Should suburban fears drive school choice policy?
Adam EmersonRick Hess is right: Suburbanites aren’t going to willingly erode the quality of their schools and the value of their homes. The question for the school choice movement is whether we should take such realities as a given.
Future Shock: Early Common Core implementation lessons from Ohio
With the 2014-15 Common-Core transition looming, we wondered: How are Ohio’s educators preparing themselves for this big change? Who is doing this work and what can other schools and districts learn from the early adopters? What are lessons, hopes, and fears facing those on the frontlines who have to lead Ohio’s embrace of significantly more rigorous academic standards?
The other problem with LIFO
Guest blogger Rebecca Sibilia, director of fiscal strategy at StudentsFirst, explains how Last-in, First-Out policies hurt students by increasing the number of teachers laid off when budgets are cut.
Challenging the science status quo
Tyson EberhardtHere’s hoping “next generation” also means “better”
Scores are down but advocacy’s on the rise
The Education GadflyTest scores plummeted on Florida’s eighth-grade writing test, prompting education officials to lower the standard for passing and opponents to crow about the fu
Zero Chance of Passage: The Pioneering Charter School Story
Lisa GibesEmber Reichgott Junge: Present at the revolution
“GASB Won't Let Me" - A False Objection to Public Pension Reform
Chris TessoneDon’t kick the pension can down the road
The most important priority: kids come first
Michelle RheeGuest blogger Michelle Rhee writes that, too often, decisions are made and policies are set based on the interests of adults in the system rather than student needs.
Students testify in favor of Cleveland Plan
Aaron Churchill , Hanif AbdurraqibYesterday, Senate Bill 355, otherwise known as “The Cleveland Plan,” was under the microscope again.
Pressing against the fence of a top-flight school district
Adam EmersonLouisiana’s top-rated school district recently reversed its decision to participate in the state’s new school voucher program. Why? Once the superintendent announced the district’s intent to “make a difference” for children coming from low-rated schools, his community told him to back off.
Ohio high schools receive national praise and attention
Adrienne King, Bianca SperanzaCongratulations to Columbus Alternative, Centennial, Stivers, and DECA on your awards.
Why unionized charters would be a setback for Ohio’s school improvement efforts
Terry RyanUnionized charter schools may make good sense for the unions themselves, but they would be a set-back for school improvement efforts in the Buckeye State.
Accountability and perspective needed for drop-out recovery charters
Aaron ChurchillDrop-out recovery charter schools annually serve about 20 percent of Ohio’s 100,000 charter students but have never been held accountable for the performance of their students
Here’s hoping the common science standards are stronger than the mediocre state standards they would replace
Tyson EberhardtStates will need to think hard about whether they can live with the status quo—and whether the NGSS offers a viable alternative.
Common Core critics want ALEC to tell states what to do
Michael J. PetrilliA clique of conservative groups is pushing the message that tomorrow’s ALEC vote is part of a “growing movement” against federal intrusion vis-à-vis the Common Core standards. Problem is, ALEC is already on record against federal intrusion into education vis-à-vis the CCSS.
Tabling a bad idea for Connecticut charters
Adam EmersonThe Connecticut General Assembly wisely tabled an aberrant lottery scheme for charter schools when it passed a sweeping education reform bill, but lawmakers now want to spend state resources investigating the "feasibility" of this bad idea.
Common Core State Standards Math: The Relationship Between High Standards, Systemic Implementation and Student Achievement
Kathleen Porter-MageeRebutting Russ Whitehurst
The State of the NYC Charter School Sector
Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.Data, data everywhere
A states’ rights insurrection led by…California?
Michael J. PetrilliA true-blue challenge to Duncan’s waiver scheme
Mayor Jackson's reasonable request of Ohio's charter community
Terry RyanA free market for schools, not so much for authorizers
Charters and coders get their due
The Education GadflyThis week, Tennessee capped the number of foreign workers on visas that charter schools in the Volunteer State can hire.
Don't kick the pension can down the road
Chris TessoneIllinois lawmakers should resist the urge to delay fixing retirement benefits, instead passing radical reform of the pension system and providing teachers with a forward-thinking retirement plan.
How tests can help us overcome the "soft bigotry of low expectations"
Kathleen Porter-MageeIt’s become popular in many education circles to decry “teaching to the test,” but new research provides one more reason why these independent checks on what students have actually learned are a critical element of an effort to close America’s achievement gap.
NSBA’s Anne Bryant: Districts need more freedom
Anne L. BryantGuest blogger Anne L. Bryant, executive director of the National School Boards Association, writes that granting districts greater autonomy is the key to improving education governance.