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“Go and set the world on fire.” Those simple words from St. Ignatius of Loyola, whose feast day is today, colored all of his works, most notably the establishment of the Jesuits, among whose leading contributions is Catholic education. Read more »

As school systems are struggling to manage the myriad challenges of reopening, the American Federation of Teachers Union President Randi Weingarten announced that her union had approved teacher strikes as a “last resort” to protest school reopening plans that do not meet its laundry list of demands and safety standards. Read more »

The reactions to a recent article about reopening school and the pernicious effects of delaying school, in any form, any longer, have reminded me of a fundamental tenet of good communication: Never assume your reader knows anything about your subject. Read more »

Instead of preparing to reopen schools, unions have spent their own members' time and resources on securing concessions and negotiating contracts. Read more »

Left, right and center, political reporters are knee deep in covering the impact and controversy over conflicting calls and demands to open school or limit everyone to learning remotely. Community, parent and teacher responses have been fast and furious. It’s hard to keep up. Nearly every hour of the day there is a new story about another system announcing new opening plans, unions standing in their way, or parents losing faith. Read more »

This time the sour reminder hit close to home, however, when the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (NAPCS) announced that charters’ arch enemy, teachers union leader Randi Weingarten, would be joining them for a folksy little fireside chat in their annual conference (virtual this year) in an effort to find ‘common ground.’ Read more »

The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue is a victory for education opportunity and excellence. Issuing one of its final decisions for the 2019-2020 session, the Court on June 30 ruled that a provision in Montana’s Constitution which had the effect of denying parents the choice of attending religious schools is discriminatory and violates the free exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution. Commonly called a “Blaine Amendment,” such provisions have existed in 37 state constitutions. The Espinoza decision portends the beginning of their demise. Read more »

Prayers of thanks, huzzahs and hoorays are being heard across the country since the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court June 30 that it is unconstitutional to discriminate against parents simply because they choose to send their children to a religious school. Wrote Chief Justice John Roberts in the 5-4 majority opinion in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, “Drawing on ‘enduring American tradition,’ we have long recognized the rights of parents to direct ‘the religious upbringing’ of their children.” Read more »

It’s hard to believe, but an A rated school in Albuquerque, New Mexico for over four years - only one of 13% of schools in the state with that distinction - has been denied an expansion to serve the 1,000 students on the waiting list. Even in a time of Covid, and uncertainty over schooling, more than 1,000 parents trust that the Mission Achievement and Success Charter School (MAS) will serve their children well, no matter the environmental factors we face today. Read more »