For subscribers of The Journal of the James Madison Institute, a nice present arrived last week; that being the latest edition of the JJMI. In addition to my letter-to-the-editor, which has to be the highlight of the issue, the JJMI focuses on several hot-button issues in Florida education.
The James Madison Institute has, since its inception, “been in the forefront of Florida’s school-reform movement,” according to founder (and one of my intellectual mentors) J. Stanley Marshall. Whether or not you agree with JMI’s stance, as outlined by Marshall in his always erudite “Message from the Publisher,” as an advocate of higher standards, more rigor in curricula, accountability, and the power of competition — i.e. school choice — to improve education, it is well worth your time to read each and every article of this month’s issue.
The standout pieces include Marshall’s own criticism of “The Mythology of Teacher Unions”, state Rep. Adam Hasner’s controversial “The 65-Cent Solution” in which he argues for a requirement ensuring that at least 65 cents of ever dollar in a school district’s operational budget goes into the classroom and E.T. York and George Bedell’s “Reviving the State University System.” Along with these essays there are at least a dozen more concise, thought-provoking articles on a variety of education-related issues.
You can call JMI at 1-866-340-3131 and request a copy or you can download the latest issue from its website.
