The Answer Sheet: Charter Schools


Posted at 12:02 PM ET, 04/23/2013

A windfall for failing charter schools?
By Valerie Strauss
Lawmakers in Indiana are debating whether to forgive millions of dollars in loans that the state gave to charter schools that lost their charters because they were academically failing.

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:02 PM ET, 04/23/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, Loan Forgiveness

Posted at 09:47 PM ET, 04/15/2013

Why D.C. charter school is denied enrollment increase -- in 9 tweets
By Valerie Strauss
A D.C. charter school sought permission to hike enrollment for an unusual reason.

By Valerie Strauss  |  09:47 PM ET, 04/15/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, Unusual Reason

Posted at 06:02 AM ET, 04/03/2013

Will charter schools survive the confusing charter movement?
By Valerie Strauss
America's education policies are brimming with contradiction, perhaps nowhere more than the charter movement.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:02 AM ET, 04/03/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  A Pogo Moment, Charter Schools

Posted at 12:31 PM ET, 03/28/2013

Scary reading in charter school bill
By Valerie Strauss
The details of charter school legislation in North Carolina reveal that its sponsors don't care much for holding charters accountable.

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:31 PM ET, 03/28/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, Where's The Accountability?

Posted at 11:10 AM ET, 02/15/2013

Why wealthy foreigners invest in U.S. charter schools
By Valerie Strauss
Do you think they do this out of a love of education and a deep desire to help American kids? Guess again.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:10 AM ET, 02/15/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, Investing in Charter Schools, Privatization of Public Education

Posted at 11:18 AM ET, 02/10/2013

The exaggeration of charter school waiting lists
By Valerie Strauss
No doubt there are excellent charter schools where waiting lists are very long. But there are also instances where waiting lists aren't exactly as long as charter supporters say they are.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:18 AM ET, 02/10/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, Double Counting?

Posted at 10:48 AM ET, 01/31/2013

Charter schools that start bad stay bad, study finds
By Valerie Strauss
Charter schools that start out doing poorly aren't likely to improve, and charters that are successful from the beginning most often stay that way, according to a new study by researchers at Stanford University who also analyzed charter management organizations.

By Valerie Strauss  |  10:48 AM ET, 01/31/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  And Good Ones Stay Good, Charter Schools, Education Research

Posted at 01:46 PM ET, 01/23/2013

Proposed Loudoun charter denied application extension
By Valerie Strauss
An effort by a group of Turkish immigrants to get more time to develop their application to open a charter school in Loudoun County -- which would be the first there and possibly in Northern Virginia -- was rejected. That means that the board will decide on the controversial application in late February.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:46 PM ET, 01/23/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Big Concerns Cited, Charter Schools, Gulen Movement

Posted at 12:08 PM ET, 01/10/2013

Parsing Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell's education agenda
By Valerie Strauss
In his State of the Commonwealth address on Tuesday night, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell proposed a state constitutional amendment that would make it easier for charter schools to open, an A-F system to grade schools, the use of Teach For America members, and more.

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:08 PM ET, 01/10/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  School Reform, Virginia schools, Wants More Charter Schools

Posted at 12:25 PM ET, 01/08/2013

Va. legislator withdraws support from controversial Loudoun charter school proposal
By Valerie Strauss
A Virginia state senator has withdrawn support from a proposed charter school which would be the first in Loudoun and possibly in northern Virginia if allowed to open because of public "misgivings" and other concerns.

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:25 PM ET, 01/08/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, Concerns About Applicants, Gulen Movement

Posted at 01:16 PM ET, 12/14/2012

Proposed Loudoun charter gets initial 'no' vote
By Valerie Strauss
A three-member select committee of the Loudoun School Board have voted against recommending that the full panel approve what would be the first public charter school in the county because of questions involving curriculum and other operational issues.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:16 PM ET, 12/14/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, Full School Board to decide

Posted at 01:35 PM ET, 12/04/2012

A Florida charter school scandal gets worse
By Valerie Strauss
Remember the case of the charter school that gave its founding principal a $519,453 payout in taxpayer money when it was forced to close? It's gotten worse.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:35 PM ET, 12/04/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, Where Did the Money Go?

