Ed reform irony from atop the tower
The Education GadflyThe Education Gadfly
The resurgence of urban Catholic education?
For years, I worried that I was auditioning to be the Edward Gibbon of urban Catholic schooling, chronicling the decline and fall of an invaluable, sprawling institution.
Partnership schools: The hundred-year-old start-ups
Kathleen Porter-MageeLet’s not break those things about Catholic schools that make them effective. Kathleen Porter Magee
The 2015 Ohio charter legislation roundup: so far, it’s all about the numbers
Chad L. AldisCharter reform in the state budget
A hopeful trend in charter school teacher turnover
The Education GadflyThe Education Gadfly
The case for career-focused charter schools
A great way to get kids knowledge, skills, credentials, and work experience. Robert Schwartz
Charters should offer pre-K…but can they?
As my colleague Sara Mead has written, we recently completed an analysis of state policies that affect charter/pre-K collaboration. In the analys
Clear and compelling goals could stimulate pre-K charter collaboration
Sara Mead and Ashley LiBetti Mitchel have done a great public service by providing a detailed study of how the early care and K–12 education policy landscape creates barriers to collaboration. It is good to see the Thomas B. Fordham Institute focusing its considerable knowledge and prestige on thinking about this opportunity.
Why should charter schools offer pre-K?
Sara MeadLast week, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute released a new report authored by my colleague Ashley LiBetti Mitchel and me on charter schools and pre-K.
Senator Tim Scott’s impassioned speech on school choice
Editor’s note: Last week, Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) sponsored an amendment that would have allowed Title I dollars to follow low-income children to the schools of their choice. It failed, 45–51.
Lessons from four years as superintendent of Tennessee’s Achievement School District
Editor’s note: Chris Barbic announced today his decision to step down as the head of Tennessee’s Achievement School District, a position he has held since 2011.
School Indicators for New York City Charter Schools 2013–2014 School Year
Robert PondiscioMost of Gotham’s charters are already “backfilling” empty seats. Robert Pondiscio
The hard work has just begun
Robert PondiscioGetting low-income kids into college is hard. Keeping them there to earn a degree is harder. Robert Pondiscio
Pre-K and charter schools: Where state policies create barriers to collaboration
Michael J. Petrilli, Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.Charter schools get the short end of the stick. Again. Michael J. Petrilli and Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.
NEW from Fordham: Pre-K and Charter Schools: Where State Policies Create Barriers to Collaboration
The Education GadflyIn a new study released today from Fordham, authors Sara Mead and Ashley LiBetti Mitchel examine thirty-six jurisdictions that have both charter schools and state-funded pre-K programs to determine where charters can provide state-funded pre-K.
Not so fast on the parade celebrating the Nevada ESA program
Howard FullerI have been and continue to be a strong supporter of parental choice. I joined this fight over twenty-five years ago because I believe it can help address the systemic inequities so many poor students face. In my mind, the primary purpose of parental choice is to provide those who do not currently have high-quality educational options with access to those options.
Charter School Accountability Act Misses the Mark
Chad L. AldisU.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) has introduced the Charter School Accountability Act. In making his case for charter school reform, Senator Brown cites a recent study by Stanford University’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) showing Ohio charter students lagging their peers in traditional public schools on state assessments.
Does Character Matter?
Robert PondiscioOf course it does, but don’t expect common standards anytime soon. Robert Pondiscio
Theory without experience is intellectual play
John Dickinson, probably our nation’s most underappreciated founder, argued at the Constitutional Convention, “Experience must be our only guide. Reason may mislead us.”
Faith, hope, and hard work: Reflections on Year One of Partnership Schools
Kathleen Porter-MageeJune marked the end of my first year as superintendent of Partnership Schools, a nonprofit school management organization that (thanks to an historic agreement with the Archdiocese of New York) was granted broad authority to manage and operate six K–8 urban Catholic schools.
The Educator's Dilemma: When and how schools should embrace poverty relief
Jessica PoinerPutting anti-poverty programs under one roof is a promising approach. Jessica Poiner
Buckets of Water into the Ocean: Non-Public Revenue in Public Charter and Traditional Public Schools
Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.Everybody knows charters make up funding shortfalls with philanthropic dollars. And everybody’s wrong. Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.
RIP, Marva Collins
Chester E. Finn, Jr.It wasn't cool to be a "no-excuses," tough-love teacher for poor minority kids in the 1970s. That was the era of access centered "equity" for one and all, and most educators fretted more about kids struggling in school than about boosting their achievement.
The State of Public Education in New Orleans: 10 Years After Hurricane Katrina
Ellen AlpaughAn insightful and nuanced take on a unique school district. Ellen Alpaugh