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.
Mayor Jackson’s reasonable request of Ohio’s charter community
Terry RyanIt is in the hope of stemming the loss of families and children that the mayor has proposed his bold school reform plan that seeks to turn the city’s educational fortunes around.
Mayor Jackson’s reasonable request of Ohio’s charter community
Terry RyanIt is in the hope of stemming the loss of families and children that the mayor has proposed his bold school reform plan that seeks to turn the city’s educational fortunes around.
Ohio’s “value-added” metric not ready for primetime
Emmy L. PartinThere is little dispute that information about the academic gains students make (or don’t) is a valuable addition to pure student proficiency data. But there is little agreement about how best to calculate growth and how to use it.
When Washington focuses on schools
Chester E. Finn, Jr.With trivial exceptions, Washington does not run schools, employ teachers, buy textbooks, write curriculum, hand out diplomas, or decide who gets promoted to 5th grade.
Ohio’s elementary special ed students see improvement while their high school peers languish
Aaron ChurchillAre Ohio’s special education students benefiting from all this spending? Not if you look at their student achievement.
Early reports from the heartland show support for the Common Core
Terry RyanThe report, Future Shock: Early Common Core Lessons from Ohio Implementers, will be released next week, but some of Belcher’s findings are worth reporting early because this is such a burning issue for schools and educators across the state.