Featured Articles

Leadership

After Big Gains, New Orleans Sweats the Lesser Problems

The National Association of Charter School Authorizers met in New Orleans and hosted a conversations about what's next for New Orleans students and schools.

26 days ago by Tom Vander Ark

Leadership

Authorizing Great School & Encouraging New Models

The good news is that, "More authorizers are adopting practices that will lead to high-performing charter portfolios," according to NACSA in a report released todary, The State of Charter School Authorizing. They concluded that "States are improving their laws and policies on charter accountability, and some are break...

one month ago by Tom Vander Ark

Leadership

Detroit: Pulling Out of the Death Spiral

“The Motor City’s traditional district remains the worst-performing big-city school operator in both the Midwest and the nation,” reported RiShawn Biddle. “With 69 percent of its fourth-graders and 57 percent of eighth-graders being functionally illiterate in 2011, according to the National Assessment of Educat...

2 months ago by Tom Vander Ark

Leadership

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...

2 months ago by Tom Vander Ark

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...

3 months ago by Tom Vander Ark

advocacy partner

MIND Research Institute

The nonprofit MIND Research Institute is dedicated to solving math education in America through its cutting-edge approach to teaching and learning math. Its uniquely visually-based ST Math instructional software program is helping children across the country dramatically improve their math proficiency and become life-l...

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 lett...

5 months ago by Guest Author

Learning

Learn from All Successful Schools, Not Just Charters

Few would argue with the notion that public education in America needs to improve to ensure that our country remains prosperous in the coming years. And we should look wherever we can for ideas on how we can increase student achievement for each child in the nation.

7 months ago by Guest Author