Based on the belief that America's public schools should meet standards of excellence and be held accountable, parents and teachers are lining up to choose innovative public schools – charter schools – that are able to meet the individual needs of our children. Charter Schools are one part of a five-part cure for fixing public education detailed in Mandate for Change, and a critical component in American schools' Race to the Top. Charter schools are... New State Analysis Reveals Lagging Progress on Charter Laws There has been just a bit of criticism raised by educators about me naming my new documentary on Arizona’s BASIS Charter Schools “THE 21st Century Solution.” Let me clarify why I view the school as such a powerful model for America. It is NOT because the BASIS school is “THE” solution, but because it embodies two fundamental attributes necessary for “THE” dramatic improvement in U.S. education: 6- No Restrictions on Charter Schools – school boards should not limit the number of charter schools; should allow charter schools to create their own rules regarding hiring, curriculum, tenure and unionization; and per student funding should be equal to that of other public schools within the same district. High-quality charter schools give children and parents the option to find the school that best fits their needs. My film may have disappointed the pedagogues, but for helping typical Americans and their typical local and State leaders envision a way to bring American children up to world-standard, at a price we can afford, I contend BASIS is “The 21st Century Solution.” So, I used BASIS as a conceptual metaphor, much as the film uses time lapse photography, slow-motion video, a tiny bird at the end and the song Une Annee Sans Lumiere by Arcade Fire: metaphorically. I have spent the past 3 days in Birmingham UK My film - 2MM: A Global Examination - was shown twice and The 21st Century Solutionwas screened as well - all to respectably large crowds. I delivered three speeches: 1- Education, Innovation and Economic Policy: What nations must do well in the 21st century Download UK - Education, Innovation and Economic Policy 2- The 21st Century Curriculum: Whole-Brain Education Download UK - 21st Century Curriculum 3- China, India and Western Hubris: Education and Economic Success (my keynote address) The conference has been an energizing experience - unlike US conferences of similar nature - there has been very little pontificating. Most attendees simply want to to help their children succeed in the 21st century. It has been a breath of fresh air to an American guest. Birmingham has an enormous ferris wheel in the center of town: This is my fourth trip to India and the sights and sounds are familiar and comforting to me now. The Oberoi Hotel feels like home and my senses are no longer assaulted, but more soothed by teeming, tumultuous India that I love. Even the street sounds are less noise than a calming cacophony...ok, maybe not that calming... I had the privilege of being the final speaker on education at West Point on Friday. Being surrounded by so many highly decorated career soldiers was more than a bit intimidating, but the Generals made me feel welcome (especially when they had me drop and give them 20 push-ups - I was great on the "drop"... it was the "up" that was tough). West Point, surprisingly, is deeply involved in education - from educating the children of soldiers around the world, to a magnificent public high school program called JR ROTC to build leadership, values and earned self-confidence in high school students. The Conferences attendees was a Who's Who of important people in education and I felt deeply honored in their presence and proud to be asked to address them. Meeting Army Chief of Staff General George Casey, Jr. was a particular honor. On 4-4-09, after a few brief comments by DC School Chancellor Michelle Rhee, TFA Co-founder Whitney Tilson delivered a calm, cogent, compelling, data-packed talk explaining why the Achievement Gap exists. It was brilliant! Here are a few of his most damning slides: STAGNANT EDUCATION FOR OVER 30 YEARS PISA RESULTS: LONGER KIDS ARE IN SCHOOL THE WORSE THEY GET INTELLECTUALLY WHILE U.S. EDUCATION STAGNATES AND THE MOST DAMNING FACTS OF ALL: THE KIDS WHO STRUGGLE ARE ASSIGNED TO THE WORST TEACHERS "Take heed of this message from Katherine Merseth, a senior lecturer and director of the teacher education program at Harvard University: "It's high time that we broke up the cartel," she said. "We need to hold graduate schools of education more accountable." Merseth says that of the 1,300 graduate teacher training programs in the country, about 100 or so are adequately preparing teachers and "the others could be shut down tomorrow." I spent two days in Detroit last week, a portion of which was simply driving around once prosperous neighborhoods now dying and decaying. I also visited the Cornerstone Charter School - a school that is educating the next generation of Detroit citizens and doing it very well. But as I look at the moribund U.S. auto industry, I wonder whether Detroit can ever return to prosperity. The city lived beyond it means for decades, failed to educate its population and relied on two industries for economic vitality - autos and banking. Global competition and all that that implies has crushed Detroit's economy. I cannot see the economic sector that ever brings that once great city back to life, unless it is the Baseball Industry. The nicest building in Detroit? Tiger Stadium!Charter Connection
What is a charter school?
Today, more than 5,000 charter schools serve more than 1.5 million children in 39 states and the District of Columbia. Find yours atwww.yourcharterschool.com.
Charter Schools 101
Resources
Recent Developments
CER Press Release, Washington, DC, December 2, 2009
As the Obama Administration prepares to review state applications for much coveted federal education funds in the 'Race to the Top' competition, no state in 2009 made enough progress to significantly move its score in the 11th annual ranking of state charter school laws, according to a new report that will be released next week by The Center for Education Reform.
5000+ Charter Schools Already Help Students Race to the Top
CER Press Release, Washington, DC, November 23, 2009
At a time when states are scrambling to compete in President Obama's signature 'Race to the Top' effort, they really only need to look in their own backyards to see one reform that continues to make a difference in the lives of millions of kids. Today, 5,043 charter schools in 39 states and the District of Columbia are allowing nearly 2 million families to opt out of schools failing students and into schools better serving them.
