How Would Students Spend the Principal’s Money?

A Phoenix High School’s Experiment Shows That Kids Can Prioritize and Collaborate When Their Education Is at Stake

During the 2013-14 school year, Quintin Boyce, the principal of Bioscience, a public high school in Phoenix, took a portion of his discretionary budget and told students they could decide how it was spent. He set no rules, except that the projects should benefit the school community. He knew many things could go wrong, but trusted that the students were going to assign those resources with responsibility and fairness.

This was a historic experiment—to the best of our knowledge, it was the first time that American high school students had used …

by Matt Cohen and Daniel Schugurensky | March 11, 2015

At Minus 40 Degrees, It’s Hard to Argue for More Wilderness

Why the Fight Over the Arctic Wildlife Refuge Is as Bitter as Our Alaskan Winters

by David van den Berg | February 5, 2015

The value of virgin land on the frontier is based on what it can yield in economic terms. Alaska’s conservationists knew this and wanted to preserve entire landscapes for their …

Are Electric Companies Facing Extinction?

Solar Panels and Smart Meters Are Threatening an Industry That Doesn't Know How to Innovate

by Sean Casten | January 14, 2015

When the Supreme Court upheld the EPA’s right to regulate carbon and other emissions from power plants, it set off another round of complaint from the utility industry. Sure, this …

Did Obama Just Reset the Entire Western Hemisphere?

For Five Decades, the U.S. Has Obsessed Over a Small Caribbean Island at the Expense of Its Policy Toward All of Latin America

by Andrés Martinez | December 22, 2014

I was absorbed in a project Wednesday morning when out of the corner of my eye I started seeing references to big news out of Cuba in various incoming email …

Vladimir’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Year

Plummeting Oil Prices and Political Overreach Will Put a Premature End to the Putin Era

by Mike Bradshaw | December 22, 2014

A year ago, Vladimir Putin had every reason to look forward to a victory lap. As he presided over final preparations for the Winter Olympics, he felt emboldened by his …

California’s Massage Industry Explosion

Why Did a Law Intended to Regulate Massage Parlors Have the Opposite Effect?

by Joe Mathews | November 20, 2014

For the record, I did not intend to get naked for this column.

But the woman at the local massage parlor insisted that I remove my pants and underwear before she …

Economics

How Would Students Spend the Principal’s Money?

A Phoenix High School’s Experiment Shows That Kids Can Prioritize and Collaborate When Their Education Is at Stake

At Minus 40 Degrees, It’s Hard to Argue for More Wilderness

Why the Fight Over the Arctic Wildlife Refuge Is as Bitter as Our Alaskan Winters

Are Electric Companies Facing Extinction?

Solar Panels and Smart Meters Are Threatening an Industry That Doesn't Know How to Innovate

Did Obama Just Reset the Entire Western Hemisphere?

For Five Decades, the U.S. Has Obsessed Over a Small Caribbean Island at the Expense of Its Policy Toward All of Latin America

Vladimir’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Year

Plummeting Oil Prices and Political Overreach Will Put a Premature End to the Putin Era

California’s Massage Industry Explosion

Why Did a Law Intended to Regulate Massage Parlors Have the Opposite Effect?

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Can Ukraine’s Experiments in Local Democracy Survive the Invasion?

From Balta to Vinnytsia, Communities Have Been Growing in Power—and Democratic Innovation

How to Turn Elementary School Teachers into Emotional Detectives

Strengthening the Bond Between Educators and Pupils Can Get to the Root of Behavior Problems and Bullying

For College Prep Charter Schools Serving Underprivileged Communities, High School Graduation Is Just the Beginning

With a Majority of Students From South L.A., USC Hybrid High School Rejected Teaching to the Test to Focus on Getting 90 Percent of Graduates Through College

How South L.A.’s Santee Education Complex’s Graduation Rate Jumped Nearly 60 Percent in 11 Years

Two Assistant Principals Learned Their High School Didn’t Need a Special Status to Be Academically Rigorous and Locally Respected

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