In a new analysis intended as a conversation starter about the impact of charter school laws, the Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) found little ties between the strength of a charter law according to The Center for Education Reform’s own rankings and student learning. To be fair, and as DFER points out in the conclusions section, charter…

“For about a minute, I focus on things that have me worried or sad. You might call it a prayer or a moment of meditation. But whatever you call it, I take a few moments to pause and just think…I think of everything possible that could get me down. And I remind myself to leave…

On Thursday, July 31st the CER staff and interns embarked on a tour of the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). During our visit, we gained knowledge on the variety of internships, fellowships, and scholarships offered by NASA, walked through the Integration Testing (I&T) and Innovation labs, and we had the opportunity to learn about the…

On Tuesday July 29th, the CER Interns had a unique opportunity to meet with Katherine Haley, policy advisor to John Boehner, the Speaker of the House. As we walked through the marble halls of the United States Capitol building, the echoes of our group’s excitement bounced off the walls. We marveled at the architecture and…

I’m 336 hours into my summer internship with The Center for Education Reform, and today is my last day. When I first arrived at the office in Bethesda, I was unsure of what the summer had in store for me. I knew that I pursued this internship to learn more about education policy and reform,…

I am proud to say that my intern friends—Adiya Taylor, Mandy Leiter, Matt Beienburg, Tigran Avakyan—and I hosted a very successful event: “CER Interns Present: The Next Generation in Education Reform.” I would like to extend a thank-you to the Thomas B. Fordham Institute for letting us use their space as well as to the…

On Tuesday, interns from various public policy organizations piled onto a 7th floor conference room where CER’s interns organized a panel discussion titled, CER Interns Present: The Next Generation in Education Reform. Preceding the panel, interns from The Center for Education Reform, the U.S. Department of Education, The Fund for America Studies, The National Alliance…

Allegations of cheating on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) have surfaced at a St. Petersburg area elementary school, marking the first time in state history a school grade has been withheld to allow for an investigation. The state Department of Education ordered an internal probe into the matter after an unusual amount of students were…

On July 21st, I attended an event at the American Enterprise Institute called “Comprehending Comprehensive Universities.”

Meet Mose. Mose is a highly functional 8 1/2 year old kid with Asperger syndrome who plays an adventure game called IF... to help him understand and manage his emotions. Brendan, Mose's father, says, "Mose, like a lot of aspie kids, is smart enough to recognize that he doesn't totally fit in with everybody else,…