Publications

Ideas matter. In addition to our work with clients, Bellwether Education Partners generates and gathers ideas and policy solutions, analyzes ongoing reform efforts, and writes about and discusses education and education reform. We believe that the work we do to improve education for all students benefits from thought leadership, analysis, and thoughtful discourse around emerging ideas, in order to help challenge leaders and leading organizations to think differently and improve, to coordinate efforts where possible, to inform policymakers and improve the political and policy context, and to share successful approaches with the public education field at large.

Authors

The 5 Biggest Myths About School Vouchers

February 17, 2014

Publication

TIME.com -- What does the renewed push for vouchers mean for our education system? That is of course a matter of debate. Proponents and opponents make a lot of overblown claims about what vouchers will or won’t do. But with a number of programs already in force, we actually know quite a bit about how they work. So, if this debate comes to a school system near you, here are five claims every parent should be skeptical about.

What Private School Choice Can Learn from Chartering: Networks, Incubation, and Authorization

February 4, 2014

Publication

The nation’s first private school voucher program and first charter school law came into being at virtually the same time. But chartering took off quickly as state after state passed laws of their own, and before long there were thousands of charter schools scattered across the nation. But few public programs for private schools were created in the years after the Milwaukee experience. Of late, tax credit and scholarship programs have become resurgent. So what can advocates of such programs learn from charter schooling’s 20 years of experience and evolution — both its successes and struggles? Three strategies hold the most promise for enabling private school programs to thrive: the development of school networks, new-school incubators, and accountability via authorizers.

A New Frontier: Utilizing Charter Schooling to Strengthen Rural Education

January 29, 2014

Publication

In “A New Frontier: Utilizing Charter Schooling to Strengthen Rural America,” Andy Smarick examines the state policies that can hinder or foster the growth of rural charter schools and argues for a new approach to charter schooling in rural America—one that’s prudent and respectful of the unique characteristics of rural communities but more open to charter growth than in the past. The report examines statutes and regulations in five states with significant rural populations—Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, and Ohio—and brings to light policies and practices that prevent charters from opening in rural communities, constrain access to human capital, and create significant disparities in funding.

Smart Shoppers: The End of the ‘College for All’ Debate?

November 4, 2013

Publication

As more students have attended and completed higher education, experts have repeatedly predicted this would create an over-abundance of college-educated workers. But the exact opposite has happened. Through economic upturns and downturns, including the recent recession, a college education remains the best insurance policy against shifting labor markets, unemployment, and under-employment.