Posted at 11:38 AM ET, 11/26/2012

Pennsylvania slapped by U.S. Ed Department over charter schools
By Valerie Strauss
While Pennsylvania considers adding eight more cyber charter schools to its roster of 16, it learns that the Department of Education has slapped down its plan to evaluate brick and mortar charters by a method that is easier than for traditional schools. Confused? Read on.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:38 AM ET, 11/26/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  8 More Cyber Charters?, Charter Schools, Cyber Charter Schools, New Cyber Charters Considered

Posted at 01:27 PM ET, 11/23/2012

Charter school corruption
By Valerie Strauss
As school reformers seek to open more and more charter schools, tales of corruption and self-serving behavior at these schools are told.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:27 PM ET, 11/23/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, Fleecing Taxpayers

Posted at 11:25 AM ET, 11/21/2012

The future of D.C. public schools
By Valerie Strauss
D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson's plan to close 20 traditional public schools in the nation's capital is nothing if not an acknowledgement that the system over which she presides is inexorably dwindling and being transformed into a collection of independently run public charter schools.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:25 AM ET, 11/21/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, D.C. Public Schools

Posted at 01:03 PM ET, 11/13/2012

Washington to allow charter schools after billionaire-backed initiative squeaks through
By Valerie Strauss
Washington becomes the 42nd state to allow public charter schools to open now that ballot Initiative1240 has passed by barely 1 percentage point -- this after a group of billionaires, including Bill Gates, donated more than $10 million to get it pushed through.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:03 PM ET, 11/13/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, Initiative Squeaks Through

Posted at 04:40 PM ET, 11/08/2012

Washington charter initiative STILL undecided update
By Valerie Strauss
It turns out that election results for Washington's initiative to allow charter schools to open in the state are incomplete and the outcome remains unknown despite the fact that a bunch of billionaires spent millions to get it approved.

By Valerie Strauss  |  04:40 PM ET, 11/08/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Big Money, Charter Schools, School reforfm

Posted at 02:00 PM ET, 11/08/2012

How Obama helped Georgia charter measure win
By Valerie Strauss
Georgia's ballot measure to permit the state to create a committee to approve charter schools passed with big support from African Americans -- even though black lawmakers and other leaders in the state said it would lead to the resegregation of public schools. Who helped?

By Valerie Strauss  |  02:00 PM ET, 11/08/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, Election Results, Powerful ad, School Reform

Posted at 01:44 PM ET, 10/26/2012

Charter school principal gets $519,453 payout (in taxpayer money)
By Valerie Strauss
How's this for outrageous? The principal of a charter school in Orange County, Fl., received a check for $519,453.36 in taxpayer money after the district school board agreed to let the school voluntarily close rather than be shut down for poor performance.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:44 PM ET, 10/26/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  A Bad Choice, Charter Schools

Posted at 10:38 AM ET, 10/20/2012

Microsoft gives $50,000 more to Washington charter school initiative
By Valerie Strauss
Ballot initiatives in several states that are pushing for a growth in charter schools are being funded in large part by wealthy donors who sometimes live elsewhere.

By Valerie Strauss  |  10:38 AM ET, 10/20/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Big Money, Charter Schools; Privatization

Posted at 12:26 PM ET, 10/19/2012

Playing hardball over a Tennessee charter school
By Valerie Strauss
Well, they went ahead and did it. Tennessee education officials actually lived up to their petulant threat to withhold $3.4 million from Nashville public schools as punishment for refusing to allow a controversial charter school to open.

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:26 PM ET, 10/19/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, School choice

Posted at 11:25 AM ET, 10/12/2012

Bill Gates, other billionaires funding charter effort in Washington state
By Valerie Strauss
To get an understanding of how America's wealthiest people are using their fortunes to drive school reform, take a look at a list of the contributors to the pro-charter school initiative on the Washington state ballot in November. The first few pages -- the ones with the biggest donations -- is a who's who of billionaires.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:25 AM ET, 10/12/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Billionaires, Charter Schools, Privatization

Posted at 09:36 AM ET, 10/08/2012

Pennsylvania eases NCLB rules to help charter schools
By Valerie Strauss
Pennsylvania makes AYP easier for charters than for traditional public schools.

