon…
Read Blog DetailWho says Oregon pays public school teachers more than other states? The National Education Association, that’s who!
By Steve Buckstein As Oregon legislators wrestle with how much money to spend…
Read Blog DetailOregon Legislature Should Give Kids a “Ticket to the Future” Today
By Kathryn Hickok and Steve Buckstein Derrell Bradford has spent his adult life…
Read Blog DetailWho says Oregon spends $13,230 per public school student? The National Education Association, that’s who!
By Steve Buckstein Ever since Oregon’s property tax limitation Measure 5 shifted the…
Read Blog DetailEducation Savings Accounts Treat Kids Like the Individuals They Are
By Kathryn Hickok Six years ago, Arizona became the first state to pass…
Read Blog DetailProposed Oregon ESA Law Would Offer Students Choices While Breaking Even for Public Schools
By Steve Buckstein Senate Bill 437, under consideration this legislative session, would offer…
Read Blog DetailEducation Savings Accounts Can Help Students Without Hurting Public Schools
By Steve Buckstein School choice programs allow students to choose schools or other…
Read Blog DetailArizona’s Universal Education Savings Account Law: A “Breakthrough” in Education Financing for Students Today
By Kathryn Hickok Six years ago, Arizona became the first state to pass…
Read Blog DetailEducational Choice: An Economic Development Catalyst for Urban Neighborhoods
By Kathryn Hickok A case study on urban renewal suggests that private and…
Read Blog DetailNow Is the Time: Oregon’s Educational Opportunity Act, The Power of Choice
By Steve Buckstein Oregon now has the chance to become an early adopter…
Read Blog DetailThe Road to Success Travels Through 3rd Grade Reading
By Kathryn Hickok Denisha Merriweather failed third grade twice. Today, she is finishing…
Read Blog DetailParental Choice Champion Betsy DeVos Confirmed as U.S. Secretary of Education
By Steve Buckstein Opponents of Betsy DeVos tried everything they could to keep…
Read Blog DetailThe Past, Present, and Future of School Choice in Oregon
By Steve Buckstein The vast majority of Oregonians attended public schools assigned to…
Read Blog DetailAn Oregon Education Solution Whose Time Has Come
By Kathryn Hickok Derrell Bradford has spent his adult life passionately advocating for…
Read Blog DetailAn Oregon Education Solution Whose Time Has Come
By Kathryn Hickok Derrell Bradford has spent his adult life passionately advocating for…
Read Blog DetailThe Oregon Education Solution Whose Time Has Come
By Kathryn Hickok Next week is National School Choice Week, the world’s largest…
Read Blog DetailCascade Policy Institute Welcomes Oregon’s 2012 “Mother of the Year” to Celebrate National School Choice Week 2017
For Immediate Release Media Contact: Steve Buckstein 503-242-0900 [email protected] Portland, Oregon to play…
Read Blog DetailEducational Choice: A “Ticket to the Future” for Every Child
By Kathryn Hickok Derrell Bradford has spent his adult life passionately advocating for…
Read Blog DetailHow Much Is the Elliott State Forest Worth to Oregon Schools? (Don’t Forget the Value of Compounding)
By John A. Charles, Jr. Advocates of public schools frequently complain about the…
Read Blog DetailMeasure 97 and the Mirage of School Funding
— Voters are destined for disappointment By John A. Charles, Jr. Proponents…
Read Blog DetailFreedom in Film: Won’t Back Down (2012)
With students everywhere heading to class, we hope you enjoy Part 3 of…
Read Blog DetailFreedom in Film: Waiting for “Superman” (2010)
With students everywhere heading to class, we hope you enjoy Part 2 of…
Read Blog DetailFreedom in Film: To Sir, with Love (1967)
With students everywhere heading to class, we hope you enjoy Part 1 of…
Read Blog DetailImprove Education Outcomes Through Education Savings Accounts, Not Measure 97’s Hidden Sales Tax
On the third day of the new school year at Portland’s Madison High…
Read Blog DetailOregon Land Board Low-Balls Elliott Timber with Fixed-Price “Bidding”
Last week the Oregon Department of State Lands announced the “fair market value”…
Read Blog DetailPortland Schools Need Radical Change, Not Just a New Superintendent
Portland school superintendent Carole Smith abruptly resigned in July, after nine years on…
Read Blog DetailFreedom in Fiction: Ida Elisabeth
Ida Elisabeth had every reason to leave her husband. He was foolish, immature,…
Read Blog DetailTen Years After Milton Friedman
One of the greatest minds of our era passed away in November 2006….
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