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Video
12.8.2011

Is It Time to Turn the Page on Federal Accountability in Education?

With ESEA reauthorization looming, there's much debate over the proper role for the federal government in holding schools accountable. In their recent ESEA Briefing Book, Fordham Institute President Chester E. Finn, Jr., and Executive Vice President Michael J. Petrilli argue that it's time to turn the page on federally-mandated accountability (such as "Adequate Yearly Progress" and connected sanctions), since it can't successfully be imposed from Washington. Instead, they say, Uncle Sam should ensure that education results and finances are transparent to the public?and leave it to the states and districts to do the rest.

Video
12.8.2011

DC teachers speak out about teacher evaluations

Many states, including Ohio, are moving toward more rigorous evaluation systems. We talked to DC teachers evaluated by DC's IMPACT evaluation system to hear their thoughts on how they're evaluated.

Video
12.8.2011

Are Education Schools Amenable to Reform?

Many reformers and funders have written off schools of education as beyond repair, and much of the current energy for teacher preparation is centered on non-traditional programs like Teach For America. But are schools of education more ready for reform than the conventional wisdom supposes? Join the Thomas B. Fordham Institute for a lively and provocative debate about that question. Institute President Chester Finn will moderate, and the discussion will be informed, in part, by Fordham's recent study, Cracks in the Ivory Tower? The Views of Education Professors Circa 2010, as well as by the recently-announced effort, led by Jim Cibulka's NCATE, to overhaul the teacher evaluation system.

Report
12.8.2011
Charter Schools

Better Choices: Charter Incubation as a Strategy for Improving the Charter School Sector

Terry Ryan

In this policy brief, Public Impact??s Joe Ableidinger and Julie Kowal examine the merits of the incubation model, outline specific strategies for supporting it, and profile organizations around the U.S. putting it into practice. The authors explain that through the strategic recruitment, selection, and training of talented leaders???and support of them as they launch or expand new charter schools???incubators offer charter school advocates an important tool in guaranteeing quality school choice.

Commentary
11.22.2011

Business buy-in doesn???t sell out digital learning

Tyson Eberhardt

?Selling Schools Out: the Scam of Virtual Education Reform.? The headline gracing the cover of the Nation?s December 5 edition does a pretty good job conveying the nuance and objectivity to be found in its expose of the digital learning landscape, a sprawling indictment of online schooling in general.

Commentary
11.18.2011

The week in review: local control, teacher unions, & democracy

Who knew democracy could be such a sensitive subject? When Mike wondered whether union clout has corrupted the progressive ideals of school boards and local control on Monday, he touched off a flurry of posts in the ed reform blogosphere over the interplay of politics and education. Here?s a quick recap.

Commentary
11.17.2011

What does the Digital Age mean for teachers?

Tyson Eberhardt

Yesterday, the Fordham Institute released the latest papers in its Creating Sound Policy for Digital Learning series, including Bryan and Emily Hassel?s ?Teachers in the Age of Digital Instruction.? Digital learning is often portrayed as a threat to the teaching profession, swapping teachers for computers in order to cut budgets. The reality, the authors argue, will be both more complicated and rewarding for educators:

Commentary
11.17.2011

Tom Vander Ark on "School Finance in the Digital-Learning Era"

The second paper released yesterday deals with the digital learning implications for school finance. Author Paul Hill leads the Center for Reinventing Public Education. His work over the last two decades has done more to shape my views about how to design delivery of public education than any other scholar. Like the Hassels? paper, the recommendations presented in School Finance in the Digital-Learning Era are well aligned with the recommendations of Digital Learning Now.

Commentary
11.16.2011

The Race's slow pokes

The Chariots of Fire theme song echoed across the plains on Tuesday as states submitted their Race to the Top applications. But not everyone is drawn to the bait of federal dollars when it contains reform hooks.

Commentary
11.16.2011

The truth about 21st century skills

Seems 21st century skills have become all the rage, but do they deserve the kudos? Common Core will take on this very topic on February 24, 2009 from 1:30 to 3:00 pm.

Commentary
11.16.2011

Wanna mess with Hess?