By Valerie Strauss  |  09:36 AM ET, 10/08/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, Charter schools; No Child Left Behind; AYP

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 03/03/2011

The Diane Ravitch myth
By Valerie Strauss
Anybody reading much of the commentary written on education policy could be forgiven for thinking that education historian Diane Ravitch is somehow the Wizardess of Ed, the woman behind the curtain secretly pulling the strings.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 03/03/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Diane Ravitch | Tags:  arne duncan, bill gates, charter schools, colbert report, diane ravitch, jon stewart, president obama, school reform, whitney tilson

Posted at 11:00 AM ET, 02/27/2011

2 false claims that drive school reform
By Valerie Strauss
"Accountability" and "merit" are compelling concepts, especially when we are talking about adults who are charged with educating our children. But the concepts have been misused in school reform, writes an educator.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:00 AM ET, 02/27/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Accountability, Charter schools, Guest Bloggers, Performance pay, Teacher assessment | Tags:  accountability movement, charter schools, geoffrey canada, merit pay, michelle rhee, performance pay, school choice, teacher pay, teachers, waiting for superman

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 01/26/2011

Things I’m sick of hearing
By Valerie Strauss
It’s time for school reformers to find new ways to attack their critics. It’s getting tiring hearing the same old refrains, which go something like this.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 01/26/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Achievement gap, Achievement gap, Achievement gap, Achievement gap, Achievement gap | Tags:  charter schools, data-driven reform, michelle rhee, president obama, school reform, standardized tests, teachers unions

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 01/20/2011

Policing the rush to charter schools
By Valerie Strauss
What would happen if we applied some school reform policies to city police departments?

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 01/20/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  charter schools, gov. mitch daniels, indiana education, indiana schools, journal gazette, schools and police, vouchers

Posted at 04:30 PM ET, 01/10/2011

More questions for KIPP
By Valerie Strauss
Here's the next chapter of a debate on KIPP schools.

By Valerie Strauss  |  04:30 PM ET, 01/10/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  century foundation, charter schools, charter schools and segregation, jay mathews, kipp, kipp charter schools, kipp schools, knowledge is power program

Posted at 08:30 AM ET, 01/10/2011

KIPP responds to criticism on attrition rates
By Valerie Strauss
Officials from the Knowledge Is Power Program, or KIPP charter schools, respond to a post about attrition rates and other issues.

By Valerie Strauss  |  08:30 AM ET, 01/10/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  charter schools, kipp, kipp schools, knowledge is power program

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 01/07/2011

What 2010 education research really shows about reform
By Valerie Strauss
A review of 2010 education research on charter schools, value-added measures and merit pay shows that the results were not great news for supporters of these reforms.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 01/07/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  charter schools, education research, market-based reforms, shankar blog, value-added, value-added measures

Posted at 01:36 PM ET, 01/03/2011

America’s disdain for its children
By Valerie Strauss
Americans don’t really think very much of their children. Not really. Just take a look at the world of education.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:36 PM ET, 01/03/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  charter schools, children, poverty, standardized tests, teacher evaluation, teachers

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 12/27/2010

Who in education says 'oops'?
By Valerie Strauss
A former school superintendent explains why virtually nobody in education policy ever admits that they "either goofed or would reconsider their decision."

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 12/27/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  charter schools, education policy, education policymakers, gates foundation, larry cuban, research on charter schools, technology in education

Posted at 02:05 PM ET, 12/21/2010

A sobering look at Florida school reform
By Valerie Strauss
With Florida increasingly being looked to as a national model for school reform, here's a clear-eyed look at exactly what has been going on in the Sunshine State.

By Valerie Strauss  |  02:05 PM ET, 12/21/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  charter schools, florida school reform, jeb bush, school reform, sherman dorn, standardized tests

Posted at 10:15 AM ET, 12/19/2010

'Burn and churn' among charter school principals
By Valerie Strauss
Seventy-one percent of charter school principals expect to leave their posts within five years, according to a new study. So what’s the big deal about entering and exiting charter school principals?

