70 Years of Promises in Education. What Will It Take for Us to Keep Them?

The promise of public education is that it prepares young people for life—and the commitments we have made to meet this aspiration have dramatically increased…

We May Finally Know What It Takes to Improve Schools

WHAT WE GOT RIGHT: When we think about school improvement efforts across the United States, it’s easy to tick off the spectacular, big-budget failures. Yet, while these boondoggles made headlines and dominated air time among policy wonks, a smaller, quieter and more sustainable set of successes began teaching the field some guiding principles for improving schools.…

There Is Nothing We Can’t Fix If We Play to Win on Behalf of Children

WHAT WE GOT WRONG: When I returned to Education Post in May, my charge was to help us clarify our vision and set us in a new direction. I thought a lot about what would be the cardinal question to help us stay focused on what matters most…

How English Learners Got Left Behind in the Drive Towards Equity

WHAT WE GOT WRONG: Many years ago, back in 2014, when the world was young and American politics had not yet gone wholly off the rails, I launched a policy research team to focus on young English learners (ELs). …

While We Get Lost in the Wrong Arguments, Too Many of Our Kids Aren’t Ready for the Future

As a Generation Xer, I was sold the dream in the 1990s that one day we would all telecommute to work, execute our daily duties…

She Has a Plan for Everything, So Where Is Elizabeth Warren’s Plan for K-12 Education?

I love a woman with a plan! And, Senator Warren, it seems like you have a plan for just about everything. There are currently 50…

Time for Democrats to Recognize the Progressive Roots of Charter Schools

Listening to the rhetoric of Democratic presidential candidates, one would think charter schools were a Republican initiative opposed by all progressives. Bernie Sanders calls for a…

We Can’t Fight This Education Battle If Our Trauma Beats Us Before We Beat the System

Last night during the Education Leaders of Color (EdLoc) Convening, an itty bitty lady from Puerto Rico with a powerful voice and massive mission was…

Integration Is a Noble Goal, But Obsessing Over It Shouldn’t Distract Us From Improving Teaching and Learning

Another week, another headline about the urgency of jettisoning efforts to improve teaching and learning for all kids and instead laser-focusing on ending segregation in…

Register to Vote and Let Politicians Know They Can’t Win by Attacking Charter Schools

I will never forget the day I became a U.S. citizen: November 16, 1993. My dad had moved us to the United States on a…