K-12 public education is a state responsibility and a federal interest, which means that state lawmakers have the primary responsibility for adopting and revising the laws governing public schools as well as scholarships, education savings accounts, and other private learning options. State officials also have significant authority over the laws…

Despite the efforts of parents, educators, and activists to oppose standardized testing through the act of opting out, most states and federal law still require students to take annual standardized tests. While key arguments of the opt-out movement in a state legislative process are explored, this case study focuses on those legislators who…

Drawing on data collected during a 31-month critical qualitative study in the MX-US borderlands, the authors elucidate a positive and complex form of parentocracy unique to "transfronterizo" families. They demonstrate how parents bear their children in the US, move close to the border so that their children can more easily attend US…

The field of learning analytics is being discussed in many circles as an emerging concept in education. In many districts and states, the core philosophy behind learning analytics is not entirely new; for more than a decade, discussions of data-driven decision making and the use of data to drive instruction have been common. Still, the U.S.…

This reply addresses concerns raised by Dr. Harmon in "Beyond 'Cain v. Horne.'" In response to the issues she raises, I explain that the appropriate constitutional inquiry is not whether there is some incidental financial benefit to private schools but whether a challenged voucher program was enacted to assist students in obtaining the…

The grassroots parent-based effort to reform public education predated, by more than a decade, the national awakening to problems in the schools. It began when parents became aware that the educational establishment perceived its "duty" to mold children's attitudes as a higher priority than the school's cognitive function and certainly…

Intended for parents of Head Start children with special needs, this manual explains parental rights and the White Mountain Apache (Arizona) Head Start program for special needs children. Sections discuss and define: mainstreaming; special education; screening, testing, and diagnosis; the role of specialists (pediatrician, speech-language…

Intended for parents (or surrogate parents) of children with disabilities in Arizona, this handbook explains rights and procedural safeguards under federal and state laws. Section 1, an introduction to special education, is followed by a section on parent rights in relation to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, initial evaluation,…