Live from Summit 2013– Hour of Power One

Welcome to Summit 2013’s first Hour of Power networking session. As conference participants power network over a cup of coffee sharing business cards and discussing the ideas of “frustrated optimist” Thomas Friedman, we were privileged to visit with some of the innovative individuals, organizations and companies helping to usher in the next generation of education […]

Live from Summit 2013: Opening Plenary

Ted Mitchell kicked off Summit 2013 this morning at the opening plenary. After welcoming all of the attendees, Ted was joined by Thomas Friedman, author and columnist for the The New York Times, who has been “calling consistently for the change that drives our work…and sets the national dialogue about who we are as a country.”

Fat SOTUesday: Benjamin Riley’s Take on the SOTU Address

I have a confession to make.

I did not watch the President’s State of the Union speech last night.

I have not even read the transcript.

Am I a bad policy director? Yes, yes I am.

On the other hand, it’s not my fault that the President inconveniently scheduled his big speech laying out his domestic policy agenda for 2013 the same night as Fat Tuesday.

Edu-implications of the Election

I came into work this morning to find a note on my monitor that reads, “4 More Years!! :).” That nicely sums up the predominant sentiment in the nation’s capital, which celebrated last night in truly spectacular fashion. Congratulations, President Obama – may your next four years be slightly less eventful than the first. I […]

Who said it? Teachers Union Leader or Ed Tech Entrepreneur?

Even a handful of years ago, the scene would have been improbable: the leaders of the two major teachers unions sitting down to a serious conversation with education technology entrepreneurs about innovation and reform in the shadow of the Democratic National Convention. Yet that was what happened yesterday, at an event in Charlotte, NC organized […]

Policy Update: Race to the Top – District Key Info

NewSchools Policy Director Ben Riley discusses the latest information on the Department of Education’s finalized Race to the Top – Districts competition. Ben discusses how the final rules will affect the education entrepreneurial community.  Check out Ben’s previous policy updates on the latest Race to The Top – District competition here and here. 

Personalized Learning: Racing Too Fast?

A few years ago, I read a column by Bill Simmons (the Sports Guy of Grantland/ESPN fame), wherein he described his inexplicable resistance to watching new television shows that friends recommend to him. Because of this trait, Simmons failed to watch The Wire or Breaking Bad until they were well into their third or fourth […]

Policy Update: Race to the Top—Selection Criteria

NewSchools Policy Director Ben Riley is back with another policy update on the Race to the Top: District grant competition. This week, Ben focuses on the selection criteria the Department of Education will be using to pick winning applications. 

Policy Update: Race to the Top—District

In his latest policy update, NewSchools’ policy director Ben Riley provides an extended overview of the new, $400 million Race to the Top—District competition aimed at fostering personalized learning. This first screencast covers the basic requirements of the competition.

The Supreme Court, Health Care–and Federal Education Policy?

Earlier today, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the minimum coverage provision – otherwise known as the “individual mandate” – included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) that Congress approved two years ago. Most legal commentators agree that today’s argument is the most important since Bush v. Gore, and indeed, […]