By Valerie Strauss  |  10:15 AM ET, 12/19/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  charter school principals, charter school teachers, charter schools, larry cuban, principal burnout, principals, school reform

Posted at 10:45 AM ET, 12/14/2010

The 'Parent Trigger' doesn't help schools or parents
By Valerie Strauss
The so-called “parent trigger” law in California, which allows a majority of parents (from a school or from their “feeder” schools) to sign a petition that forces a school to be converted into a charter, is not a genuine parent engagement strategy. The recent effort to apply the law for the first time shows why.

By Valerie Strauss  |  10:45 AM ET, 12/14/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  california schools, california's parent trigger, charter schools, larry ferlazzo, parent revolution, parent trigger, parent trigger law

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 12/08/2010

A primer on (and problems with) market-based reform
By Valerie Strauss
Here's a primer on market-based school reform, the vision of its proponents and why their agenda is not the best thing for children.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 12/08/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  andy smarick, arne duncan, checker finn, chester finn, democrats for education reform, dfer, fordham institute, geoffrey canada, green dot charter schools, harlem children's zone, jeb bush, joel klein, kipp, kipp schools, market-based reform, michael bloomberg, michelle rhee, richard barth, rick hess, rick scott, school reform, steve barr, wendy kopp, whitney tilson

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 12/02/2010

Is progress in Florida schools exaggerated?
By Valerie Strauss
Florida’s public school system is frequently held up as an exemplary example of how specific school reforms -- vouchers, charter schools, on-line schooling, high-stakes standardized tests, etc. -- can improve student achievement. But things aren't always what they seem.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 12/02/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Accountability, Accountability, Accountability | Tags:  achievement gap, charter schools, florida, florida's schools, jeb bush, school reform, vouchers

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 11/30/2010

Ravitch answers Gates
By Valerie Strauss
Bill Gates, in an article by Jonathan Alter of Newsweek, poses some questions to education historian Diane Ravitch, who Alter inexplicably calls the Microsoft founder's "chief adversary." Here she answers Gates' questions.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 11/30/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch | Tags:  bill gates, charter schools, diane ravitch, jonathan alter, microsoft, newsweek, school reform, teachers

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 11/18/2010

Teachers give 'Superman' director an earful
By Valerie Strauss
"Waiting for Superman" film director Davis Guggenheim asks teachers to tell him what they about his education film -- the one that scapegoats teachers -- and they let him have it.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 11/18/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Anthony Cody, Anthony Cody | Tags:  anthony cody, attack on teachers, charter schools, davis guggenheim, superman, teachers, teachers unions, waiting for superman

Posted at 09:04 AM ET, 11/17/2010

What Ravitch told KIPP and Teach for America
By Valerie Strauss
Education historian Diane Ravitch gave a speech at Rice University about school reform in which she directly challenged officials from Teach for America and the Knowledge Is Power Program who were present -- the very people who had invited her.

By Valerie Strauss  |  09:04 AM ET, 11/17/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch | Tags:  arne duncan, charter schools, diane ravitch, finland, finland education, kipp, knowledge is power program, nclb, no child left behind, obama school reform, president obama, rice university, secretary duncan, teach for america, teachers, tfa

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 11/15/2010

Lisa Simpson and why reform isn't really reform
By Valerie Strauss
What we’re seeing today in the world of education is most accurately labeled “intensification,” not reform. It’s changing things, but it’s changing them in the same direction we’ve been moving for well over a decade. Lisa Simpson

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 11/15/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  School turnarounds/reform, School turnarounds/reform, School turnarounds/reform | Tags:  charter schools, kevin welner, lisa simpson, school reform, the simpsons

Posted at 08:13 AM ET, 11/11/2010

Yes, you can teach kids to eat broccoli
By Valerie Strauss
I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it, but at Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School in Washington D.C., chef Lisa Dobbs runs a food program that has young students relishing broccoli, tilapia encrused with panko, boureks with beef or vegetables, and other foods not commonly embraced by kids.

