CRPE founder Paul Hill coined and developed the portfolio strategy model, a problem-solving framework through which education and civic leaders develop a citywide system of high-quality, diverse, autonomous public schools. It emphasizes choice, accountability, and continuous improvement as levers to create more dynamic and equitable public education systems. While portfolio strategy is not currently a central focus of CRPE’s research, it remains an important part of our legacy, and our team continues to examine its relevance to today’s education challenges.
Portfolio cities are not all created equal. Some, like New Orleans, have been able to advance quickly. Others are slowed down by the public reactions to school closures or school board turnover or other political or technical realities.
Last week, three cities pursuing portfolio strategies held elections. In Denver, voters kept a pro-reform majority on the school board. In Boston, a strong pro-reform mayoral candidate lost, but to a man who serves on a charter school board and favors continued charter expansion.
When Paul Hill wrote CRPE’s treatise, Reinventing Public Education, nearly 20 years ago, he was taking off on an idea developed by David Osborne and Ted Gaebler in Reinventing Government: the role of government should be to steer, not to row.
No results found.
No results found.