Personalized Learning
How new should a new school be?
During a recent AdvanceIE.org school design session, I was struck by the challenge of designing a high school right now. If it opens in 2010, what should it look like in 2014 when the first class graduates? Here’s just a couple of the new design questions: 1. Time to…
Personalized Learning
EIA members know how to teach kids
Some people know how to teach a class. Some people know how to teach kids. Most folks that run tutoring centers are the later. I spent the day at the Education Industry Association meeting in New Orleans. About half the folks there were associated with Supplemental Educational Service providers…
Personalized Learning
ADVANCE Innovative Education school design session
One of my favorite activities is spending time with smart people thinking about new schools. ADVANCE innovative Education, a provider of alternative certification programs in Louisiana, held a design session today with a great group. The assignment was to design a STEM school and a media arts school. Sponsors hope…
Personalized Learning
School of One: pilot project lives up to its name
Education changed on July 6 at PS131 when Joel Rose and an intrepid group of teachers opened a sixth grade summer school pilot program ambitiously called School of One. The NYTimes summarized it well today, but allow me a little hyperbolic extrapolation. Schools tell kids what…
Personalized Learning
Obama's Grad Initiative is Promising
This week President Obama called for the creation of the American Graduation Initiative, a $12 billion effort to encourage degree completion especially Associate degrees and certificates. America has slipped in high school and college completion rates to the middle of the OECD pack. David…
Personalized Learning
The college access formula
A local Rotary group adopted a high need school and asked me “What’s the formula for getting kids into college?” There are three complementary strategies that grant makers and reformers utilize in an attempt to improve college attendance and completion: 1. Academic preparation: students need to…
Personalized Learning
10 friends, clients, and portfolio companies that would make good philanthropic investments
1. Advance Innovative Education : alternative teacher and leader certification in Louisiana. Leader development is like NLNS but with entrepreneurship component with LSU B school. 2. Advance Path Academics : great drop-out prevention network. Districts could use small grants to promote adoption. AdvancePath retrofits…
Personalized Learning
Schools that foster innovation
In my first month as superintendent, Tacoma superintendent Rudy Crew told me to send my leadership team to Harvard to visit Tony Wagner. They came back and said, “there’s this guy who sounds like you, but we understand him.” For 15 years Tony has been a mentor and…
Personalized Learning
Rhode Island Mayoral Academies will be great!
Mike Magee comes from a political family. His brother Marc got his start at PPI and is now CCO of ConnCAN, the best state education advocacy organization. Mike tried to be an English prof, but the genetic pull and a local mayoral race dragged him into politics. After…
Personalized Learning
Candler's new schools making a difference in NOLA
When I visited New Orleans before Katrina, I saw third world schools—decrepit physical conditions, corrupt governance, and abysmal academic output. Based on my last few visits, I can report that some good has come out of the horrible tragedy of the hurricanes—New Orleans has the highest percentage of…