Charter Schools
Personalized Learning
Brooks Suggests Education Course of Action
David Brooks is, at least for me, the great explainer of our times. Fareed Zakaria helps me understand the world. Brooks helps me understand America. For someone particularly interested in education and its role in our society and economy, I’m trying to figure out whether…
Personalized Learning
Choice for equity
Education is political—especially in America. We argue about ends (standards), means (pedagogy), how students show what they know (assessment), scope (e.g., food, sex ed, services), funding, employment, governance, and accountability. Some use a Horace Mann ‘education for democracy’ argument to justify a vision of a ‘Common…
Personalized Learning
June is the new Friday
Most PR specialists tell you to drop bad news on Friday. Maybe the same is true for end of the school year. We’ve certainly had bad news this month. Diploma Counts 2009, the annual EdWeek graduation rate study commissioned by the Gates Foundation, said “ While long-term trends have…
Personalized Learning
Charter school news & views
1. Enrollment hit the Wisconsin virtual charter cap with 1,000 kids on the waiting list. It’s crazy to limit options for kids. This is clearly a case of protecting the status quo rather than doing the right thing for kids. The cap has got to go!…
Personalized Learning
Shalvey: passing the torch, leaving legacy
At the end of May, Don Shalvey handed the helm of Aspire Public Schools to James Willcox. Â While in San Carlos, Don started the first charter in CA. Â He put in 10 good years at Aspire and is headed to the Gates Foundation. Don is one of the…
Personalized Learning
NJ charters get great grad rates
Full post of press release from NJ Charter Assoc (since they don’t seem to have it posted on their site).  This is great news for Newark in particular but for folks like  Stig & DeShawn at the Newark Fund, Melanie Schulz at the leg, Heather Ngoma at Rutgers and…
Personalized Learning
Teacher effectiveness debate: good schools attract good teachers
The ‘good teachers make all the difference’ research is now driving edu-investment. The theory goes: make good teachers, schools get better. I hold the opposite theory: good schools make good teachers. Or, more specifically, get the employment bargain and job right, and you’ll attract and retain…
Personalized Learning
House Ed hears from charter experts
The House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing on Thursday, June 4 to examine how supporting outstanding charter schools can help build an innovative, world-class American school system that educates all students to high levels. President Obama has repeatedly called on states to lift restrictions that…
Personalized Learning
Charter caps, charter block, and Klein on pay
Great post railing on Indiana charter caps by Matthew Tully, IndyStar.com “But when it comes to public education, common sense often flunks out in favor of union contracts, turf-protecting school administrators and the rest of the entrenched education establishment. In Indiana, Statehouse Democrats from Indianapolis, backed by that…
Personalized Learning
Partial list of favorite high schools
A friend asked me for a list of the best schools to visit.  Here’s some of my favorite high schools, each with unique attributes and benefits: Great applied STEM (diverse but moderately low poverty) ·         High Tech High , San Diego ·         Denver…