by Jeffrey Henig Twenty years ago, in the early days of the charter school movement, the hot controversy was “creaming.” Critics worried that charters would target more advantaged suburban populations, skimming off the students most...
School choice is increasingly the new normal in urban education. But in cities with multiple public school options, how can civic leaders create a choice system that works for all families, whether they choose a charter or district school? To answer this question, CRPE has been studying the opportunities and challenges in “high-choice” cities. We have interviewed civic and education leaders and surveyed parents to identify challenges like uneven school quality and lack of transportation. We’ve also studied ways cities can overcome barriers, such as unified enrollment and common accountability systems, to learn what works and what needs to be refined.
Charter schools offer the potential to create high-performing public schools in districts typically plagued by poor student outcomes. Too often, however, the charter school debate is marred by biased research and polemics. Like all important reform efforts, credible research and analysis must accompany innovation. To assess whether charter schools are fulfilling their mission, we rigorously evaluate their performance, costs, and ability to address unique student needs. New data and evidence help innovators across the country collaborate, communicate, and develop best practices.
by Jeffrey Henig Twenty years ago, in the early days of the charter school movement, the hot controversy was “creaming.” Critics worried that charters would target more advantaged suburban populations, skimming off the students most...
by Michael Horn When charter schools were created in the 1990s, they were intended to spur innovation in America’s K–12 school system. Charters, it was thought, would look radically different from what we knew: schools...
by Robin Lake The Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) has been producing Hopes, Fears, & Reality since 2005, after a set of major studies showed conflicting results about charter school performance and caused quite...
by Ethan Gray If you have a winning idea for a new business, the United States has the needed infrastructure to get the business off the ground. There are venture capital markets, economic development councils,...
Suzanne Simburg and Marguerite Roza lay out the cost savings possible if blended learning were adopted by all U.S. public elementary schools, not just charter schools.
Michael Horn writes about how and why many charter schools in California have innovated through technology and asks what it will take for more to follow nationwide.
Ethan Gray argues that cities should incubate their own high-performing charter schools rather than wait for charter networks to build schools in their area.
Jeffrey Henig explores the growth of charter school in suburban and affluent areas.
Editor Robin Lake introduces the key areas explored in this year’s volume of Hopes, Fears, & Reality.
This year’s edition focuses on growth and innovation and pushes charter school leaders to consider whether they are fully using their flexibility and autonomy on behalf of students.
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