Staff Picks: Charter Authorizing, Charter Days, Solar Power & Cloud Textbooks

Karen picks “Emanuel Takes Push for Longer Day to Charter Schools”

Karen says, “Chicago Mayor, Rahm Emmanuel pushes for a longer school day.  Based in part of Rocketship Education’s success and following the lead by the Chicago Public Schools who have been leaders in reform in the past, the Mayor is helping to sustain the changes by moving Chicago Public Schools away from the fact that they have one of the shortest school days and school years among the largest school districts in the US.  Emmanuel states correctly that we cannot wait to stop cheating our students.  It is time to stop the debate and think about the best interests of students in order to compete not just nationally but globally.”

Sarah picks “Publishers Turn to Cloud Computing to Offer Digital Content”

Sarah says, “The past two weeks we’ve seen some exciting shifts in personal digital learning. More companies are offering open content and free platforms. In addition, eTextbooks, eBooks and eReaders have taken off. In fact, I think eReaders are likely one of the most adopted technology tools that transform the way we process content that was once in print. Yet, what if we put those texts in the cloud? Then, students could acces their reading from anywhere. This article talks about the development of cloud publishing and mentions McGraw-Hill Education’s Cinch. This is another exciting development that will push schools’ and districts’ dollars away from textbook spending and toward effective technology.” 

Caroline picks “Solar-powered iPads boost rural education in Zimbabwe”

Caroline says, “Having spent time in Africa I have a soft spot for education in rural countries. I love that even the poorest of schools are able to offer students access to technology that will expand their learning. The students of Africa are resilient and deserve a world class education. The fact that the iPads are solar powered is powerful and will reduce new costs for schools that are already struggling.”

Tom picks Contracting as the concept of the week.

Tom says, “Charter Authorizers know how to ensure great new schools.  At their Leadership Conference they released a report detailing 12 Essential Practices.  After attending their conference, I’m convinced that Performance Contracting is a Model for Governance, Provisioning, & Accountability.“