Alan Blankstein Addresses 200 Public Education Thought Leaders

Author Alan Blankstein addressed more than 200 public education thought leaders in New York at the annual Leadership Conference of the Center for Educational Innovation (CEI) and the Public Education Association (PEA) today about high-debate issues surrounding public, private and charter schools.
His discussion covered the summary of findings from the “Exploratory Study of the HOPE Foundation Courageous Leadership Academy,” which covers two-decades research and one-decade practical application by the Hope Foundation around the concepts of developing Professional Learning Communities and turning around low-performing schools.
The summary covers Blankstein’s “Six Principles” from his award-winning book Failure Is Not an Option: Six Principles that Guide Student Achievement in High-Performing Schools that led to the successful turn-around of low-performing schools in tough urban areas of the Bronx, Brooklyn and Milwaukee as well as whole districts in Wichita, KS; Ft. Wayne, IN; and Mansfield, TX.
Blankstein’s six principles include the following:

• – Developing core mission, vision, values, and goals
• – Ensuring achievement for all students: Systems for intervention and prevention
• – Collaborative teaming focused on teaching and learning
• – Using data to guide decision making and continuous improvement
• – Gaining active engagement from family and community, and
• – Building sustainable leadership capacity

 
He also discussed the topics found in his recent book The Answer is in the Room. For more information visit the American Institutes for Research website at http://www.air.org/files/AIR_Revised_Hope_CLA.pdf.