Category Archives: School Reform

Charter Schools: Russakov’s The Prize, and Lessons from Newark

Summary: Dale Russakov’s tale of the assault by reformers on Newark Schools is a saga of conflict, righteous myopia, entrenched interests, unintended consequences, upheaval in neighborhoods, grudging progress, and a rending of social fabric; yet in the end no easy … Continue reading

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School Reform and Politics: The Lessons of LBJ and the Pedernales

Summary: Truly radical government intervention seems to occur at moments of raggedness in the social fabric, such as in the aftermath of the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression. At what point do the struggles of our … Continue reading

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School Reform, Politics, and Culture: Can We Performance Base Ourselves to the Promised Land?

Summary: Enshrining performance and research based thinking deeply into school reform, and investing accordingly, will invite best practices, promote better life success for students, and in the long run restrict the body of poor outcomes – incarceration, chronic poverty, etc. … Continue reading

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School Culture: The “Disagreeable Giver” and the Culture of Continuous Improvement

Summary: Can evidence of successful leadership style in the corporate world be transplanted to schools and kick start a culture of continuous improvement? Do nice guys and gals finish last and ultimately assholes prevail in the race to the mantle … Continue reading

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School Suspension Reform and the Real School

Summary: As any reform, change in suspension practices will need to be founded upon staff cohesion and communication, a clearly thought out plan that includes both the mentoring of students and accountability for their actions, and sufficient adult people power … Continue reading

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School Reform: Race and Class and Suspension

Summary: Suspension from school for misbehavior has long contributed to chronic school failure particularly for African American and low income students. Alternatives to suspension are cropping up in various locales, many of which seem to intervene with more intensive and … Continue reading

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School Reform: Listen Deeply to What Teachers Know

Summary: Recent research identifies truths about kids and pedagogy that have long been embedded in the practice of American educators. Time is long past to act more consistently on teacher insights. The American teacher is targeted from some sectors as … Continue reading

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At Risk Kids: In-School Suspension Re-Imagined

Summary: With calls to find alternatives to exclusion of disciplined students from school, in-school suspension might serve as a vehicle through which adult staff and mentors can work with suspended students in a constructive fashion. In my mind’s eye I … Continue reading

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At Risk Kids: Keeping Them in the Game

Summary: Building of relationships with at risk kids and seeing their misbehavior as an expression of difficulties in their history can short circuit suspension and retain them as part of the school community. This people intensive approach requires deepened funding. … Continue reading

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School Reform Begins at Conception

Summary: Emerging research on “fetal origins of disease” poses a challenge to school reform and public policy. In this era of rapid changes in social consciousness, a man with African American heritage is president, and gay and lesbian folk are … Continue reading

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