Record 47 Million Americans Now Receive Food Stamps
Although food stamp participation rates typically increase during a recession, a new study demonstrates that the rate of growth between 2008 and 2012 is unique.
Teacher Evaluations Highlight Divide Between Unions and Reformers
The new system of evaluating teacher effectiveness often includes “value-added” data that measures the extra value a teacher adds to a student’s standardized test score. Value-added data offers an objective measure of teacher effectiveness that did not previously exist.
Commentary: The State Bankruptcy Debate
As states across the country face fiscal crises, discussions have begun about legislation which would permit individual states to declare bankruptcy. Currently, federal law prohibits states from filing for bankruptcy, but a number of prominent policymakers and scholars have proposed changing the rules.
Commentary: What New Orleans Can Learn From Atlanta’s Public Housing Model
As the proposed redevelopment of the Iberville housing projects moves forward incrementally, nascent opposition to transforming the last of New Orleans remaining “Big 4” pre-Katrina projects has begun to swell, as evinced in the piece by Elizabeth Cook of NewOrleansindymedia.org.
Beware of Bank Regulations Curtailing Credit
As Diana Furchtgott-Roth of the Manhattan Institute points out, there is widespread hostility towards the financial sector even though: 140 banks failed in 2009 regulators and Congress encouraged banks to make high-risk loans many banks were required by Hank Paulson to take the TARP money in 2008 all but one large bank repaid TARP funds…