How to solve the education crisis by Clark Durant: Increase outcomes, money and charter schools…

Folks like Clark Durant are almost frightening… and maybe they do not even mean to be so… but they have such a level of political influence… not just ordinary political influence because any number of people have that… they have extra-ordinary political influence. A phone call and then a submission to a major media outlet and their words are rapidly disseminated across an entire state and then, worse still… given a level of credence that it’s ALMOST as if people like Mr. Durant actually know what they are talking about… as if people like Mr. Durant have despite the completely sheltered nature of the way they have acquired their world view is something about which the average person reading this sort of diatribe ought to then give thoughtful, reflective consideration to… as if it all made near-perfect logical, rational sense instead of the complete and utter nonsense it truly is… Go ahead and read this op-ed if you must… but as for me, if only I had some electronic fish I could wrap up with this electronic newspaper page.

 

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/2015/12/16/michigan-schools-freedom-innovate/77464790/

Durant: Give Michigan schools more freedom to innovate

Source: Durant: Give Michigan schools more freedom to innovate

Do you know the deadline to buy 2016 health insurance? | Eclectablog

Not everyone is great at meeting deadlines. If that applies to you, raise your hand.

Plenty of people are paying attention to the deadline to sign up for 2016 health insurance. According to our friend Charles Gaba at ACA Signups, as of December 17 more than 5 million Americans have signed up for 2016 health insurance. That’s a good thing. And he’s predicting that a total of more than 14 million Americans will sign up before the end of open enrollment on January 31, 2016, both at Healthcare.govand through other channels such as insurance brokers.

But plenty of other Americans could use a reminder about the deadlines. A new poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation says only 7 percent of the uninsured they heard from knew when the deadline to enroll in coverage is.

For the rest of the story go here: Do you know the deadline to buy 2016 health insurance? | Eclectablog

How about some good news coming out of Lansing?Healthy Michigan Plan earns approval to continue customized Medicaid expansion program!

Amy Lynn Smith has posted a new item, ‘Healthy Michigan Plan earns approval to continue customized Medicaid expansion program’, at Eclectablog

Fantastic news for the 600,000 low-income Michiganders who rely on the program for their health insurance. When the Michigan Legislature submitted their plans for a customized version of Medicaid …

You may view the latest post at
http://www.eclectablog.com/2015/12/healthy-michigan-plan-earns-approval-to-continue-customized-medicaid-expansion-program.html

 

 

CURMUDGUCATION

The slightly-cranky voice navigating the world of educational “reform” while trying to still pursue the mission of providing quality education.

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Gulen Charters In Trouble Again Posted: 17 Dec 2015 08:41 AM PST The Gulen network of charters is perhaps the most transparent abuse of the charter school system in the US, and their troubled nature is on display again in the midwest. A clout-heavy charter-school firm that operates four taxpayer-funded schools in Chicago is suspected of defrauding the government by funneling more than $5 million in federal grants to insiders and “away from the charter schools,” according to court records obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times. The Sun-Times reports that the FBI is investigating “a scheme to defraud federal programs” running back to “at least 2007.” The probe is being run out of the FBI’s Cleveland office, which would not comment because the investigation is ongoing. This particular scheme involved the Concept Charter School chain, and

… More here: CURMUDGUCATION

Where Do Crime Guns Come From? Not Necessarily From Where You Think.

by mikethegunguy

My friends at The Trace have just published a document that has floated around gun circles since it first appeared in 2003 as an affidavit in a liability case against the gun industry that was one of a number of class-action torts which came to a crashing end in 2005.  Bob Ricker, the deposition’s author, had been an NRA attorney and gun-industry lobbyist who then went over to the ‘other side’ and began working in favor of more stringent industry regulations as a way to keep guns out of the ‘wrong hands.’

Source: Where Do Crime Guns Come From? Not Necessarily From Where You Think.