It’s a once in a lifetime (or every three years) opportunity: work for the one-and-only Frederick M. Hess. He, of AEI education policy scholarship, is currently seeking a Research Assistant, who would support him in various organizational, writing, and other tasks. Think you can keep up with the man who writes 452,908 books a year?

Commentary
11.16.2011

Wanted: Money whiz

Us: a think tank at the forefront of education reform. You: An energetic, organized, and creative person with strong investing and accounting skills, who welcomes the challenge of strategic budgeting for a complex, multi-million-dollar nonprofit.

Commentary
11.16.2011

Wanted: Tutors for urban students

Recent college grads, are you looking for a hands-on opportunity to make a difference in urban education? Parents of unguided recent college grads, do you know a 22-year old who would benefit from doing something useful for others? And in Boston, no less?

Report
11.16.2011
School Finance

School Finance in the Digital-Learning Era

Paul T. Hill

Will the move toward virtual and “blended learning” schools in American education repeat the mistakes of the charter-school movement, or will it learn from them? The Thomas B. Fordham Institute, with the support of the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, has commissioned five deep-thought papers that, together, address the thorniest policy issues surrounding digital learning. The goal is to boost the prospects for successful online learning (both substantively and politically) over the long run.

Commentary
11.16.2011

Who has a problem with democracy?

I was intrigued to see the democracy defense offered by the Establishment Reactionary Dynamic Duo of Ravitch & Weingarten, as if to say it?s okay to sentence children to chronically failing and dangerous schools, as long as unions succeed in getting the vote out on off-peak election days.

Commentary
11.16.2011

Bill Tucker's take on Creating Sound Policy for Digital Learning

Teachers in the Age of Digital Instruction and School Finance in the Digital-Learning Era, two new working papers in the Fordham Institute?s series on digital learning, are welcome additions to the often narrow debates around online learning.

Commentary
11.16.2011

Tom Vander Ark on ???Teachers in the Age of Digital Instruction???

Fordham released two important papers today as part of the Creating Sound Policy for Digital Learning series. The first, Teachers in the Age of Digital Instruction, is by the co-directors of Public Impact. Bryan and Emily Hassel are the Malcolm Gladwells of education?they point to profound truths hiding in plain sight. In short, this is the best current description of the implications of digital learning on learning professionals.

Commentary
11.16.2011

Transforming teaching and school funding for the digital future

Tyson Eberhardt

Today Fordham is releasing the latest installments in our Creating Sound Policy for Digital Learning series, offering a glimpse at what the digital future may hold for teachers and school finance?and addressing potential pitfalls on the way to realizing that promise. In one paper, ?Teachers in the Age of Digital Instruction,? Bryan and Emily Hassel argue that the growth of digital learning should greatly alter the roles and compensation of educators?although not necessarily at the expense of teachers?by ?unbundling? their responsibilities. In the other, ?School Finance in the Digital-Learning Era,? Paul T. Hill warns that the outdated way we fund schools threatens to cripple innovation in online education. Taken together, today?s publications present an appealing, 21st-century approach to education?a future threatened by our existing approaches to teaching and school funding. Be sure to check out Flypaper over the coming days as experts post their reactions to the release; for now, download and explore the papers yourself.

Commentary
11.15.2011

Education News Nuggets

After much anticipation, Election Day is finally here—and we've got the photos to prove it.  If you're in NYC, you can share your election day experience

Commentary
11.15.2011

Rhee watch

The Wall Street Journal thinks it unlikely that former D.C.

Commentary
11.15.2011

Rhee to Florida?

The Washington Post's Answer Sheet blog is speculating:

Commentary
11.15.2011

Rhee's political mind

Politico has a long-ish (for Politico, at least) story on Michelle Rhee. Before the electoral defeat of Rhee's former boss and Washington, D.C.'s former mayor, Adrian Fenty?a defeat that, the writers note, ?surprised?

Commentary
11.15.2011

What the Feds should and shouldn't do

Peter Meyer

Just when academic excellence ?seemed to be making a comeback with our educators and policymakers we face the challenge of another wave of education tool and die makers whose products are confused with, er, knowledge.?