Always good to discuss conflicts of interest, as Paul Farhi does today in The Washington Post regarding The 74, a publication I often turn to as a free lance education writer. It should be noted that on Nov. 16, a date when Betsy DeVos was an active candidate for Secretary … Continue reading
I’m flattered that Chris Cerf flew all the way to my hometown to deliver a speech to refute my piece about Newark education reforms, which argued that reformers would have been better off pursuing a charter-heavier strategy. To me, the logic still holds: The far smaller chunk of that $200 … Continue reading
School reform lost its mojo? Great headline to Robert Pondiscio’s column, and Pondiscio is always worth a read. My favorite part was the reconsideration of Michelle Rhee. Frankly, that’s overdue, given that the unexpected happened — Vince Gray kept Kaya and Rhee’s reforms and it all paid off, based on … Continue reading
Interested in my robust response to John oliver/charter schools. I realize it’s supposed to infotainment, but let’s be real: This has an impact on the millennials who soak this in. Can you even imagine the flogging that would incur should I pick the six worst traditional public schools and suggest … Continue reading
Is UFT President Mulgrew right to assert that charter schools in New York City perform better only because they are “selective” in admissions. To Mulgrew and other charter critics, “selective” refers to the open-to-all lotteries required of charters. Apply, and you have a shot at getting in. But the more … Continue reading
Today, in a story about the Newark mayor’s race we once again hear about the hedge funders: “The hedge fund and pro-charter crowd has unleashed its own fleet of B-52s, dropping great bags of money on behalf of Mr. Jeffries. Oddly, both men insist they are not charter school ideologues.” … Continue reading