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#takethetest

It’s not often that I wake up in the morning, read the blogs, and find a whole lot of common ground with Valerie Strauss’s “Answer Sheet” in the Washington Post. On days when she is quoting the New York Times’ Michael Winerip, it’s even less likely.So, in the holiday spirit of cheer and peacemaking, I’m delighted that just before the year runs out, the moment has arrived, in the form of an […] Read more

Of course class matters. Schools matter too.

A recent piece on the New York Times op-ed page, which somehow didn’t get much immediate attention, ranks in the view of this jaded sometimes-ed-writer as one of the most troubling articles on education reform of 2011.The December 11 op-ed, by Duke public policy professor Helen Ladd and former New York Times education editor Edward Fiske, was headlined “Class Matters. Why Won’t We Admit It?” It makes a few points that ought […] Read more

2011 Year in Review

As 2011 comes to a close, we’re taking stock of our successes and challenges throughout the year. Here are just a few highlights:  In 2011, schools in the NewSchools portfolio served more than 115,000 students—equal to the 33rd largest school district in the country. Upon graduation, 90% of them will go on to college.  This year, we invested more than $17 million dollars in innovative entrepreneurial organizations working to make a difference for students from low-income communities. Our […] Read more