The moderate extremism of relinquishment
Neerav KingslandNeerav Kingsland of New Schools for New Orleans outlines the basics of Relinquishment
Replication, rural, resistance, reauthorization, and revamping
Andy Smarick's picks of the week
Chris Barbic, Nelson Smith, Landry Clarke & Gene Gene the Dancing Machine
Smith's new brief tells the story of the still-young Achievement School District in Tennessee
Proud to be a private public school parent
Michael J. PetrilliThere's public, and then there's “public.”
Redefining the School District in Tennessee
Nelson SmithAs the challenges of education governance loom ever larger and the dysfunction and incapacity of the traditional K-12 system reveal themselves as major roadblocks to urgently-needed reforms across that system, many have asked, “What’s the alternative?”
Budget, KC, Dallas, anthropologists, and the zen of Bill Murray
Sage advice and news tidbits from Andy Smarick
Agitating, standards, charters, teachers, and widgets
Andy's picks, from Kansas City to CALDER
The good news from Pakistan
Chester E. Finn, Jr.A new book from Sir Michael Barber, noted British education reformer, describes an effort to improve education in rural Pakistan
Quixote, jobs, innovation, and Catholic schools
A collection of news and announcements
Governance in the charter school sector: Time for a reboot
Adam EmersonWhen charter schools first emerged more than two decades ago, they presented an innovation in public school governance. No longer would school districts enjoy the “exclusive franchise” to own and operate public schools, as chartering pioneer and advocate Ted Kolderie explained. Charters wouldn’t gain all of the independence of private schools—they would still report to a publicly accountable body, or authorizer—but they would be largely freed from the micromanagement of school boards, district bureaucracies, and union contracts. Autonomy, in exchange for accountability, would reign supreme.
SIG, tests, and state legislative proposals
Andy Smarick's pick of the news
Ed Next Book Club: Tony Wagner on Creating Innovators
In this edition of the Ed Next Book Club, Mike Petrilli sits down with Tony Wagner to discuss his new book
Searching for Excellence: A Five-City, Cross-State Comparison of Charter School Quality
Conducted jointly by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and Public Impact, the new research study Searching for Excellence: A Five-City, Cross-State Comparison of Charter School Quality sheds light on charter performance — in Albany, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, and Indianapolis. These cities were highlighted because they have relatively large numbers of charter schools and charter school students. These are cities where charters have been part of the educational landscape for a decade or more. Read this exciting report today!
Educator evals, assessments, closures, and authorizing
Keeping up with education headlines
When Teachers Choose Pension Plans: The Florida Story
Matthew M. Chingos, Martin R. WestIn an era of budgetary belt tightening, state and local policy makers are finally awakening to the impact of teacher pension costs on their bottom lines. Recent reports demonstrate that such pension programs across the United States are burdened by almost $390 billion in unfunded liabilities. Yet, most states and municipalities have been taking the road of least resistance, tinkering around the edges rather than tackling systemic (but painful) pension reform. Is the solution to the pension crisis to offer teachers the option of a 401(k)-style plan (also known as a "defined contribution" or DC plan) instead of a traditional pension plan? Would this alternative appeal to teachers? When Teachers Choose Pension Plans: The Florida Story sets out to answer these questions.
A few good reads
Andy Smarick's pick of recent education news
The Alternative
The second of two posts on the past, present, and future of urban schooling
Kojo, Mike, and Abigail on shifting school boundaries
Pamela TatzEarlier today on WAMU, Washington’s local NPR station, Kojo Nnamdi hosted a fascinating discussion on school boundaries, charter schools, and choice
We can change
The first of two posts on the past, present, and future of urban schooling
Is the red tape a red herring?
Amber M. Northern, Ph.D., Chester E. Finn, Jr.Many proponents of private school choice take for granted that schools won’t participate if government asks too much of them; but is this assumption justified?
School Choice Regulations: Red Tape or Red Herring?
David A. StuitIt turns out that private schools are not vehemently opposed to academic accountability (including state testing and reporting requirements), according to a new Fordham report out today
School Choice Regulations: Red Tape or Red Herring?
David A. Stuit, Sy DoanMany proponents of private school choice take for granted that schools won’t participate if government asks too much of them, especially if it demands that they be publicly accountable for student achievement. Were such school refusals to be widespread, the programs themselves could not serve many kids. But is this assumption justified? A new Fordham Institute study—to be released on January 29—provides empirical answers. Do regulations and accountability requirements deter private schools from participating in choice programs? How important are such requirements compared to other factors, such as voucher amounts? Are certain types of regulations stronger deterrents than others? Do certain types schools shy away from regulation more than others?
The Diverse Schools Dilemma: On the web, on the air, and in your hometown
Michael J. PetrilliMike's new book, the Diverse Schools Dilemma: A Parent's Guide to Socioeconomically Mixed Public Schools, continues to garner attention
What We’re Listening To: Mike Petrilli and Josh Starr on Whether the Brightest Students Are Being Challenged
This week, Mike Petrilli was a guest on "What’s the Big Idea?," a podcast hosted by Josh Starr
Playing the gifted-student race card
Chester E. Finn, Jr.Shame on the New York Times
The progressive view of school choice
J. Martin RochesterOptions for students, not parents
Education Governance for the Twenty-First Century: Overcoming the Structural Barriers to School Reform
Paul Manna, Patrick McGuinnAmerica’s fragmented, decentralized, politicized, and bureaucratic system of education governance is a major impediment to school reform. In Education Governance for the Twenty-First Century: Overcoming the Structural Barriers to School Reform, a number of leading education scholars, analysts, and practitioners show that understanding the impact of specific policy changes in areas such as standards, testing, teachers, or school choice requires careful analysis of the broader governing arrangements that influence their content, implementation, and impact.