Through their response to the pandemic, teachers unions overplayed their hand and exposed inherent failures of the one-size-fits-all government school system. Families are now thankfully figuring out that there isn't any good reason to fund institutions when they can fund students directly instead. Support for school choice is through the roof,…

An independent watchdog agency, the Office of Inspector General (OIG), from the U.S. Department of Education, is charged with ferreting out waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars in both K-12 and postsecondary education. OIG's official mission is to "promote the efficiency, effectiveness, and integrity of the [Education] Department's programs…

Presidential candidate Donald J. Trump did not emphasize education policy during his campaign, though he proposed a $20 billion program to promote school choice, derided Common Core, and even floated the idea of eliminating the U.S. Department of Education. As for higher education, Trump expressed concern over student debt and proposed a partial…

Currently, a majority of two-year colleges in the United States are located in rural areas. Small, rural-serving community colleges are instrumental to the survival of the communities they reside in, as well as vital to the stakeholders they serve. How does being a rural community college present specialized challenges and in what ways do the…

In 1994, Michigan voters approved a ballot initiative that transferred the power in Michigan's education system from local communities to the state. Proposal A succeeded in slowing the growth of local property taxes and narrowing the gap between the richest and poorest districts in Michigan. However, due to a decade of sluggish economic growth,…

In Denmark, the welfare system has evened out the gaps between rich and poor. Schools and child care settings all over the country have an equal level of resources provided by the state, and are financed through taxes. Schools and child care settings in areas with families of lower socioeconomic status (SES) get extra money and resources. All…

Americans have decided that the work of nonprofit colleges and universities is so invaluable that they should be exempt from taxes. Those tax exemptions involve a social compact: In exchange, colleges are obliged to carry out the charitable purpose of providing the best education to the most students at the lowest cost. In this article, the author…

For many decades, the six national disability advocacy organizations that endorse the legislative agenda contained in this document have recognized the vital role the federal government plays in the everyday lives of children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families. From civil rights protections to community housing, from…

Taxation of tobacco is a widely used strategy that promotes smoking cessation among adults and reduces cigarette consumption among continuing smokers. First Nations (FN) populations' tobacco use is estimated to be 2-3 times that of other Canadians and, in part, a reflection that tobacco products purchased on reserve by FN people are tax exempt.…

Examines the idea that the vote on Proposition 13 may have been a simple protest against property taxes and a vote for a tax shift. Also examines a model of political influence on governmental behavior. Journal availability: see EA 511 898. (IRT)

Examines the finding of the Southern Regional Education Board study in which state-local tax potential (ability) is estimated and compared with actual collections (effort). Also discusses the current and future adequacy and equity of the state-local tax revenue structure. (Author/IRT)

In this article, Keith Storey provides a modest update to his earlier case against the Special Olympics. Several sections have been updated, with some additional consideration of issues related to severe disabilities. The article now includes sections on choice and self-determination and use of taxpayer dollars to fund Special Olympics programs.…

Public cuts in financial support have hurt public colleges and students. The author argues that the fault lies in part with the colleges themselves. Many public-university administrators are incapable of convincing political and business leaders of the need for financial support because they are no longer fully convinced themselves. They have…

In today's world of restrictive school budgets and increasing property taxes, it is an unfortunate reality that many school districts will be faced with a budget crunch crisis that unenlightened school boards may try to solve by cutting or eliminating funds for music. At the crisis stage, it is often only the effective advocacy of an organized…

In the light of the uncertain benefits and the understated but escalating costs of public services, it is hardly irrational for taxpayers to attack the problem through the cost side. (Author)