Any school can start building the key ingredients for effective special education
For many parents of students with disabilities, last spring’s sudden interruption of schooling was a disaster. Cut off from teachers and forced to go without essential special education services, parents saw years of social and academic progress slip away. For many, this fall hasn’t been much better. Health, safety, and reopening have become all-consuming for […]
Learning pods: Providing education equity for all families
Parent advocacy groups are empowering families to reimagine public schools. But sometimes parents are simply opting out as the ultimate form of empowerment. Chemay Morales-James was working as an equity coach providing consulting services to public school districts when she decided to homeschool her own children. A former teacher and mother of two from Watertown, […]
How States Can Better Prepare Students for Life After High School
This report examines weaknesses states share in career and technical education and offers recommendations to improve career pathways for students.
Putting Families at the Center: The Role of Parent Advocacy Groups during COVID-19
This brief profiles four parent advocacy groups that have been particularly effective in devising bold solutions during the pandemic crisis.
It’s time for a new grand bargain that ends school funding based on seat time
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed fatal flaws in the way states fund education—based on the time students sit in school, rather than on the quality of instruction. It is time for a new grand bargain in which states offer schools much greater flexibility on where, when, and how students are taught, and, in exchange, states fund […]
Understanding the learning pods landscape
We are looking for more examples of learning pods and hubs. If you know of any, please let us know by filling out this short form. In October, 100 Black Men of Valdosta, in Georgia, transformed their space into a free virtual learning site for students who lack stable internet or have other needs. They […]
Mapping the landscape of learning in New England
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted public education in ways that were unimaginable at the beginning of the year. Students, parents, and teachers have struggled to make remote learning work. Many classrooms remain closed and schools have lost touch with scores of students. We also saw remarkable examples of innovation, ingenuity, strength, and commitment to supporting student […]
Reopening checkup: Filling the leadership vacuum will help schools focus on engaging students, addressing learning loss
The latest update of our analysis of 100 of the nation’s highest-profile school systems suggests districts have been adapting as they go, but there is much work ahead.
One Step Forward, One Step Back: Public Health Fears Keep America’s School Districts on a Reopening Treadmill
This brief gives an update on our nationally representative sample of school district reopening plans.
Support Every Student: Lessons from Five Charter Schools on Effective Special Education During the Pandemic
In-depth case studies of five charter schools reveal lessons learned on educating students with disabilities remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.