Advocates gathered on Wednesday for a Hill briefing in the Capitol Visitor Center to discuss a much-overlooked facet of education policy, rural education. The event was hosted by the Rural School and Community Trust, and focused on the release of the biennial report Why Rural Matters. Remarks were made by Congressman Glenn “G.T.” Thompson (R-PA…

In March 2006, John Danner submitted a charter school application to the San Jose Unified School District, which was filed accordingly by school officials without much comment or fanfare, marking the first attempt to launch what would eventually become the Rocketship charter network. This seemingly nascent moment however, doesn’t take place until pg. 54 of…

In most cases, critical thinking and problem solving are effective if students think outside the box.  A traditional classroom often keeps students thinking narrowly, because they are not given the tools they need to think critically or develop problem-solving skills. Traditional schools offer limited opportunities for students to think outside of the box, and often…

Reflecting on the ensuing American Revolution, British political thinker Edmund Burke had this to say: “We also reason and feel as you do on the invasion of your charters. Because the charters comprehend the essential forms by which you enjoy your liberties, we regard them as most sacred, and by no means to be taken…

The Brown Palace Hotel in Denver, CO opened its doors in 1892, and is renowned by a wide range of travel publications for its luxurious suites and spa offerings. In its 120-year history, the Brown Palace has played host to famous figures such as U.S. Presidents and the Beatles, giving it a well-respected reputation within the…

What do Provence Rosés, oyster farms, and the book, The Giver have in common? Besides being the subject of my Saturday morning reading in the Wall Street Journal, it would appear nothing. But as I stewed on the back and forth of popular and well regarded reformers over the last few days on the subject…

Amid the meandering paragraphs and lamentations about how the charter school movement has lost its way, The Center for Education Reform is trying to pinpoint where exactly John Merrow’s blog post went off the rails, and where it ended up. It might’ve been when he said, “every Tom, Dick and Harry” have been able to open…

Wednesday afternoon at the American Enterprise Institute, Randi Weingarten, president of American Federation of Teachers, participated in a conversation on the role of teachers unions in public education. The event started with an introduction from Frederick M. Hess, director of education policy studies at AEI, and then Weingarten followed up with a keynote speech. The…

On June 18th, The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) hosted Randi Weingarten, the current president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). Engaging in a conversation with Frederick Hess, AEI’s director of education policy studies, Weingarten firstly shared with the audience that the need for debate—a dialogue with different people. As it currently stands, the AFT…

Three weeks ago I was starting my first day at the Center for Education Reform (CER), and now I’m concluding my experience with the organization. My experience with CER has been educational and I have acquired more knowledge about the education field as a result. My daily task included uploading information from articles that were…