By Valerie Strauss  |  08:13 AM ET, 11/11/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Health | Tags:  bill shore, charter schools, child nutrition act, elsie whitlow stokes, first lady michelle obama, jeff bridges, lisa dobbs, michelle obama, nutrition education, obesity, school lunch, share our strength, stokes charter school, whole foods

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 11/09/2010

Harvard’s strange ‘Strange Bedfellows’ education event
By Valerie Strauss
You might think, or at least I would, that a ticketed discussion at the Harvard University Institute of Politics on education would include people with different views. But with Michelle Rhee, Jeb Bush and John Podesta as the panel, the "discussion" will sound more like an echo chamber.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 11/09/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  School turnarounds/reform, School turnarounds/reform, School turnarounds/reform, School turnarounds/reform, School turnarounds/reform | Tags:  arne duncan, charter schools, education department, harvard, harvard university, institute of politics, iop, jeb bush, john podesta, margaret spellings, michelle rhee, no child left behind, obama education reform, president obama, race to the top, school reform

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 11/08/2010

A public school teacher’s distress
By Valerie Strauss
A school teacher writes a letter about why she fears for the future of public education.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 11/08/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Teachers, Teachers | Tags:  charter schools, diane ravitch, no child left behind, school reform, tax levy, taxes, teachers, toldeo schools

Posted at 11:19 AM ET, 11/04/2010

Some good news for California teachers
By Valerie Strauss
Public schools teachers in California got some good news from the midterm elections: Their candidate won in the race for state Superintendent of Public Instruction is still good news.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:19 AM ET, 11/04/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Teachers | Tags:  california, california teachers, cft, charter schools, dfer, diane ravitch, gloria romero, state superintendent, tom torlakson

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 11/04/2010

Where Kline stands on education policy
By Valerie Strauss
The man expected to be the new chairman of the House's education committee has some strong opinions about policy: He immensely dislikes No Child Left Behindy, but wants the Disabilities Education Act fully funded.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 11/04/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Congress | Tags:  112th congress, IDEA, arne duncan, charter schools, congress, education committee, education policy, gop takeover, gop victory, house education and labor committee, john kline, midterm elections, nclb, no child left behind, president obama, race to the top, rep. john kline, republican victory, special ed, special education

Posted at 09:30 AM ET, 10/27/2010

Ravitch on how wrong 'Superman' really is
By Valerie Strauss
Education historian Diane Ravitch critiques the most basic things that Davis Guggenheim got wrong in 'Waiting for Superman.'

By Valerie Strauss  |  09:30 AM ET, 10/27/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  charter schools, davis guggenheim, diane ravitch, naep, proficient, standardized tests, waiting for superman

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 10/20/2010

The Chamber of Commerce's flawed 'Superman' school reform guide
By Valerie Strauss
In a shameless act of movie flacking, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce just published a guide for business leaders on school reform that is linked to and reinforces the skewed vision of public education portrayed in the movie “Waiting for Superman.”

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 10/20/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  School turnarounds/reform | Tags:  batman, business leaders, business leaders and school reform, chamber of commerce, charter schools, clark kent, davis guggenheim, effective teachers, finland and teachers, reform guide, school reform, superman, superman and clark kent, teach for america, waiting for superman, what superman would do

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 10/19/2010

How billionaire donors harm public education
By Valerie Strauss
Today the foundation set up by billionaires Eli and Edythe Broad is giving $2 million to an urban school district that has pursued education reform that they like. On Friday a Florida teacher is going to run 50 miles to raise money so that he and his fellow teachers don’t have to spend their own money to buy paper and pencils, binders (1- and 2-inch), spiral notebooks, composition books, printer ink. Together the two events show the perverted way schools are funded.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 10/19/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  School turnarounds/reform, School turnarounds/reform | Tags:  bill gates, broad prize, charter schools, eli broad, facebook, mark zuckerberg, newark schools, school reform

Posted at 11:34 AM ET, 10/16/2010

Supt. Ackerman's critique of 'manifesto'
By Valerie Strauss
Philadelphia Schools Supt. Arlene Ackerman writes why she doesn't agree with the "reform manifesto" approved by 15 other big city school district chiefs.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:34 AM ET, 10/16/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  School turnarounds/reform, School turnarounds/reform, School turnarounds/reform | Tags:  arlene ackerman, charter schools, joel klein, manifesto, michelle rhee, school reform, teachers

Posted at 12:02 PM ET, 10/13/2010

Ravitch: Charters are a lead bullet
By Valerie Strauss
Education historian Diane Ravitch writes: "Charters are not a silver bullet. They are a lead bullet. Their target is American public education.""

