Across the country, urban school districts are moving beyond industrial-era systems by creating “innovation” or “partnership” schools that have the freedom to reinvent the way they educate students. The Progressive Policy Institute released a how-to guide for legislators, district leaders, and advocates who want to create more of these 21st century schools: The Third Way:…
Publications
The Progressive Policy Institute hosted a conversation on how members of the Democratic Party can better protect recent gains made by Black and Brown students while advancing these gains after the 2020 Presidential Election. The conversation surrounded gains made by Black and Brown students, how these gains were made, and more importantly how Democrats can…
The coronavirus pandemic is an historic test of the resilience of one of America’s most precious public assets: our public schools. So far, it’s a test we are failing. Tens of millions of children have fallen far behind in their studies. These learning losses will cascade as health fears keep most schools closed this fall…
Press
With hospital beds filled and field hospitals scrambling to open, Gov. Gina Raimondo on Monday ordered Rhode Island to begin a two-week pause in an attempt to stop out-of-control coronavirus spread in her state. The governor ordered bars, gyms, movie theaters and the like closed — but she is keeping schools open. Raimondo should be praised for recognizing what too…
During this time of immense change and uncertainty for our nation, the newly elected Biden Administration faces many important decisions. Given the significant disruption to education in America this year due to the pandemic, and the likely long-term consequences, the appointment of the Secretary of Education is one of the most consequential cabinet posts. Many…
Taxpayers own public school buildings, which should be available to all public school students. But as charter operators know, that’s not the reality. Access to affordable school buildings is one of the biggest obstacles to expanding charter schools. Yet in many of our cities, school districts have empty or half-empty buildings. The logical solution—districts selling…
Blog
The Reinventing America's Schools Project sponsored an engaging discussion entitled "To Open or Not To Open: Educational Equity Under COVID." Over 4,000 parents, educators, advocates, funders, journalists, and policy makers registered to hear from experts in teaching, parental engagement, system leadership and health on how to equitably reopen schools in the fall. Our moderator and…
As schools wind down from a, hopefully, once-in-a-lifetime shutdown, many students and teachers find their motivation also winding down. Educators are calling this “zoom fatigue,” referring to the commonly used teleconference platform. To end the year on a high note, teachers could turn to project-based learning (PBL), by asking students to complete a project they…
My 10-year-old nephew, like most American kids, is “doing school” at home. An only child, he misses his friends, is not learning as much as he would in the classroom (by his own and his parents’ admission), and is often-times bored. I ordered him a Lego Star Wars space fighter with a gazillion pieces to…
