Fix the Problems, but Don’t Retreat on Accountability
Talking with this group over the last few months about the future of school accountability has been a pleasure but also reassuring. The fact that education leaders like these are still committed to the basic, critical elements of school accountability shows that this important work will continue. For almost two decades, school accountability has focused […]
The Long Road to Accountability
School accountability matters. In a country founded on the dream that any child can grow up to be whatever she wants to be, accountability provides a measuring stick to judge how well schools are doing at giving each child—and every type of child—a fair shot at a good future. In a fast-changing world where the […]
Feeling Our Way to Solid Ground
Preparing for a hiking trip brings you face-to-face with the world of trade-offs. You weigh, literally and figuratively, every ounce of what you put in your pack, trying to decide if the comfort something might bring in camp is worth the discomfort of hauling it up there in the first place. Designing a state accountability […]
A New Start on Accountability
Today, Paul Hill, Robin Lake, and Michael Petrilli kick off a blog series intended to prompt a productive dialogue around fixing school accountability systems. Join the conversation on Twitter: #TheNewAccountability Read “An Open Letter On School Accountability” Every child should be in a school where he or she can learn effectively. That’s not a controversial […]
State Takeover Not the Whole Answer
Children in a city need much better schools, but the local board and union prevent change. Is state takeover the remedy? Perhaps. State action has broken logjams in a lot of cities, but it hasn’t always worked out. For every Memphis or New Orleans, where high proportions of children have new opportunities, there are examples […]
Washington State Can’t Waive Need for Strong School Principals
Washington has become a national curiosity as the first state to have its No Child Left Behind waiver revoked. Last week Washington State was forced to announce that more than 400 schools haven’t met their progress goals for five years straight. Without taking sides in the fight between Olympia and the feds, it is safe […]
How To Improve Annual School District Report Cards
In this video blog, Christine Campbell looks at typical annual school district report cards and explains how districts could make information more meaningful for families and provide better evidence to inform community decision-making.
In New Orleans, the Work Has Just Begun
This week marks nine years since Hurricane Katrina forced evacuation of New Orleans. The rebuilding of public education there has been a real accomplishment. But the schools there have a long way to go. Due to Katrina, 80 percent of the city was flooded and the floodwaters lingered for weeks. The vast majority of families […]
Making School Choice Work Requires Leadership
This commentary was originally published in Education Week on August 18, 2014. It’s a truism in public policy that every solution breeds a new problem. School choice has created new possibilities for families desperate for better options, but it can also create serious access challenges for disadvantaged families. In localities where many state and local […]
How the Portfolio Strategy Evolved from Idea to Action
In 2003, Paul Hill and I, along with James Harvey, wrote a book called It Takes a City. The book was written for mayors, civic leaders, school board members, and involved citizens, as a practical guide on how to formulate a reform plan bold enough to work while dealing with political opposition to change. It […]