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On the 8th Day of Christmas CER Gave to Me…

December 28, 2016 By

Charter Schools Leading!

(7th) Opportunity Scholars Expanding
(6th) Parent Power Growing
(5th) State Policy Changing
(4th) Reformie Ladies Lunching
(3rd) A Global Hub for Technology
(2nd) Model Legislation
And a Nominee for Opportunity!

 

The 8th in our 12-ish days of Christmas series, intended to bring gifts to education reformers everywhere!

Charter schools are no longer a marginal experiment in US education.

Charter schools were started as a bipartisan effort to give schools more freedom and flexibility to meet results currently not being attained by district schools. As Ember Reichgott Junge, former Minnesota state senator and author of the first charter school bill in the nation, explains, “Chartering trades regulation for results, bureaucracy for accountability.”

Today, there are more than 6,700 charters enrolling nearly three million children in 43 states and Washington DC, leading the way in outcomes for children. There are arts-based charter schools, online charter schools, charter schools focused on STEAM and STEM curriculums, charter schools focused on the classics, and much more. 

The beauty of charter schools is that there is no “one-size-fits-all” model, and parents and children are free to determine if a school is a good fit – a sharp contrast to the district model.

As a student from Natomas Charter School – the winner in our Back Off My Charter video contest – told HBO comedian John Oliver, “The world realizes that education is an archaic model that needs updating – that’s why we have charter schools. We experiment, challenge and create – we pioneer change in hopes that other traditional schools will follow suit.”

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On the 7th Day of Christmas CER Gave to Me…

December 27, 2016 By

Opportunity Scholars Expanding!

(6th) Parent Power Growing
(5th) State Policy Changing
(4th) Reformie Ladies Lunching
(3rd) A Global Hub for Technology
(2nd) Model Legislation
And a Nominee for Opportunity!

 

The 7th in our 12-ish days of Christmas series, intended to bring gifts to education reformers everywhere!

by Princess V. Lyles on behalf of Opportunity DC, a project of CER and Democracy Builders

The DC Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) launched in 2004. This vital choice program provides low-income families with federally funded scholarships to attend independent schools throughout the District of Columbia. Since its inception, over 6,500 families have seen their opportunities expand.

Our holiday wish is to see the program expanded as soon as possible!

Throughout 2016 our team of grassroots organizers worked side by side with families who receive this scholarship. We listened to their stories, heard from their children, and supported their efforts as they plead with Members of Congress to sustain and grow this vital program. We stand behind these amazing families because we know that the OSP works! Graduation rates for OSP recipients surpass ninety percent, compared to 69% in DCPS.

OSP Scholars meeting with Senator Thom Tillis

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to education. As Americans we have choice in almost every aspect of our daily lives…and yet for many low-income families, their zip code alone is the determining factor in the quality or their school. The OSP provides an additional option for DC families who aren’t selected in the lottery for their choice of traditional or public charter schools. The program is a rising tide in DC that has lifted all boats, as all three sectors have seen tremendous academic gains in the past 12 years.

We hope Congress not only sustains and expands the OSP, but that they share the lessons learned from over a decade of true choice in DC with even more students across the nation. Join us in the fight! #EdChoiceMatters.

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On the Sixth Day of Christmas CER gave to me…

December 22, 2016 By

Parent Power Growing!

(5th) State Policy Changing
(4th) Reformie Ladies Lunching
(3rd) A Global Hub for Technology
(2nd) Model Legislation
And a Nominee for Opportunity!

 

The 6th in our 12-ish days of Christmas series, intended to bring gifts to education reformers everywhere!

Parent Power is growing and evolving – not just in practice,
but in the way we think about and talk about what this term means. The lingo may have changed slightly, but the goal is still the same.

Let us explain.

The Center has more than two decades under its belt working to empower parents. And since 1999, CER has been providing Parent Power!, a program aimed at helping parents make sense of schooling. Parent Power! started out as a quarterly magazine, but as the World Wide Web grew, so did Parent Power!  CER has helped develop and network over 10,000 grassroots groups all across the country.

The Parent Power Index is CER’s vision for the next generation of Parent Power!

Why the switch from the alliterative title? Throughout 2016, The Center for Education Reform reenvisioned its focus and mission and began the important work of reframing the debate about education in America. No longer content just to reform education, CER is now dedicated to expanding educational opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans.

Our vision is a country and states that provide increased, quality educational opportunities that secure our nation’s freedom and future prosperity. At the heart of that prosperity is freedom, and the ability to apply the entrepreneurial spirit of this country to all education, where it is most urgently needed. And at the heart of that freedom is giving parents the fundamental power to choose the kind of education and learning environment that best suits their child’s needs.

