Today, the Progressive Policy Institute’s Reinventing America’s Schools project released a new report titled, “Black Minds Matter: What Should Our Leaders Do About Failing Schools?” The report is authored by David Osborne, Director Emeritus of the Reinventing America’s Schools project. To sum up its argument:
“The task for state policymakers is simple: They must give districts a tool they can use, in the form of legislation to allow innovation zones, and incentives to use that tool. If they ignore this opportunity, they will sentence millions of poor children to inadequate educations that, for most, will result in lifetimes of poverty. That is the true civil rights issue of our time,” said David Osborne in the report.
Millions of children — many of them Black or Brown — languish in low-performing schools, where they are less likely to develop the skills or habits necessary to get into college or the military. Since 1989, 29 states have passed legislation allowing state takeovers of failing school districts, but most have not been very successful.
The report urges state leaders to create “innovation zones,” in which schools have the flexibility they need to improve and are held accountable for student learning. Osborne suggests appointing a zone oversight board that can replace schools and/or administrators if they fail or help them replicate their education models if they succeed. He outlines different innovation school models and provides actionable recommendations for zones and local leaders to support learning for all students.
Read the report:
The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock. Learn more about PPI by visiting progressivepolicy.org.
The Reinventing America’s Schools project inspires a 21st century model of public education geared to the knowledge economy. One model, charter schools, are showing the way by providing autonomy for schools, accountability for results, and parental choice among schools tailored to the diverse learning styles of children. The project is co-led by Curtis Valentine and Tressa Pankovits.
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