Coffee Break: De’Shawn Wright on Being Destined for Public Service and Finding Purpose in Education

De’Shawn Wright has spent more than 15 years serving in senior leadership posts in government and the nonprofit sector and is a part of the…

When We Look Closer at the Results in Newark, the Arrow Is Unquestionably Pointed Up

Neerav Kingsland, in my estimation, is one of the premier thinkers (and doers) in the field. His notion of “relinquishment” as an organizing strategy for…

Thought Charter and District Schools Couldn’t Work Together? Newark Has Found a Way

It’s often noted that the original vision for charter schools, championed by legendary teachers’ union leader Al Shanker and others, was that they’d be “laboratories…

It’s Going to Be a Lot Harder to Shade Newark Public Schools With These Graduation Rates

It’s easy to be skeptical about improvements to Newark Public Schools (NPS), given its sordid history of corruption, desultory oversight, and—most critically—poor student outcomes. But…

Even Critics Have to Acknowledge When Charter Schools Are Working

I am typically a fierce critic of Professor Bruce Baker but recently I found myself in the delightful position of praising his scholarship. Not all…

The Key to Charter School Success Is Collaboration With District Schools

The dominant theme of Richard Whitmire’s book The Founders is that the top quintile of public charter school operators are remarkably open to collaboration with…

In Newark, They’re Not So Quick to Knock Zuckerberg’s Gift

On Tuesday, Checker Finn, president emeritus at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and self-described “aging education reformer,” penned an open letter to Mark Zuckerberg and…

Why Gov. Chris Christie’s ‘Fairness Formula’ Is Anything But Fair

When Chris Christie announced his state school aid “Fairness Formula” last week—one that would flat-fund state aid to all students, regardless of economic status, at…

This Mom Isn’t Wavering in Her Support of Newark Public Schools

I love Newark. I love Newark’s public schools. My loyalties run very deep for our great city and for our public education system. It has…

All Children Deserve Access to a Good School, Regardless of Their Zip Code

I am one of the lucky ones whose family had the financial means to choose a better school option for their children. But tens of…