Thus we are melding the power of innovation not present when we first helped start the modern EdReform movement, with the importance of opportunity as the lever by which all may participate in the American Dream. We have recast our purpose, values and programs and launched powerful efforts to restore sanity to education reform and expand the reach of all our collective efforts.

And now, more than ever, we expect to be breaking new records with unprecedented supporters of parent power taking over in Washington and in state capitals throughout the country.

Join us in ensuring results are achieved for this renewed, expanded Parent movement in 2017. (And don’t forget to check out a “Greatest Hits” compilation of the work products and results that helped us pave the way for our new vision!)

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On the Fifth Day of Christmas CER gave to me…

December 21, 2016 By

State Policy Changing

(4th) Reformie Ladies Lunching
(3rd) A Global Hub for Technology
(2nd) Model Legislation
And a Nominee for Opportunity!

 

The fifth in our 12-ish days of Christmas series, intended to bring gifts to education reformers everywhere!

Election 2016 brought about promising opportunities for changes in state policy. Voters cast their votes so that 2017 will see 72 percent of Governors (including the mayor of Washington DC) with passing grades on parent power and innovation. And while we hope that governors can enact real change in their states, we still have a lot of work to do!

So as we look forward to the potential for change in 2017, here’s a brief look back at states we’ve worked in to start moving the needle on expanding opportunity and innovation:

Kentucky: Laying the Groundwork for a New Opportunity Agenda
In 2007, the Center was the first national organization to answer the call from Kentucky lawmakers to help them forge a path for charter schools and greater opportunity for students across the commonwealth. We have again joined forces – with a new governor, his cabinet and legislative leaders – to map out a strategy for broad success that would ensure opportunities for students young and old, in all of Kentucky’s communities. Our comprehensive approach combined with visits to D.C. charter schools laid a foundation for success. (On election day the Kentucky House became choice-friendly. We continue to provide guidance and assistance in helping them use that momentum to create a new day for students and families.) 

A Disappointing Loss in Massachusetts
Although the ballot initiative to increase the number of charter school in Massachusetts failed, it wasn’t for a lack of effort. CER drove media coverage of the initiative, brought national attention to the issue, and augmented grassroots advocacy efforts of local leadership. The good news is the issue isn’t going away and we continue to work in the state to map strategies for the future!

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On the Fourth Day of Christmas CER Gave to Me…

December 20, 2016 By

Reformie Ladies Lunching
A GLOBAL HUB FOR TECHNOLOGY
MODEL LEGISLATION
AND A NOMINEE FOR OPPORTUNITY!

 

The fourth in our 12-ish days of Christmas series, intended to bring gifts to education reformers everywhere!

“Innovation is the key lever for change.”

That’s what Deborah Quazzo told a room full of female movers and shakers in education gathered by CER and CityBridge in early November to discuss how to increase opportunity for our nation’s children.

Deborah is Founder and Managing Partner of GSV Acceleration Fund, a venture capital fund investing in the most dynamic entrepreneurs and companies leveraging technology in the global $4.9 trillion education and talent technology sectors. Her experience and accomplishments in and outside of education are numerous. She’s exactly the kind of woman whose presence and involvement is critically important to the future of our students and schools.

While it’s no secret that teaching is still a predominantly female career, it may be less obvious that there are powerful women behind the drive to change the way we think about teaching and learning in America. That was the drive behind this meeting of business executives, philanthropists, and community activists in the EdReform space – a celebration of powerful females moving the needle for students paired with critical conversations on how we can work together to break barriers.

We’ve all heard the expression that there’s nothing more powerful than a woman’s intuition, and that’s something America could certainly use more of to help push the envelope on change in education!

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On the Third Day of Christmas CER Gave to Me…

December 19, 2016 By

A Global Hub for Technology
Model Legislation
And a Nominee for Opportunity!

 

The third in our 12-ish days of Christmas series, intended to bring gifts to education reformers everywhere!

by Jonathan Harber — Founder, StartED Accelerator

screen-shot-2016-12-19-at-9-53-18-amMove over, Menlo Park — there’s another tech boom coming, and not necessarily where you’d expect it. This boom is being driven by the edtech sector, and it has found its new home in New York City!

Consider that New York is home to over two million active students and has the largest hub of education institutions, publishing giants, corporate training departments, cutting edge researchers and investors in the industry. We also have the largest school district, community college network, expansive and hugely successful charter schools, and corporate training budgets. The potential is enormous.

New York City has both the biggest potential edtech consumer base and the most places to pilot innovative ideas. No other city in the country has as many university students – not even Boston.