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:02 PM ET, 10/13/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch | Tags:  CREDO, broad roundation, charter schools, diane ravitch, icef, richard riordan, ross global, ross global academy

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 10/12/2010

'Manifesto' should be resignation letter
By Valerie Strauss
Educator and researcher Kevin G. Welner writes that none of the reforms discussed in a "manifesto" for school reform by Joel Klein, Michelle Rhee and 14 other schools chiefs are grounded in research and are nothing more than fads and gimmicks.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 10/12/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  charter schools, fixing schools, joel klein, klein manifesto, klein rhee, manifesto, merit pay, michelle rhee, obama and school reform, obama and schools, president obama, reform manifest, rhee manifesto, school reform

Posted at 02:55 PM ET, 10/08/2010

P.S.: Stephen Colbert blew it on schools, too
By Valerie Strauss
It wasn't enough that Lewis Black was unsuccessful in adequately skewering modern school reform on Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show" earlier this week. Last night Steven Colbert blew it too.

By Valerie Strauss  |  02:55 PM ET, 10/08/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  School turnarounds/reform | Tags:  charter schools, colbert nation, comedy central, davis guggenheim, jon stewart, lewis black, school reform, steven colbert, the colbert report, the daily show, waiting for superman

Posted at 02:30 PM ET, 10/07/2010

Jon Stewart and Lewis Black blew it on schools
By Valerie Strauss
Lewis Black’s piece on “the public school crisis” that aired on Jon Stewart’s “The Daily Show” the other night left me wondering why education reform hasn’t been more of a high value target for Stewart or, for that matter, Steven Colbert.

By Valerie Strauss  |  02:30 PM ET, 10/07/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  School turnarounds/reform | Tags:  charter schools, colbert report, jon stewart, lewis black, school reform, steven colbert, the colbert report, the daily show, waiting for superman

Posted at 03:26 PM ET, 10/04/2010

What public school teachers really need
By Valerie Strauss
A teacher at the SEED Public Charter School in Washington D.C., which was featured in the film "Waiting for Superman," explains what makes his school work for teachers.

By Valerie Strauss  |  03:26 PM ET, 10/04/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Teachers, Teachers | Tags:  center for teaching quality, certified teachers, charter schools, dan brown, davis guggenheim, guest bloggers, school reform, seed charter, seed public charter school, seed school, superman, superman film, waiting for superman

Posted at 09:00 AM ET, 09/28/2010

Strengths and weaknesses of 'Superman'
By Valerie Strauss
Educator Mark Phillips writes that there are notable strengths to "Waiting for Superman," but it is too much like a "Superman" film, replete with heroes and villains, hostile threats and romanticized outcomes.

By Valerie Strauss  |  09:00 AM ET, 09/28/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  al gore, an inconvenient truth, charter schools, davis guggenheim, the lottery, waiting for superman

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 09/22/2010

Are charter schools really innovative?
By Valerie Strauss
A key school reform is driven by an assumption that charter schools are wellsprings of new ideas. Unfortunately, with rare exceptions, that’s not the case, writes educator Marion Brady.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 09/22/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  charter networks, charter school movement, charter schools, charters and innovative, expanding charters, marion brady, school reform

Posted at 04:00 PM ET, 09/16/2010

Why 'Waiting for Superman' premiere was chilling
By Valerie Strauss
Something chilling happened at the Washington D.C. premiere of "Waiting for Superman" that involved Michelle Rhee and the A-list audience.

By Valerie Strauss  |  04:00 PM ET, 09/16/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  D.C. Schools | Tags:  adrian fenty, al franken, arne duncan, charter schools, d.c. schools, david axelrod, fenty and gray, george miller, melody barnes, michelle rhee, movie premiere, obama and refoms, obama reform, president obama and school reform, research and education, research on charter schools, rhee and gray, superman film, superman premiere, teachers and unions, vincent gray, waiting for superman, what will rhee do?, when will rhee leave?, who will replace rhee

Posted at 06:30 AM ET, 07/15/2010

What does "charterness" mean, exactly?
By Valerie Strauss
“Charterness” is not a policy, an education researcher writes. If a particular policy or set of practices seems to help increase student performance, we should replicate those practices, not entire schools that adopted them. Doing the latter is sort of like buying a second home just to have a garage.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:30 AM ET, 07/15/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  al shanker, al shanker institute, charter schools and research

Posted at 12:30 PM ET, 07/08/2010

Ravitch on teachers and her critics
By Valerie Strauss
Education historian Diane Ravitch brings down the house at a teachers convention and answers her critics.

