Commentary
Accountability & Testing, Standards, Charter Schools
Time for a Reboot
Ed reform is dead. Long live ed reform. Chester E. Finn, Jr.
Commentary
Commentary
Charter Schools
New OCR guidance on equitable resources: A godsend for charter schools?
On the whole, the new guidance from the U.S.
Commentary
Charter Schools
It’s time for Annenberg and AFT to be a little bit more “progressive”
There’s a lot of talk about disruptive innovation these days. It seems hardly a month goes by that we don’t see some sort of exciting new innovation that changes an industry. Sometimes it happens over and over again in the same space. First we had paper maps that were replaced by custom driving directions we could print out from MapQuest (remember those?).
Commentary
Charter Schools
A lion in winter and a coming of age
Over the last month or so, there’ve been a number of notable stories highlighting the passing of the torch from urban districts to urban chartering. The former continue their long, slow decline while the latter experiences the exhilaration and growing pains of emerging adulthood.
Commentary
Charter Schools
What do we really know about Eva Moskowitz's success?
With the release last month of the latest round test scores, Success Academy founder and CEO Eva Moskowitz is now a bona fide national-education-reform celebrity. She is also the latest in a line of educator-activists—like Michelle Rhee or Diane Ravitch—who embody, for supporters and opponents alike, one “side” of the education-reform debate.
Commentary
Charter Schools
Smart markets, diverse options, and Burke's caution
On September 3, I participated in a launch event for Mike McShane’s new book, Education and Opportunity, a publication of AEI’s
Commentary
Charter Schools
An elder statesman speaks
Being an education reformer is often frustrating. No matter how zealously we push an idea or how smart we think it is, sometimes nothing changes. Or—the Common Core is a recent example—we make fast, bold gains at the outset, only to see our efforts watered down, neutered, or repudiated outright...
Commentary
Charter Schools
ExcelinEd on the dos and don'ts of course access
Back in May, Fordham published Expanding the Education Universe: A Fifty-State Strategy for Course Choice, where we explained the idea of “cour
Commentary
Charter Schools, Accountability & Testing
A plea to Marc Tucker (and his colleagues)
Marc Tucker is the author of an important new report: Fixing Our National Accountability System. Although Marc and I disagree on the promise of Relinquishment (most specifically on charter schools), I agree with much of this thinking. But, in this report, Marc makes a strategic mistake in dismissing choice-based reforms. To put it another way: if there is a grand bargain to be made that significantly increases student achievement in the United States, it could look like this: Reduce testing frequency and increase testing rigor Improve the quality of the teaching force Increase charter schools and choice
Commentary
Charter Schools, Accountability & Testing
What the hell is going on at Success Academy?
I’ll have what she’s having.
Commentary
Charter Schools, Standards, Accountability & Testing
Are Catholic schools particularly good at teaching reading?
A look at the most-recent evaluation of Florida's Tax Credit Scholarship Program shows some surprising findings with regard to math and reading scores.
Commentary
Charter Schools
It's Prime Time for school choice advocates to stand up to hucksters (and for accountability)
As a huge fan of both school choice and the NFL, I love the idea of a major star leading a great school and becoming a voice for school reform. Successful athletes who take time to give back, work with young athletes, and ensure kids get a great education should be commended, right?
Commentary
Standards, Charter Schools
The personal touch of relinquishment
David Kirp had a piece in The New York Times on Sunday: Teaching is not a Business. You should check it out. My take on his piece:
Commentary
Charter Schools, Accountability & Testing
Does Student Attrition Explain KIPP's Success?
A new Mathematica study persuasively puts to rest a common charge leveled at KIPP charter schools: that their test score gains are largely attributable to the attrition of their lowest-performing students. The authors compare nineteen KIPP middle schools to district schools and find no meaningful difference among those who walk in the door of each type of school.
Commentary
Charter Schools
For Pete's sake, close low-performing schools
Peet’s Coffee and Tea: We hardly knew you. According to the Columbus Dispatch, Peet’s coffee shop in downtown Columbus will close after less than a year of operation.
Commentary
Charter Schools
Choice and competition: It’s the American way
Competition is healthy in many areas of American life, including education.
Commentary
Charter Schools
Making School Choice Work
How can cities with copious educational choices make those options work better for families?
Commentary
Charter Schools
Columbus charter schools win awards; innovation underway
Three recent news stories you might have missed.
Commentary
Charter Schools
Two charter school debates: When philosophical opposition masquerades as policy commentary
It feels like there are two very different charter-school conversations going on. The first is about policy and practice; the other is about philosophy and politics. Both have their place. But a recent collection of events and articles demonstrate why it’s important to understand the difference between the two.
Commentary
Charter Schools
2014 Schooling In America Survey
We take a look at the results of a recent survey of the public's attitudes toward the state of education in America.
Commentary
Charter Schools
Chester E. Finn, Jr. honored with award from National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
Bravo to Fordham’s original gadfly!The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools yesterday inducted Fordham president Chester E. Finn, Jr. into its Charter School Hall of Fame—established to honor pioneers in the development, growth, and innovation of charter schools.
Commentary
Charter Schools
The one place where school choice and ed reform battles are already over
School choice is a done deal in this one place, and we could learn a lot from it.
Commentary
Charter Schools
An olive branch on voucher accountability
Fordham has long been a supporter of results-based accountability for private-school choice programs.
Commentary
Charter Schools
The wise wonks’ hierarchy of charter school quality
Over the past three weeks, Fordham’s Flypaper blog hosted the charter school wonk-a-thon, an exercise in punditry and policy analysis that exceeded all expectations.
Commentary
Charter Schools
Charter school wonk-a-thon: We have a winner!
Ladies and gentlemen, the voters have spoken and the wisest wonk in the land is…Joe Siedlecki of the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, edging out Michael Goldstein of Match Education, 35 to 27 percent. It’s the biggest upset since Brat beat Cantor! (Granted, that just happened Tuesday.)
Commentary
Charter Schools
Contexts Matter: Selection in Means-Tested School Voucher Programs
A common gripe among choice kvetchers is that private schools that participate in voucher and tax-credit scholarship programs “cherry pick” the best students. This research by University of California professor Cassandra Hart finds evidence to the contrary.
Commentary
Charter Schools
Democracy, community, and school choice
While proponents of school choice often base their case on student achievement—contending that choice-based accountability leads to school improvement and stronger pupil attainments—opponents seem likelier to argue against choice on the grounds that it fractures communities and undermines democratic values.
Commentary
Charter Schools
The three-sector approach and decision-defending
Back in college, one of my political science professors wanted to make a point to a lecture hall full of know-it-all freshman.He asked all of us to think back to when we were first getting interested in politics and developing positions on major issues. For most of us at this inside-the-beltway university, that was early.
Commentary
Charter Schools
Charter school wonk-a-thon: Who was the wisest wonk?
Over the course of thirteen days, Flypaper’s Charter School Wonk-a-Thon produced eleven posts jam-packed with sound analysis on charter school policy today. But who was the wisest, wonkiest wonk of all?