NYC Is a Tech, Deal Hub

It is true that the largest share of the world’s technology innovation is still happening in California, in and around San Francisco and Silicon Valley, but Gotham is number two.

And where there is tech innovation, there’s usually investment. In a 2014 ranking of cities with the most tech start-up funding, California, unsurprisingly, led the way. New York was third, and only because San Francisco and Silicon Valley were listed separately.

It’s undeniable that education systems continue to face pressure to change. With more investment and rapid innovation, we’re nearing a tipping point where the digital transformation in education will develop its own inertia. The community that can cultivate and harvest the benefits of the coming edtech explosion will enjoy one of largest wealth creation events we’ve seen in the past century. We’ll see lives, fortunes, jobs and entire economies changed and created. It’s going to happen somewhere. That somewhere is New York City.

That’s why in addition to founding StartED, my fellow directors and I have teamed up with NYU to produce NY EDTECH WEEK, a global education innovation festival at NYU taking place this week, December 19 – 21. The festival will highlight problems and opportunities on the horizon as new technologies transform the global education industry.

To help spark the transformation, over forty of the hottest startups from six countries will get prime opportunities to pitch over 150 investors. More than 800 investors, entrepreneurs, policy leaders, educators, and journalists are expected to attend NY EDTECH WEEK, hoping their companies and others take root in NYC.

We are confident that we can continue to develop and build a vibrant eco-system of education innovation that leverages our intellectual, financial, and network capital to improve the world.

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On the Second Day of Christmas CER Gave to Me…

December 16, 2016 By

Model Legislation
And a Nominee for Opportunity!

 

The second in our 12-ish days of Christmas series, intended to bring gifts to education reformers everywhere!

 

screen-shot-2016-12-15-at-6-18-13-pmby Ted Rebarber*

Charter schools have become the single most effective public school reform to date. They provide opportunities to families and the freedom for schools to innovate, improve and address pressing needs without delays from bureaucracy or political pressure.

But laws make all the difference in the degree of opportunities afforded to families and freedom afforded to schools.

Of the 13 strongest charter laws, 12 were passed between 1991 and 1999, and it is these 12 states alone that account for over 56 percent of existing charter schools.  Only nine states passed a charter law between 2000 and 2015 and they opened a combined total of 233 schools, serving so few students that their impact on a national scale is almost negligible.

Strong laws provide for:

  • operational autonomy for charters, allowing a wide range of providers to innovate and meet the needs of their particular students;
  • multiple charter authorizers in order to guard against regulatory creep, including at least one independent entity focused on authorizing charters;
  • a high or no cap on schools and few obstacles to growth, allowing charters to scale up and offer parents multiple options in convenient locations;
  • accountability to parents through choice, while authorizers maintain public trust by eliminating fraudulent or obviously incompetent operators;
  • equitable funding for students and families in charter schools, including capital (facility) funds as well as operational funds.

We know from 23 years of research and practice that strong laws result in strong schools. That’s why we’re relentless in our pursuit for strong charter school laws that allow charter schools the freedom and flexibility. We hope 2017 brings the gift of stronger laws across the states. CER’s 17th annual Charter School Laws Ranking & Scorecard, to be released soon, will be your definitive guide to whether your law stacks up to the best policies and practices.

*Ted Rebarber is the founder of Washington, DC’s highly rated charter school law, CEO & founder of AccountabilityWorks, and CER’s resident research associate.

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On the First Day of Christmas CER Gave to Me…

December 15, 2016 By

A Nominee for Opportunity!

 

This is the first in a series of blog posts — CER’s 12(ish) Days of Christmas. 

by George Mitchell*doe_part_1_2_web_ta_12-14-16

I can speak from direct experience when explaining why the nomination of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education is such a stunning and positive development.  

In the late 1990s the story of school choice was largely a Milwaukee story. The movement was in limbo awaiting a (favorable) 1998 Wisconsin court ruling that upheld religious school choice. A subsequent US Supreme Court decision, drawing heavily on the Wisconsin ruling, set the stage for potential expansion.  

A small group of selfless philanthropists emerged to up to help make it happen. The late John Walton’s untimely death created a void. Up stepped Betsy DeVos, along with her successor as head of the American Federation for Children, Bill Oberndorf.

Meetings and strategies developed under Betsy’s direction were all about focus, focus, focus. If you weren’t zeroed in on the single goal of expanding parental education options you were in the wrong place. She intuitively — almost instinctively — gets the basic point:  all things being equal, more choice is better than less. Giving parents more power and control and responsibility will be her guiding principles. She is indifferent to perks, power, and the embellishments that come with her job. She will be all about results.