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:30 PM ET, 07/08/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch | Tags:  charter schools and research, death and life of great american school system, diane ravitch, ed week and ravitch, national education association and convention, nea convention, ravitch and nea, ravitch and teachers, ravitch and video, teachers convention

Posted at 11:27 AM ET, 07/06/2010

What Gandhi would think about “The Lottery”
By Valerie Strauss
Educator Sam Chaltain writes about why he felt like he had been "punched in the gut" after watching "The Lottery."

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:27 AM ET, 07/06/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  charter schools, gandhi and buber, harlem success academy, harlem success academy and film, martin buber, sam chaltain, the lottery, the lottery and film

Posted at 10:00 AM ET, 06/29/2010

Two new studies on charter schools
By Valerie Strauss
Two new studies are released today on charter schools, one on financing and the other on student achievement. Neither is especially good news for charter schools.

By Valerie Strauss  |  10:00 AM ET, 06/29/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  charter school financing, charter school movement, charter schools, mathematica research, research on charter schools, student achievement and charter schools

Posted at 03:31 PM ET, 06/25/2010

Extremism in school reform is not a virtue
By Valerie Strauss
A longtime educator says it is time to recognize the complexity of the challenges presented by ailing school districts and to avoid simplistic, extreme positions which seem so popular today.

By Valerie Strauss  |  03:31 PM ET, 06/25/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  charter schools and teachers, colorado and teachers law, eliminating teacher tenure, merit pay and teachers, teacher tenure, teacher tenure and reform, teachers and accountability, teachers pay and test scores, value of teacher tenure

Posted at 12:30 PM ET, 06/23/2010

Question raised about new KIPP study (with update)
By Valerie Strauss
No sooner had a new study been released saying that middle school students in the charter school network called Knowledge Is Power Program, significantly outperform their public school peers on reading and math tests than critics began to find problems with the report.

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:30 PM ET, 06/23/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  KIPP network, KIPP schools, Knowledge Is Power, charter schools, is

Posted at 06:30 AM ET, 06/21/2010

Christian churches oppose Race to the Top, Obama blueprint
By Valerie Strauss
An extraordinary letter sent to President Obama and U.S. lawmakers by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA -- which represents churches that have a combined membership of 45 million people -- should erase any doubt that the opposition to the Obama administration's education policies is wide and deep.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:30 AM ET, 06/21/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  No Child Left Behind, No Child Left Behind, No Child Left Behind | Tags:  arne duncan and school reform, charter schools and pastoral letter, churches of christ, education reform, elementary and secondary school act and reauthorization, esea reauthorization, national council of the churches of christ, national council of the churches of christ in the usa, obama and blueprint and education reform, obama and school reform, pastoral letter, pastoral letter and obama and education, president obama's blueprint for education reform, race to the top, reauthorization of no child left behind

Posted at 02:58 PM ET, 05/23/2010

Charters vs. public schools: Behind the numbers
By Valerie Strauss
In a New York Times magazine article today, writer Steven Brill compares a charter school in Harlem with a traditional public school which is housed in the same building. He says the student populations are the same. They aren't.

By Valerie Strauss  |  02:58 PM ET, 05/23/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools | Tags:  brill and story about unions, brill's story and charter schools, charter schools, steven brill story, the new york times and brill story, the teachers unions last stand

Posted at 06:30 AM ET, 05/20/2010

Charters should leave D.C. teachers contract alone
By Valerie Strauss
Public charter school advocates are, not surprisingly, upset about a proposed new contract that will significantly boost the salaries of unionized teachers in traditional D.C. public schools. But D.C. school system officials have it right: They shouldn’t be.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:30 AM ET, 05/20/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  D.C. Schools, D.C. Schools, D.C. Schools | Tags:  charter schools, d.c. charter schools, d.c. public schools, d.c. teachers contract, michelle rhee, teachers contract, washington teachers union

