Opinion

opinion Emily Mills Published 12:04 p.m. UTC Aug 10, 2018 Democracy is a messy thing. That’s as it should be. Any political process that becomes too neat and tidy inherently becomes stagnant and undemocratic. It’s always a surprise, then, when I hear people arguing that there are “too many” candidates running for a particular office. We should be saving our frustration and activism for those races where an incumbent is running unchallenged, or where there’s only one choice for a particular party, and so forth. Those are the cases where choice, and the tempering fires of real competition and debate, are lost. It was a surprise and a disappointment, then, when the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association opted to cancel their planned Democratic gubernatorial candidate debate back in June. The group, which has a long history of hosting statewide debates, had only invited what it deemed the “top” four candidates to participate. Rightly, that … [Read more...] about Opinion: Democrats’ debate illuminated nuanced differences between candidates

opinion Emery McClendon Published 2:55 p.m. UTC Aug 10, 2018 In the era of social media, President Trump has taken Twitter to a new level by using it to not only address his supporters but also to help set his agenda with the media and his opponents. Trump uses Twitter like no other politician to express his point of view and answer his critics. The president’s tweets can be patriotic or responding to criticism of his family members. Some are complements for good deeds the president wants to recognize. And sometimes they respond to those opposing his administration’s policies Trump has learned to use Twitter to his advantage in a very masterful way. Like it or not, it is a line of communication the president seems to have no intention of giving up — in the same way President Obama refused to give up his Blackberry after entering the White House. But is the president’s tweeting helpful? Many would argue it is, but there is a competing chorus of … [Read more...] about Opinion: Trump’s tweets are helpful to America

opinion Kerry Rice Published 2:53 p.m. UTC Aug 10, 2018 It has been only 20 years since the Internet became widely used. In that time, K-12 online schools have emerged across the U.S. giving families additional school options to consider—especially in states like Michigan, Florida, Idaho and Georgia, which have been leaders in innovation and growth. Families today consider online learning for a variety of reasons—among them, the flexibility, safety and variety of curriculum available. As online schools continue to grow, a critical element of that growth must be keeping a close eye on the early indicators of student success.  It’s no secret virtual schools function differently from traditional public schools. For that reason, virtual schools have unique challenges that must be considered to make sure the students they serve are met with an environment conducive to their academic and personal growth. After more than a decade of research in the space, … [Read more...] about Opinion: Essential indicators for success in online schools

Kevin Duggan Fort Collins Coloradoan Published 11:42 p.m. UTC Aug 9, 2018 A standard directive in the journalism world for understanding what’s really going on in a story is, “Follow the money.” It applies to all manner of stories, whether they are about sports, business, politics, crime, environment or government. Money makes the world go around, after all. That’s why it’s critical for journalists and residents to pay attention to how governments handle taxpayers’ money as they go about the business of delivering sundry services. Budgets might be boring, but they are important. MORE: Opinion: President Hick? Not so fast; Sen. Hick? Maybe We’re getting into the time of year when local governments craft their budgets for the next year. Every entity uses a different process, but basically, budgeting entails projecting how much money will come in next year, how much money is available in reserves, and how much money will go out. In the … [Read more...] about Opinion: How to influence what’s in Fort Collins’ next budget