What a fantastic Christmas present!

*George Mitchell’s interest in, and commitment to, school choice dates to the 1980s, when he met Howard Fuller and chaired a gubernatorial commission that studied education in Milwaukee. His wife Susan formed a coalition that strengthened the Milwaukee choice program and helped take the issue national.

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Quick Advice on How to Survive Holiday Gatherings

December 14, 2016 By

There’s nothing like gathering with family, friends, and colleagues over the holidays – whether it’s at the school play, a work party, or a neighborhood get-together.

Screen Shot 2015-12-21 at 3.13.28 PMThat is, until your crazy Aunt Sally launches into a political discussion.

Be ready this year. Here are a few conversation starters (and stoppers!) to have ready at your disposal to get you out of sticky situations, or give you something to talk a
bout with your relatives!

 

“Our public schools are just fine. I got a great education,” your grandfather says. That may be true, but we’re an increasingly global society, and with the U.S. ranking 35th in math,15th in reading and 18th in science in student performance across almost 70 countries, even our best-performing kids need better learning opportunities.

“But not all parents care”, your neighbor says.
What some perceive as a lack of caring could actually be the result of frustration. As a parent, it’s frustrating feeling like there is no other option for your child outside of the school that is failing them. Only 5% of U.S. children are able to take advantage of school choice opportunities.

“It’s not an education problem, it’s a poverty problem,” says your colleague.
Poverty is a challenge, but not an excuse. Our nation’s charter schools have proven this. A majority of the nearly 2.5 million children in the nation’s more than 6,500 charter schools are poor and minority, and yet they are performing better than comparable kids who have to attend their local public schools.

Let’s give the ultimate gift to parents and students this year by committing to remaining vocal about the importance of parent power for all.

 

 

Filed Under: Commentary

EdReform Revived Event Summary

November 17, 2016 By

 

Educational freedom drives innovation that shocks the status quo, inserts competition, and ultimately contributes to the superior outcomes that result from content excellence delivered through great school.s

NOTE: A more comprehensive report is coming soon, including videos and full resource bank. Access part of the TRANSCRIPT from the event here!

This one-day event was the launching point for the leaders in the field to transposition the public conversation on educational reform. This is the beginning of us collectively changing of the conversation, and broadening. The support base which will result in an increased focus on opportunity, innovation and content knowledge.

Contributors who underwrote the conversation:

Ms. Jeanne Allen
Founder & CEO, The Center for Education Reform

Dr. Jay Greene
Distinguished Professor & Head of the Department of Education Reform, University of Arkansas

Dr. Susan Dynarski
Professor of Education, Public Policy & Economics, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, School of Education & Dept. of Economics

Dr. Marcus Winters
Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute for Policy Research

Mr. Robert Pondiscio
Senior Fellow & Vice President for External Affairs, Thomas B. Fordham Institute

Dr. Jay Greene
Distinguished Professor & Head of the Department of Education Reform, University of Arkansas

Dr. Gerard Robinson
Resident Fellow, Education Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute

Mr. Tom Vander Ark
CEO & Partner, Getting Smart

Mr. Robert Jackson
Chief Academic Officer, GreatHearts

Mr. Max Eden
Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute for Policy Research

Mr. Matthew Ladner
Senior Advisor, Policy & Research, The Foundation for Excellence in Education

Ms. Mary Stafford
Co-Founder, TRUEnorth Education Partners

Dr. Michael Horn
Co-Founder & Distinguished Fellow, Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation

Mr. Jonathan Hage
Founder & CEO, Charter Schools USA

Ms. Susie Miller Carello
Executive Director, SUNY Charter Schools Institute

Mr. Robert Enlow
President & CEO, EdChoice

Hon. Tim Kelly
Michigan House of Representatives

Dr. Michael Q. McShane
Director of Education Policy, The Show-Me Institute

Mr. John Bailey
Former White House Advisor

Dr. Ted Kolderie
Co-Founder & Senior Fellow, Education Evolving

 

Topics Discussed:

ISOMORPHISM IN EDREFORM

THE GOLD STANDARD OF RESEARCH

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN KNOWLEDGE & ASSESSMENT

REGULATION STIFLING INNOVATION

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF REFORM POLICY AND PRACTICES

NEXT STEPS ANTICIPATING THE FUTURE

 

Takeaways: 

The conversation between advocates, researchers and policymakers resulted in 10 takeaways—and perhaps an early framework to revive EdReform. Tom Vander Ark provides insight in Education Week.

Filed Under: Commentary
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