The Unavoidable Politics of Education Reform
In K–12 education, politics is the great equalizer. It has killed initiatives from the right and from the left, from top-down district curriculum mandates to site-based management. Common Core State Standards, test-based accountability, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s effort to improve teacher quality all fell prey to political backlash. Charter schools haven’t died […]
The Slowdown in Bay Area Charter School Growth: Causes and Solutions
This report examines why charter school growth in the San Francisco Bay Area has slowed dramatically and offers solutions for cities nationwide to encourage the development of new high-quality schools.
Unlocking Potential: How Political Skill Can Maximize Superintendent Effectiveness
This paper examines the characteristics of effective superintendents and offers guidance for current and aspiring district leaders as well as those offering superintendent training programs.
Collision Course: Embracing Politics to Succeed in District-Charter Collaboration
This report examines how politics shapes the work of district-charter collaboration and offers strategies for district and charter leaders to improve their chances of success.
What You Were Reading in 2017
year-end-banner-photos-only.png From a groundbreaking report on school districts’ financial struggles to a just-in-time brief on a new “third way” educational model, here are our top five publications of the year (plus our most popular blog posts). Better Together: Ensuring Quality District Schools in Times of Charter Growth and Declining Enrollment year-end-better-together-01.png Based on a convening […]
When Schools Come in Different Flavors, It Doesn’t Mean Families Have Options
When asked about school quality, public school parents tend to be pessimistic about how good the nation’s schools are overall, but happy with their own children’s school. This disconnect is a long-standing finding from survey research, but it’s not the only inconsistency in how parents view public schools. When we surveyed 3,208 families across eight […]
In a Deeply Flawed ‘Analysis,’ the Associated Press Blames Public Charter Schools for America’s Segregated Cities
History repeats itself. Unfortunately, so does irresponsible analysis. For the 20 or so years that I’ve been studying charter schools, the attacks on charters have morphed over time. Early on, it was said that charter schools were going to admit only the most advantaged students. When that clearly didn’t come to pass, the attack line […]
Public School Choice, Any Way You Slice It
Our new report, Stepping Up: How Are American Cities Delivering on the Promise of Public School Choice?, finds a variety of public school choice available in cities—district-run magnet, innovation, and open-enrollment schools; charter schools overseen by multiple authorizers; and district-charter partnership schools. In some cities, private schools accept publicly subsidized vouchers. In others, students can […]
Opening the Schoolhouse Door: Helping Charter Schools Access Space in District-Owned Facilities
This paper reviews state policies on providing charter schools with facilities and recommends better incentives for districts to share space.
For public school choice, focus on reality—not rhetoric
School choice is probably the most controversial topic in public education today. The Trump administration’s support for private school vouchers has set off a rhetorical war in Washington that is increasingly playing out in states. Meanwhile, public school choices (magnet schools, innovation schools, charter schools, and the like), which have historically enjoyed strong bipartisan support, are increasingly […]