States Compete for Federal School Dollars
, November 11, 2009
One skeptic is Jeanne Allen, executive director of the Center for Education Reform, a Washington group that supports charter schools. "Some states are just doing what is easy and inconsequential to get qualified for Race to the Top," she said, and the administration has been portraying minor changes to state laws as significant school reform victories. More from CER at In Focus: Race to the Top
Breaking News: Charter Schools Close Achievement Gap
The newest, most comprehensive study to date finds that New York City's charter schools dramatically improve student achievement, while serving more minority and low-income children. CER summarizes the findings. Link here to the complete New York City Charter School Evaluation Project findings.
In the News:
New York Times: Study Shows Better Scores for Charter School Students
Wall Street Journal: Charter Schools Pass Key Test in Study
New York Post: Study Bares Charter Advantage for Kids
New York Daily News: Acing The Test: Charter School Students Outperform Peers By A Mile In A Fair Test
Charter Laws and Flawed Research
, Education Week, September 9, 2009
Centralized, top-down control didn’t work for traditional public schools, and it won’t work for charter schools, without turning them into highly regulated, input-focused entities that wind up exactly like public schools before the advent of education reform. (See also:Issues - Charter Connection.)The Two Million Minutes Blog
A continuation of the TWO MILLION MINUTES documentary film, this blog offers deeper insights into education in China, India and the United States, and the challenge America faces. Now you can join a dialog about what governments, communities and families should and are doing to best prepare US students for satisfying careers in the 21st century.
To learn more about the film visit www.2Mminutes.comWhy “THE” 21st Century Solution?
http://www.2mm.typepad.com/
2- because it passes critical business tests necessary for large-scale replication.
President Obama and Secretary of Education Duncan have articulated an Education Agenda that, to the general public, makes common sense.
Here is Secretary Duncan's 6-point public school agenda:
1- Make U.S. Education World-Class – set world-class academic standards and a curriculum that fosters critical thinking, problem solving, and the innovative use of knowledge to prepare students for college or career.
2 - Assessment and Accountability - require systems that provide timely and useful information about the progress of individual students and the capability of individual teachers.
3- Pay For Performance – use rewards and incentives to keep talented teachers in the schools that need them the most and demonstrate we value their skills.
4- Recruit Best and Brightest to Teaching – support efforts to fast-track private sector professionals with advanced degrees into teaching and push for expansion of Teach For America.
5- Remove Poor Performing Teachers - challenge State and school districts to quickly remove ineffective teachers from the classroom.
If we are to prepare America’s 54 million K-12 students to compete globally with the nearly 600 million other K-12 students in the world, we must have 21st century schools that:
1- meet the needs of students,
2- can be affordably scaled, and
3- are economically sustainable with the $668 Billion we annually spend on K-12 education -- an amount that exceeds any other country.
Our economy simply cannot support massive increases in education spending –we must get creative, entrepreneurial and frugal. BASIS, more than High Tech High, New Tech High or KIPP, meets the test of business scalability and sustainability.
That is what I’m referring to as The 21st Century Solution. Here are the specifics:
2- A Curriculum Above The Global Standard – in math, science, English, history, foreign language, etc. We must educate our children to at least the level of those with whom they will compete for the high-wage jobs of the future.
3- An Inspiring Culture – can ordinary American kids, middle and low income, achieve at extraordinary academic levels? BASIS proves they can. That is reassuring and inspiring!
4- A School Year of 180 days – lengthening the school day, week, year will take lots of debate and will add to cost. Kids need to compete now. That is not to say that many children would not benefit from a longer day, week and year - it just will add to cost.
5- Sustainable Economics for a “Free Public Education” - for an annual cost of $6,500 per student, BASIS is delivering a world-standard, free public education – that cost is below the national per student average of $8,700 and well below my daughters’ private school tuition of $15,000/yr in Memphis.
6- Passionate, Expert, Inspiring Teachers - all of BASIS teachers are professionals with Master’s or PhD’s in their fields of expertise. Over 80% are NOT certified teachers.
7- College and Graduate School As Students' Goal – 100% of BASIS students go on to top colleges and most plan for graduate school.
8- Entirely replicable – no new curriculum needs to be developed; no major foundation grants are needed to fund start-up; no corporate contributions are required to sustain the school. This model can be scaled quickly across the country and is affordable to ANY community.November 26, 2009
Keynote Speaker at England's Conference "21st Schooling: The Globalised Challenge"
at a gathering of over 1,500 educators from around the world (mostly British) to discuss what primary and secondary education should evolve to for Western nations to "stay in the economic game " globally as China and India, among other nations, are rising.
November 18, 2009
In Bangalore...dog tired.
I left West Point on November 13th at 1:15pm and finally landed Bangalore, India, Nov 15th at 3am - dog tired but very glad to be here.
November 16, 2009
Speech at West Point
November 07, 2009
Whitney Tilson Delivers Compelling Lecture on Achievement Gap
November 06, 2009
November 04, 2009
November 03, 2009
It's Time To Break the Teachers' College Cartel says Harvard Lecturer
November 01, 2009
October 27, 2009
Tipping Point...Slipping Point...Point of No Return
Saturday, 5 December 2009
1- Modest Start-Up Costs – a BASIS school can be started for ~ $150,000. That is extraordinarily affordable. BASIS Tucson is located in a strip mall across from Office Depot on East Broadway. It has very humble facilities. That's fine for a school.
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