Did You Know? Findings from Fordham's latest charter school accountability report
Fordham's annual charter school accountability report, "Seeking Quality in the Face of Adversity," is now out! As many of you know, Fordham authorizes (called "sponsoring" in Ohio) six charter schools in Dayton, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Springfield.
Making middle schools work
By guest blogger and Fordham's Director of Charter School Sponsorship Kathryn Mullen Upton
Re: Churches and charters: what do you think?
Eric OsbergI'll take??Emmy's bait. I have no objection to churches working as authorizers, if they can do it well.
Letting go of romantic notions about charter schools in Ohio
Terry RyanThis conversation about churches authorizing charter schools has raised my hackles.
Churches and charters: what do you think?
Emmy L. PartinA central Ohio church has appealed the Ohio Department of Education's denial of its application to become a charter school authorizer (more on the story here, subscription required):
Continued debate on charter schools in Ohio
Jamie Davies O'LearyWhile we at Fordham view the results of the much talked about Hoxby charter study as encouraging and a good rebuttal to charter critics, here's a reminder of the antagonism towa
Jay Mathews, a creative (but maybe illegal) 11th option to "pick the right school"?
Jamie Davies O'LearyYesterday in his column, Jay Mathews asks a question that plagues many of us:"How do parents evaluate the schools their children may attend and escape the heartbreak of buying a great house that turns out to be in the attendance zone of a flawed school?"
Fordham in the news -- Buckeye State clips worth paying attention to
Emmy L. PartinThis weekend saw a flurry of news stories on education in Ohio, and Fordham was in the middle of these in our usual roles of analysts and prognosticators.
Let's praise all schools that work as we don't have enough of them
Terry RyanIn February, during the heated political debate around Governor Strickland's education reform plan, I wrote an opinion piece for the Columbus Dispatch that argued the governor's attack on for-profit charter schools "wou
Majority of Americans misinformed about charters
Jamie Davies O'LearyOkay, I know I'm about the 31,487th person to pick up on this, but there's one factoid in the 2009 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup poll of Americans' attitudes toward public schools that is driving me especially nutty.
Pictures: The first days of school
Teachers and administrators arrive at Columbus Collegiate Academy by 7am.
Smart anti-choice strategies emerging
Emmy L. PartinSchool-choice foes in the Buckeye State are getting smarter about the strategies they employ to undermine the choice movement.???? Since the birth of charters here in 1998 and vouchers in 2005, opponents--namely Democrats, teacher unions, and the education establishment--have fought a "districts = good, choice = bad" fight.????
From Stumbling to Sprinting- Ohio Senator Calls for Charter Improvements
Ohio intern Rachel Roseberry wrote this guest post.
High-quality customizable learning options should be the rule, not the exception
Terry RyanOne could argue that 2011 was the year of “digital learning” in Ohio and across the nation. In September, the White House announced its “Digital Promise” campaign, while a number of states have been embracing initiatives and campaigns in this realm, aided and encouraged by national groups like the Digital Learning Council and the Foundation for Excellence in Education. Ohio’s biennial budget launched the Ohio Digital Learning Task Force and charged it with ensuring that the state’s “legislative environment is conducive to and supportive of the educators and digital innovators at the heart of this transformation.”
Equal Educational Opportunities in Charter Schools
Layla BonnotLeave charters to educate
Ohio is falling behind in the Competition for Education Talent
Terry RyanCities and states across the country are in direct competition for education talent (teachers, school leaders, and key administrators) and great charter school models and operators. This struggle for talent and expertise is especially acute in the country’s mid-section.
A new policy for the PTA finally shows more “P” than “T”
Adam EmersonThe national PTA shakes up its stance on charter authorizing