School Indicators for New York City Charter Schools 2013–2014 School Year

Most of Gotham’s charters are already “backfilling” empty seats. Robert Pondiscio

The hard work has just begun

Getting 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

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

In 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

I 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.

Scott Walker quotes about education

Gadfly Bites - 7/10/15

Federal efforts to fix charter law in Ohio

Charter School Accountability Act Misses the Mark

U.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?

Of course it does, but don’t expect common standards anytime soon. Robert Pondiscio

To my friends on the Left and Right: Please stop polarizing the ESEA debate

It’s finally here: Our best chance to update the Elementary and Secondary Education Act since its passage shortly after 9/11.  A whole generation of students has come and gone, yet our nation’s key education law remains the same. There’s absolutely no good reason to delay reauthorization any longer. To the contrary; it’s sorely overdue.

Bobby Jindal quotes about education

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

June 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.

Chris Christie quotes about education

ESAs aren't for everyone

And that’s OK. Michael J. Petrilli

The Educator's Dilemma: When and how schools should embrace poverty relief

Putting 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

Everybody knows charters make up funding shortfalls with philanthropic dollars. And everybody’s wrong. Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.

RIP, Marva Collins

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

An insightful and nuanced take on a unique school district. Ellen Alpaugh

What Happens When Schools Become Magnet Schools?

A study of specialized schools reveals a mixed legacy of success. Alyssa Schwenk

Charter schools at (almost) a quarter-century: Looking back, looking ahead

Reasons to be hopeful for the next twenty-five years. Chester E. Finn, Jr. and Bruno V. Manno

Why almost universal is not good enough

State agencies can't do it alone

ESAs let parents drive the quality discussion

Wanted: A new breed of bureaucrat in Nevada

A new approach for a new era of education

Let the market work

Holding Public Charter School Authorizers Accountable: State Experiences and Policy Recommendations

Commonsense reforms to rein in misbehaving authorizers. Michelle Lerner

Deregulation in the Buckeye State

Concrete ideas for empowering traditional public schools. Chad L. Aldis and Aaron Churchill