The destruction of the School District of Philadelphia began in 2001. That was the year when the schools were in serious financial trouble. The lack of funding had two culprits. Philadelphia’s City Council was not interested in raising real estate taxes to help the district. Pennsylvania’s state legislature has never wanted to seriously fund Philadelphia […]
charter schools
Posted inFrom the Front Lines
How “Big Ed” Could Ruin America
There’s been much-to-do with EpiPens in the news these past few weeks. As the company Mylan has raised the price of the life-saving, anti-allergen medicine from $100 to $600, there have been more than 1,700 articles claiming everything it costs $30 to manufacture to denouncing the teachers’ union for being complicit in the calamity. Seriously. This […]
Posted inCharter Schools
When Charter Companies Bail Out on Students
Charter companies have found a friendly home in Philadelphia. They are often granted charters over parental and neighborhood protests. Charter companies are more likely to be approved over parent-teacher groups wanting to focus on trying new educational ideas. Until recently, Philadelphia rarely refused to renew contracts with charter companies even when the schools they ran […]
Posted inFeatured, Opinion
The Original Purpose of Charter Schools
For me, the core of the charter school issue lies in the difference between what charters were originally intended to be, and what they have become. The original model (and I can remember hearing about this when I was a teenager), was a student-centered, educator-designed and delivered, locally controlled endeavor. Consider the New York Times, […]
Posted inFeatured, Series, Uncategorized
A Closer Look at School Choice: New Orleans
In part three of this series on school choice I am going to take a look at the all charter school district in New Orleans. Education reformers are touting this “experiment” as a possible solution to the problems found in districts with a large percentage of poor children and children of color. Superintendents from all […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Uncategorized
A Closer Look at School Choice: The Pennsylvania Story
This is the first in a series on school choice. I am beginning this series of articles with my home state of Pennsylvania where I taught for 30 years and where I have firsthand experience with school choice. The PA Charter School Act School choice came to Pennsylvania through the PA Charter School Act of […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, High School, Instructional Strategies, Middle School, Uncategorized
The Baltimore – Education Reform Connection
The Baltimore neighborhood that was the focus of protests after Freddie Gray’s death exists in every major city in this country. Too often such neighborhoods were once places where families could graduate from high school and get decent jobs. Schools had decent funding and could find ways to help struggling students like Freddie Gray. […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Uncategorized
Urban Schools for Sale
There is a great deal of “education reform” going on in the United States today. In the name of reform the first targets are urban schools and districts. If you are not in one of those districts, you may have no idea of what a dangerous precedent is being set up or how it could […]