Charter Schools
Leadership
Smart Cities: San Diego
Running the San Diego County Office of Education seems pretty tame after tours of duty as state administrator in Oakland and Compton, but Randy Ward argues that county offices are more relevant than ever. With half a million kids and 42 districts there’s plenty to worry about.
Ed Policy
7 Ways States & Districts Can Use Authorizing to Boost Quality & Innovation
Performance contracting is a services agreement with clear outcomes. States and districts have been using performance contracts for public charter schools, private school special education placements, information and business services, and for energy efficiency partnerships.
Personalized Learning
Making Room for Innovation
Despite steady progress on achievement and graduation rates, big gaps remain. Earlier this month Ted Kolderie, Education Evolving, addressed state charter school leaders. He made six important points addressed in this blog.
Ed Policy
States Report Challenges in Their Race to the Top
Last week, the Department of Education released reports for 12 Race to the Top grantees, detailing their progress (or lack thereof) on transforming education at the local level. The reports highlight the second-year work and accomplishments and challenges of implementing new information systems and the required tougher evaluation systems and related collective bargaining agreements.
Personalized Learning
Navigator Schools: Blended Delivery, Engaging Classroom, High Performance
The garlic capital is home of the top scoring new elementary school in California--Gilroy Prep. Veteran educators James Dent and Sharon Waller opened the charter school two years ago after visiting all the best schools and “reverse engineering from site visits.”
Personalized Learning
K12 Report Shows Growth, Calls for Better Measures
Thirteen years ago, when his daughter was six, Ron Packard was a dad searching the Internet for math lessons. He started what became the world’s largest online learning provider, a public company with annual revenues close to $1 billion serving 110,000 full time students in 33 states.
Personalized Learning
New Mexico Families Deserve Options
The New Mexico Public Education Commission (PEC) denied application for a virtual charter school last fall on grounds citing three reasons: 1) The application was contrary to the "best interests" of students, the educational system, and the statewide community; 2) The New Mexico Charter laws are "sufficiently ambiguous" as to the authority of the Commission to grant such a charter; and 3) The Public Education Department's rules for charter schools preclude "distance learning" as a substitute for in-person instruction unless approved by a local school board.
Personalized Learning
4 Initiatives Building Off of the Innovation Momentum
In an increasingly digital age, a growing number of American families are turning to online educational options to help bring a 21st century education to their children. With important education initiatives on the ballot on November 6th, families across the country took to the streets knocking on doors and sending letters to friends, asking for their support for school choice. Their hard work did not go unnoticed as school choice initiatives passed in Georgia, Washington and California.
Personalized Learning
Great Boards for Great Schools
Two decades of experience with performance contracting in the delivery of public education has wrought some hard earned lessons. We know what good authorizing looks like. We know how to open great new schools.
Innov8
SMARTtech Top 10: Happy Thanksgiving
We hope you’re enjoying the long holiday weekend. We know you’re eager to get back to your turkey sandwich leftovers and that backyard game of tag football, which is why we’ve worked to condense the news highlights to just 10 quick items. Here’s your small talk points for early Monday morning back at the office.