America's best (and worst) cities for school choice
Amber M. Northern, Ph.D., Michael J. PetrilliReformers: Keep building smarter policies. But keep your eyes on the politics, too. Amber M. Northern, Ph.D., and Michael J. Petrilli
How Fordham's rankings measure up
At CRPE, we believe strongly in taking a city-wide view of education. The reality of urban education these days is a complicated mash-up of schools run by districts, charter providers, independent private schools, and sometimes even state agencies.
Three school choice commitments for 2016
David Griffith, Kevin MahnkenBy David Griffith and Kevin Mahnken
The school choice movement's schisms, explained
Michael J. PetrilliBy Michael J. Petrilli
School choice: The end of the beginning
I’ve dedicated a big part of my career to expanding school choice. I think it’s the right thing to do for kids, families, educators, neighborhoods, civil society, and much else. In fact, I’m convinced that years from now, students of history will be scandalized to learn that we used to have a K–12 system defined by one government provider in each geographic area.
A guide for K–12 gardeners
Fordham’s exceptional study illuminates school choice in thirty cities and how it can improve nationwide. By Frederick M. Hess
Coming soon - Quality in Adversity: Lessons from Ohio's best charter schools
Ohio Education GadflyListening to some of the most important voices in the charter school debate
Public private districts and open enrollment
Aaron ChurchillMany of Ohio's best districts are closed to open enrollment
More than meets the eye: Ohio’s unimpressive charter law ranking
Jamie Davies O'LearyLooking behind the latest NAPCS rankings
Governing urban schools in the future: What’s facing Philadelphia and Pennsylvania
Chester E. Finn, Jr.Urban school governance is a moving target, in part because it’s pretty clear that there’s no best way to handle it and in part because no change in a city’s arrangements ever works as well as its promoters hoped.
Rays of hope in the Sunshine State
The Education GadflyOn the same day that Jeb Bush unveiled his education agenda, thousands of families in his home state marched in Tallahassee to support some of the very school choice programs he championed in office.
Court watching
The Education GadflyThe ink is dry on the bill, the interest groups are mollified, and the lobbyists have made the first payments on their tastefully appointed condominiums. Now that the Every Student Achieves Act has become the law of the land, it’s time to examine its implications for our federal education bureaucracy.
America's most disadvantaged students need real accountability, not ideology
John WhiteIn a recent blog post, Jason Bedrick of the Cato Institute attributes the apparently troubling results of a recent study on Louisiana’s private school voucher program to the theory that “[r]egulations intended to guarantee quality might well have had the opposite effect.
Louisiana's voucher program and student achievement
Amber M. Northern, Ph.D., Michael J. PetrilliA new study from the National Bureau of Economic Research examines how Louisiana’s statewide voucher program affects student achievement. The Pelican State expanded its program statewide in 2012; by 2014, twelve thousand students had applied for more than six thousand slots to attend 126 private schools.
It’s time to stop talking about Ohio’s federal charter school grant
Jamie Davies O'LearyMoney to expand high-performing charters should not be jeopardized by bad actors
My favorite writing of 2015
As 2015 was coming to a close, I compiled a list of my fifty favorite reads of the year. You can find them all here.
On the road to better accessibility, autonomy, and accountability in charter schools
Jamie Davies O'LearyFourteen states have seen positive policy changes since NACSA’s inaugural report last year. By Jamie Davies O’Leary
Catholic School Renaissance: A Wise Giver's Guide to Strengthening a National Asset
Kate StringerIn time for Christmas, a how-to book for philanthropists who want to bring new life to Catholic schools. By Kate Stringer
Education posts I wish I'd written this year
Robert PondiscioThe best compliment I can pay a fellow education blogger is to confess professional jealousy. By Robert Pondiscio
You’re invited! Fordham report release: Lessons from Ohio’s best charter schools
Ohio Education GadflyCelebrate National School Choice Week in Columbus on January 27
On the Road to Better Accessibility, Autonomy, and Accountability: State Policy Analysis 2015
Jamie Davies O'LearyRankings against policy recommendations
What I saw at Success Academies
On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of visiting Success Academy Harlem 1 and hearing from Eva Moskowitz and the SA staff about their model. I’m not going to venture into the thorny stuff about SA here. What I will say is that their results on state tests are clearly impressive, and I doubt that they’re fully (or even largely) explained by the practices that cause controversy.
The effect of public and private schooling on anti-Semitism
Kevin MahnkenAttending a religious school might reduce bigotry. Kevin Mahnken
Special education trends in charter schools
Jamie Davies O'LearyMore myth-busting evidence about serving kids with special needs. Jamie Davies O'Leary