Charter Schools
The (new) American Education Agenda
There is an emerging consensus on an education reform agenda that incorporates measurement and accountability, teacher quality, equitable funding, public school choice, and investment in improvement. The short version looks something like this: The (new) American Education Agenda Good Schools: Every student deserves access…
Likely to be the most important post of the year
Brooks column this week will probably be the most important post of the year, so it’s posted in full: The fight against poverty produces great programs but disappointing results. You go visit an inner-city school, job-training program or community youth center and you meet incredible people doing wonderful…
Why charters matter
Barbara O’Brien is a persuasive advocate for kids. As a young corporate executive, she recruited me to visit with Governor Romer in 1992 to convince him that Colorado kids needed charter schools. There are now 141 charters schools in Colorado thanks in large part to (now Lt. Gov)…
Groups making a difference
DFER:  Joe Williams and a strong board continue to push the Ds to support real accountability and real choice. CA Charter Assoc:   Jeb Wallace has kicked CCSA advocacy into high gear—both CA and national. ConnCAN: we’d be in a much different place if…
Good news, bad news
Good news 1.    It’s great news that the Utah State Board approved a pilot of computer adaptive testing. Perhaps it’s another sign of the beginning of the end of the rampant misuse of 1950’s psychometrics. 2.    High performing charter schools seem to have capture the attention of…
Good Cop, Bad Cop in Charter Sector
1.    Good Cop. Following the lead of the CA Charter School Association , it’s a good sign that AZ charters are self policing . Should see more of this from TX Charter Schools now that David Dunn is there. 2.    Bad Cop.  The…
Charter demand high but schools still under attack
NY Daily News reported on the Harlem Success lottery. Hard to read this without supporting charters: Ebony Griffin, 26, whose daughter Yolanda, 4, got a seat, said her prayers were answered. “I was sitting there like, ‘Please, please,’ and then her…
Roundtable Rock Stars; a lottery in Harlem
1. Philanthropy Roundtable members backs advocacy We don’t have many rock stars in education, but the few that exist were at 30 Rock, in Rainbow Room. Howard Fuller called for more minority charter developers. A powerful lunch panel including Joel Klein (NYC DOE), Geoffrey (HCZ), and…
Achievement gap amounts to permanent recession
McKinsey released an important study on the American achievement gap—a gap between American and other developed countries, a gap between races, a gap between income groups, and a gap between schools, districts and states. Low achievement levels amount to a permanent recession.  Friedman on…
Read new AEI white paper on edu innovation
American Enterprise Institute suggests an entrepreneurial approach to most problems we face including education.  They recently published my white paper Private Capital & Public Education: Toward Quality at Scale.  …