What’s in a Name? Portfolio, Charter Schools, and the Boy Who Hated Kreplach
There’s a Jewish parable about the mother of a boy who hates kreplach. The mother tries to ease the boy into liking the traditional dumplings by having him cook some with her. The boy is excited about the prospect of cooking together. He exclaims with delight at the addition of each ingredient—the beef, the potatoes, […]
Are Innovative K-12 Systems Solutions Hiding In Plain Sight?
Grappling with new ways to solve problems is a regular challenge in the K–12 space, yet good ideas don’t fall from the trees. Technology is now being used to try to solve problems like differentiating learning in classrooms, but could it help us address some of K–12’s stickier system-wide challenges? I was reading about these […]
“Batter Up!” Advice as States Step Up to the Plate on ESEA Implementation
With the rewritten Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), responsibility for improving outcomes for students is back where some say it has always belonged—under the purview of states. One thing is clear: as states take on their new responsibilities, they will need to use evidence to effect change, protect what is working, and ensure limited […]
How Washington State Can Keep the Door Open to Charter Schooling
Robin Lake encourages Washington state to support charter schooling in this guest blog originally published in Fordham’s Flypaper. In refusing to reconsider its September ruling that public charter schools are unconstitutional and not entitled to receive public funds, the Washington State Supreme Court is bringing the state one step closer to shutting the door on […]
The Politics of Education Reform
Creating and transforming schools is the core work of education reform. But educational change, especially at the level of a whole city or district, is inevitably political. It requires adults to work differently, threatens some jobs, empowers parents with new choices, and makes schools’ existence depend on enrollment and academic performance. In some cases, the […]
Remembering John Chubb
John died last week at 61, leaving many in his debt. His book with Terry Moe, Politics, Markets, and America’s Schools, opened the door to many of the reforms that are improving education for poor and disadvantaged children. The book demonstrated the importance of school choice for families, but also argued for government oversight to […]
Closing the Discipline Gap
In the wake of the police shooting of teenager Michael Brown and the mass demonstrations that followed, community leaders in Ferguson, Missouri, are working to address years of racial injustice in their city and surrounding areas. Among their calls to action: change how area schools handle student suspensions and expulsions. Why would changing school discipline […]
No One Has a Monopoly On “Beating the Odds”
We recently released a report that looked at nine indicators to measure educational improvement and opportunity in 50 cities across America. Despite a few bright spots, the results paint a sobering picture of the state of urban public education today, especially for students from low-income households and students of color. With few exceptions, students eligible […]
The Street-Level Politics of School Reform
Paul Hill and Ashley Jochim profile portfolio strategy efforts in five cities and offer lessons for leaders to sustain long-term education reform amid political opposition.
We Need a Common Yardstick for Cities
The most recent results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are out and generating a lot of discussion, including some cautions about how to interpret the results. I know the benefits and limits of the NAEP all too well. In our recent report, Measuring Up: Educational Improvement and Opportunity in 50 Cities, we […]