Pattern of activity points to big problems
Kathryn MullenThree Columbus-area charter schools have had difficulties well beyond the run-of-the-mill start-up issues, possibly tarnishing other charter sponsors working hard to maintain quality, integrity, and transparency.
Hell yes we want instructional change. Don’t you?
Michael J. PetrilliIt’s silly season for the Common Core debate, and I’m not referring to the latest outlandish claims from folks on the far right. It appears that Common Core Dystopia Disorder has infected some of our usually rational and levelheaded friends in the think-tank community, too.
Netflix Academy: The best streaming videos on ancient Asian civilizations
Michael J. PetrilliNote: This post is part of our series, "Netflix Academy: The best educational videos available for streaming." Be sure to check out our previous Netflix Academy posts on
The writing assignment every Common Core opponent should read
Aaron ChurchillThe Common Core, Ohio’s new learning standards in English language arts and math, has been under fire. To the naysayers who are still fuming over the implementation of these standards, they might want to consider the drivel that the Common Core seeks to leave behind.
Worth the read
Louisiana State Superintendent John White continues to impress. Check out this really interesting attempt to create new options for the state’s kids—it’s called the Call to Action.
Lots of school choices, and so little information about them
Adam EmersonWhat good is it to offer an abundance of school options if parents don’t know about them?
Implementing the Common Core State Standards: Year Two Progress Report from the Great City Schools
Melissa ReynoldsThis second annual report on Common Core implementation in forty-eight of the country’s largest urban districts covers a range of topics: professional development, strategies for measuring and collecting data, communication efforts, and the inclusion of ELL students and students with special needs.
Colorado school funding hike goes down in flames
Yesterday, Colorado’s voters resoundingly rejected Amendment 66, which had promised to vastly increase funding for Colorado schools and create a world-class system of education.
Alternative charters and alternative accountability systems
I’m a big fan of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA). They do great work to help charter authorizers significantly improve their practices.
The evolving geography of reform
One of the most important and interesting questions I get about my book, The Urban School System of the Future, is whether I think its analysis and recommendations apply to non-urban districts.
Columbus needs all hands on deck
Chad L. Aldis, Jeff MurrayColumbus' education reform efforts need all the quality players available if the important goals of the Columbus Education Commission are to be achieved.
Netflix Academy: The best streaming videos on Daniel Boone, Annie Oakley, and other American folk heroes
Michael J. PetrilliNote: This post is part of our series, "Netflix Academy: The best educational videos available for streaming." Be sure to check out our previous Netflix Academy posts on
Big education-spending decisions for Colorado voters on election day
Michael BrickmanOn November 5th, Colorado voters head to the polls to decide whether they want to substantially raise their taxes to better fund schools (and, separately, to regulate their newly legal pot—but more on that some other time).
How to fight poverty—and win
Michael J. PetrilliDear Deborah, Thanks for the opportunity to debate the critical issues in education and social policy with you. You are an icon and a hero, and it's been a true honor.
Good standards aren’t prescriptive, but they’re not agnostic, either
Kathleen Porter-MageeIn the debate over Common Core, there may be only one certainty: Both advocates and opponents spend inordinate amounts of time trying to undermine their opponents by pointing to the perceived underhanded and manipulative actions of their foes. The hope, I suppose, is that if you can undermine the credibility of your opponents, you can win the day—facts be damned.
Be careful what you wish for
Chester E. Finn, Jr.Taiwan (a.k.a. the Republic of China or Chinese Taipei) has much going for it in the education realm, particularly its sky-high results on international assessments, but it also has plenty of problems in this sphere. Some came as no great surprise when I visited.
Remember whom open enrollment serves
Chad L. AldisQuick! Name the Ohio school-choice program that has provided students the opportunity to attend a school not operated by their resident school district for the longest period of time. Charter schools? Nope, strike 1. The Cleveland voucher program? Try again, strike 2. Unless you guessed open enrollment, that’s strike 3.
Anecdotes Aren’t Enough: An Evidence-Based Approach to Accountability for Alternative Charter Schools
Kathryn Mullen UptonNew from a workgroup of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA), this report maps an oft-overlooked space in the charter-accountability world: How charters that serve special populations, such as students who have dropped out, are held accountable for performance.
Standardized Testing and the Common Core Standards: You Get What You Pay For?
Victoria McDougaldIn the next school year, field testing of new Common Core assessments will be complete, and states will be faced with the weighty decision about which tests they will use to measure student learning going forward.
A comeuppance deferred?
The Education GadflyAfter a week of insider chatter predicting that L.A.
What do the voices of school choice sound like?
Jeff MurrayA Fordhamite and parent discusses school choice through his family's personal experience.
Louisiana and the promise and pitfalls of accountability systems
Louisiana recently released A-to-F school grades for the 2012–13 school year. These are the first results from the state’s new accountability system.
Hard work: Vital and overlooked
Brandon L. WrightHere’s a simple thought experiment:
The salary schedule versus the law of supply and demand
Aaron ChurchillA look at the systemic shortfalls in qualified applicants for special education, math, and science teachers in Ohio and across the country.
Getting tough on charter authorizing
Kathryn Mullen UptonCharter school authorizing is complex work that requires specialized knowledge and skills. But all the resources in the world are nothing without institutional commitment.
Education reform: Not complicated, but seriously difficult
Given the highly favorable reviews and rave blurbs from such diverse figures as former New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein and American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, one might expect