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

Can Anyone Change No Child Left Behind?

March 18, 2011

Publication

TIME.com -- The Obama Administration is doubling down on its push to overhaul the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

Getting the Best Info on a Potential New School

March 10, 2011

Publication

TIME.com -- For some guidelines about what parents can expect and tips on how to get the most out of a visit, I asked teachers, school administrators and national education leaders -- including Arne Duncan and Michelle Rhee -- about what they consider a reasonable standard of openness and what advice they would give to parents.

When It Comes To Class Size, Smaller Isn’t Always Better

March 3, 2011

Publication

TIME.com -- Secretary of Education Arne Duncan may well be right that scarce resources will be the “new normal” for schools.

Beyond Unions: 5 New Rules for All Teachers

February 24, 2011

Publication

TIME.com -- If we’re serious about having school systems that put student learning first and create a genuine profession for teachers here are five common practices that must change.

The Wisconsin Teachers’ Crisis: Who’s Really to Blame?

February 18, 2011

Publication

TIME.com -- As Madison becomes ground zero for the debate over government spending and public-sector reform, some hard questions are getting lost in political theatrics and overwrought rhetoric.

Teach For America: 5 Myths that Persist 20 Years On

February 10, 2011

Publication

TIME.com -- TFA’s 20th birthday seems like as good a time as any to unpack the misconceptions put forward by its critics (and by some of its proponents). Here are five of the most common.

Location, Location, Location: How Would a High-Performing Charter School Network Fare in Different States?

February 8, 2011

Publication

How much does the difference in charter school funding between states matter to high-performing charter schools? In this analysis Chris Lozier and Andrew J. Rotherham use actual financial data from a California charter management organization to estimate how the network's finances would be affected if it operated in different states. The analysis looks at funding in more than 20 states to examine how much the variance works in practice.

Super Bowl School: What the NFL Can Teach Teachers

February 3, 2011

Publication

TIME.com -- For a deeper look at what educators might be able to learn from pro football, I talked with Tim Daly, a leading education reformer and president of the New Teacher Project, which trains teachers and conducts research and policy analysis, and his brother Brendan Daly, a former teacher who coaches the defensive line for the St. Louis Rams.

Fixing Teacher Tenure Without a Pass/Fail Grade

January 27, 2011

Publication

TIME.com -- All the new governors (29), state education chiefs (18 new ones elected or appointed since November), and state legislators (nearly 1,600) mean things are more fluid in the states, where teacher tenure is becoming a major flashpoint.