Without the Office for Civil Rights, My High School Would Have Continued to Discriminate Against Students Like Me

You may have seen the news. On July 11, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos responded to a letter written by Senator Patty Murray, which questioned the…

We’ve Known for Years What Makes Teachers Better: It Isn’t Sexy or Controversial But It Works

As school reforms go, it’s not sexy, it’s not new, and it’s not at all controversial. So it probably won’t get as much attention as…

I Almost Didn’t Graduate High School Because My School Wouldn’t Change a Light Bulb

Recently, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said she believes local and state governments should be allowed to set their own rules when it comes to…

Will States Hold Their Schools Accountable Under ESSA? A New Report Sheds Some Light

The ever-reliable edu-wonks over at Bellwether Education Partners, along with the trusted folks at Collaborative for Student Success (CSS), have put together a comprehensive review…

Education Reform Isn’t Just for Cities

School reform advocate Derrell Bradford and policy writer Andy Rotherham hit on it. Illinois education writer Tracy Dell’Angela has a blog focused on it. Teacher/education…

Here’s Some Suggested Reading for Our Trash-Talking Secretary of Education

You hear a lot these days—especially in the Trump era—about how broken, antiquated and just generally messed up public education is in our country. Just…

A Letter to Betsy DeVos About My Student Loans

Dear Secretary DeVos, You and I have a lot in common. We’re both from the great state of Michigan and have the same Michigan accent.…

Race, Reform and the Firestorm: Reflections on Our Progress a Year Later

One year ago, I excused myself from dinner with friends and returned to my hotel room to blog about my awe-inspiring experience at the NewSchools…

3 Ways We Can Start Counting High School Graduates Accurately and Raise Graduation Rates

This week, the GradNation campaign released a report allowing people to compare graduation rates among states and to the national average of 83.2 percent. If…

Battling Segregation Is Going to Take a Combination of Parents and Policy

New York schools have a problem, as do many other schools across our nation. Our children are so segregated from others who aren’t of similar…