A Tale of Two (Charter) Cities
Robin Lake cautions against celebrating school choice as an end in itself, as Detroit and other cities show that unregulated school choice is a nightmare for parents and very difficult to fix.
The Lens
Bringing vision and clarity to education policy
Columbus Children Falling Through the Cracks
Paul Hill | Tue, 01/21/2014
Paul Hill comments on the recent charter school debacle in Columbus, Ohio, and the need for a new, community-wide K-12 governance system.
Asking the Hard Questions about District-Charter Collaboration
Sarah Yatsko | Wed, 01/15/2014
Sarah Yatsko discusses the district-charter collaboration efforts that are - and are not - worth the time.
The Big Message from NAEP TUDA
Paul Hill | Fri, 12/20/2013
Paul Hill's takeaway from the NAEP TUDA scores: the problem of educating low-income and minority children in big cities is still waiting to be solved.
What the NAEP TUDA Results Don’t Tell Us
Robin Lake | Thu, 12/19/2013
Robin Lake writes that the NAEP TUDA results—and the reaction they cause—are a reminder of the need for meaningful educational outcome data in cities.
State Chiefs Need To Cage-Bust, Too
Robin Lake | Wed, 12/18/2013
State education agency leaders too often wring their hands about not having any control over districts instead of finding ways to take advantage of the current leverage they have, writes Robin Lake.
Washington's Charter Schools May Not Be "Common" But They ARE Public
Robin Lake | Fri, 12/13/2013
Contrary to early media reports that the Washington State charter school law was found unconstitutional, the judge actually upheld the entire charter law, with some minor exceptions, Robin Lake writes.
Don’t Manage Talent by Remote Control
Michael DeArmond | Tue, 12/10/2013
Michael DeArmond cautions that state-mandated teacher evaluation systems can weaken principals’ ability to manage teacher talent and urges flexibility for schools that have purposeful HR systems.