HOOVER INSTITUTION'S
Koret Task Force on K–12 Education

The K–12 Education Task Force focuses on education policy as it relates to government provision and oversight versus private solutions (both within and outside the public school system) that stress choice, accountability, and transparency; that include systematic reform options such as vouchers, charter schools, and testing; and that weigh equity concerns against outcome objectives. Its collaborative efforts spawned a quarterly journal titled Education Next, one of the premier publications on public education research policy in the nation.

Chester E. Finn, Jr. serves as chair of the Task Force on K–12 education.

July 1, 2009
Video commentary with Hoover senior fellows Eric Hanushek and Paul Peterson
Hoover Institution senior fellows and members of Hoover’s Task Force on K–12 Education Eric Hanushek and Paul Peterson discuss the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision concerning English-language learners.

June 16, 2009
Video commentary with Hoover senior fellow Eric Hanushek
Hoover Institution senior fellows and members of Hoover’s Task Force on K–12 Education Eric Hanushek and Terry Moe discuss Hanushek’s new book Schoolhouses, Courthouses, and Statehouses.

June 9, 2009
Video commentary with Hoover senior fellow Terry Moe
Hoover Institution senior fellows and members of Hoover’s Task Force on K–12 Education Terry Moe and Eric Hanushek discuss Moe’s new book Liberating Learning.

May 4, 2009
Reroute the Preschool Juggernaut by Chester E. Finn, Jr.
Among many educators and public officials in the U.S. is a drumbeat for “universal pre-school”—and for government to provide it to all 4-year olds so as to close school-readiness gaps and prepare kids to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.

April 6, 2009
Learning from No Child Left Behind: How and Why the Nation's Most Important but Controversial Education Law Should Be Renewed by John Chubb
Members of the K-12 Education Task Force just released a report containing ten recommendations to be included in the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind. Their findings are available in the newly released, Learning from No Child Left Behind, published by Education Next Books and available from the Hoover Press. The book gives a broad overview of the current NCLB legislation and evaluates its success and progress in transforming k-12 education.

March 12, 2009
Video Commentary with Hoover senior fellows Terry Moe and Paul Peterson
Hoover Institution senior fellows and members of Hoover’s Task Force on K–12 Education Terry Moe and Paul Peterson comment on the controversy surrounding the likely termination of the Washington, D.C., voucher program. Moe and Peterson discuss why vouchers are important for students, particularly disadvantaged ones; why many teachers and Democrats do not like the voucher program; why Democrats voted to end the voucher program; and why private schools work best for disadvantaged students. Video transcript (6:27).

January 29, 2009
Video Commentary with Hoover senior fellow Paul Peterson
In Hoover’s newest web offering, Video Commentary, Paul Peterson, Hoover Institution senior fellow and member of Hoover’s Task Force on K–12 Education, comments on the education stimulus bill now pending in Congress. Video transcript (4:29).

January 8–9, 2009
K–12 Education Task Force Meeting
The Task Force on K–12 Education held their biannual meeting at Hoover, where they discussed topics such as NCLB reauthorization and TIMSS testing. On Thursday evening, there was a dinner event held in conjunction with the meeting, where members of the task force spoke on the education agenda of the Obama administration.

Featured op-eds

What's The Best Use Of Stimulus Money?
National Journal, June 29, 2009
by Chester E. Finn Jr. (Senior Fellow
Chair, K–12 Education Task Force )

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act contained more than $100 billion for education, including $40 billion to stabilize state education budgets and $5 billion in discretionary money for incentive grants...

Good for some, but many parents don't want it
San Diego Union-Tribune, June 12, 2009
by Chester E. Finn Jr. (Senior Fellow
Chair, K–12 Education Task Force )

The RAND Corp.'s new study of preschool (“Preschool Adequacy and Efficiency in California”) confirms the wisdom shown by Golden State voters in 2006 when they decisively rejected Proposition 82, also known as the “Rob Reiner Preschool for All Initiative.”...

The Office of Public Affairs disseminates the research, analysis, and recommendations of the task force to national and international audiences. News organizations, policymakers, business leaders, and other interested parties are encouraged to contact our office for more information about the task force and the Hoover Institution.