Posts by Tom Vander Ark
New Frame for ESEA: Half Right, Big Risk
Message refined, Secretary Duncan is doing the morning show circuit socializing a proposal for the reauthorization of federal education policy.  He’s attempting to assemble the first bipartisan coalition of the Obama administration to address a major piece of legislation. It won’t be easy and it probably won’t happen this year…
The School Choice Debate in India
HYDERABAD. After three weeks with Gray Matters Capital, I realized that I landed in India at a very dynamic time of education reform—a very different version than is occurring in the US—perhaps not really reform, but a rapid evolution of a multi-provider system of education with 500 million eager customers.
Thoughts for Charter School Authorizers
Dear Charter Authorizers, 1. Some of you are becoming school districts–bureaucratic and directive. Â What happened to ‘autonomy for accountability’? Â Reading some of your renewal reviews, it’s like having a boss all over again. 2. Timelines are so long and apps are so big and expensive to prepare,…
NY could learn some things from LA too
Margaret Raymond’s LA Times piece suggested that LA could learn from NY. Â That’s true in some areas of school reform, but I think there may be problems with some of her assertions and her timing. 1. She references her study which had obvious flaws regarding matching (i.e., first…
We are Stuck
Even if you read Tom Friedman’s column this morning, read the conclusion again: It was hard to read President Obama’s eloquent State of the Union address and not feel torn between his vision for the coming years and the awareness that the forces of inertia and special…
Advice to a New Foundation
Launching a new foundation is about the most interesting work in the world. It’s a distinct privilege and a challenge. The most basic question is the extent to which you want to meet current needs or improve future conditions—charity or impact investing. They are both important but suggest very…
10 Reasons This is the Decade of Edupreneurs
Here’s 9 reasons that this will be a great decade for edupreneurs. new money foundations focused on new school development a multiplying horde of venture/private equity investors interested in disruptive learning technology a small but growing number of impact funds investing for return and social impact mature engines of social…
Competition, Civil Rights, and Change Theory
Civil rights advocates are split on the competitive nature of $10 billion in grant programs from the US Department of Education. Some, like Education Equality Project, view it as an opportunity for states and districts with competent leadership to make important performance-promoting and gap-closing advances. Others, like the…
What I'm hearing
Here’s a quick overview of where I think the Department of Education is headed and a couple of the themes you’ll hear about tomorrow. Goals/Focus 1.Best in the world in college completion 2. Top of TIMSS by end of decade 3. Big STEM push…
New School Ecosystems
There are interesting parallels between charter schools in the US and affordable private school in India. Both focus on the urban poor, promote choice, and often develop within an entrepreneurial ecosystem. Whether it’s New Orleans or Hyderabad, there are a dozen accelerants that promote access and quality: 1. Incubation…