Posted at 11:43 AM ET, 05/13/2010

When test scores no longer matter
By Valerie Strauss
Jim Horn, a college instructor, writes about why, suddenly, some school reformers have decided that standardized test scores no longer matter, when they once were the holy grail.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:43 AM ET, 05/13/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  charles murray, charter schools, guest bloggers, jim horn, studies on charter schools

Posted at 05:02 PM ET, 05/09/2010

Charter schools: Is this the way it was supposed to work?
By Valerie Strauss
With Education Secretary Arne Duncan promoting the expansion of publicly funded charter schools as if they had been proven to be the silver bullet for school reform (they haven’t), it seems reasonable to look at what can happen when schools are opened without enough regulation.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:02 PM ET, 05/09/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  Arne Duncan, Central Avenue School, Duncan and charter schools, Education Secretary Duncan, Florida and charter schools, Imagine Schools, New York Times and charter schools, St. Petersburg Times and charter schools, charter schools

Posted at 02:00 AM ET, 05/06/2010

How U.S. school reform is linked to UK vote
By Valerie Strauss
A British writer explains the connection between U.S. charter schools and the general election today in the United Kingdom--and an interest on both sides of the Atlantic in the KIPP charter schools.

By Valerie Strauss  |  02:00 AM ET, 05/06/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  British election, British schools, Gordon brown, Gove and KIPP, KIPP, KIPP schools, Knowledge Is Power, UK election, charter schools, education in britain, obama and KIPP, schools in England

Posted at 11:30 AM ET, 04/26/2010

Willingham: Stanford charter school and 'confirmation bias'
By Valerie Strauss
Cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham looks at how "confirmation bias" affected the way people looked at the news that a charter school founded by Stanford University Professor Linda Darling-Hammond was closed.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:30 AM ET, 04/26/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  Daniel Willingham, Linda Darling-Hammong, Stanford charter school, charter schools, guest bloggers

Posted at 03:42 PM ET, 04/25/2010

Banning cookies: Is this school going too far?
By Valerie Strauss
A Tucson school bans all processed foods, meaning kids can't even bring a cookie for lunch or risk having it taken away. Is this school going overboard?

By Valerie Strauss  |  03:42 PM ET, 04/25/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Health | Tags:  Children's Success Academy, charter schools, health, obesity epidemic, school lunch, school lunch program, school that bans cookies

Posted at 08:00 AM ET, 04/24/2010

Straight talk about charter schools
By Valerie Strauss
A hearing held in New York City this week about sounded more like a brawl than the information-gathering session it was intended to be. Read some of the testimony given by education historian Diane Ravitch, which was received by charter advocates as heresy.

By Valerie Strauss  |  08:00 AM ET, 04/24/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools | Tags:  Death and Life of the Great American School System, Diane Ravitch, Ravitch and book, bill perkins and charters, charter schools, charter schools and hearing, new york city charter schools

Posted at 09:09 AM ET, 03/15/2010

Willingham on school choice
By Valerie Strauss
By Daniel Willingham. The cognitive scientist looks at Diane Ravitch's conclusion on school choice in her new book, "The Death and Life of the American School System" as well as other views on how the experiment has worked across the country.

By Valerie Strauss  |  09:09 AM ET, 03/15/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham | Tags:  Daniel Willingham, charter schools, guest bloggers

Posted at 01:17 PM ET, 02/09/2010

New study looks at segregation in charter schools
By Valerie Strauss
The Washington Post published an article last Wednesday about a study from UCLA’s Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles [11 mb pdf], which analyzed charter schools across the country and found them to be substantially more racially isolated than traditional public schools. The study has received quite a bit of attention as well as pushback from charter school advocates. Today, the University of Colorado at Boulder's education policy center, along with its partner policy center at Arizona State University, is releasing a study that, coincidentally, asks some of the same questions as did the UCLA study. Our study provides a comprehensive examination of enrollment patterns in schools operated by private corporations and finds these schools to be segregated by race, family income, disabilities, and English language learner status. As compared with their local public school districts, these schools operated by Education Management Organizations, or EMOs, are substantially more segregated, and the strong segregative pattern found in 2001 is virtually unchanged through 2007.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:17 PM ET, 02/09/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Research, Research, Research | Tags:  charter schools