Just over two months ago I was selecting various organizations to interview with for my fellowship at Cesar Chavez PCS- Parkside Campus. The list of organizations ranged from the medical field to politics and I had to choose wisely, because this would be my job for the last three weeks of school. Initially, I was…

Speak Up Report: Mobile Devices Increasingly Being Seen as Tools for Learning Eager minds both novice and seasoned in nature took their seats and conversations gradually simmered down in preparation for vital updates. It appeared that most of the individuals attending the event were concerned not only with receiving information and comprehending it for themselves, but…

When I arrived in DC at the end of April, the city and what role I might play in it were a mystery to me. For the past six weeks, CER provided me a backstage pass to the national narrative of education reform as it plays out in the DC theater. Through my work at…

In rather unsurprising fashion, the powers that be at the American Federation of Teachers are taking up a cause with no discernible connection to improving the education of our nation’s students. The AFT Michigan and California chapters are boycotting office supply chain Staples because of the decision to install postal counters in stores, undercutting the…

Not to sound harsh, but if you’re not totally psyched for the Scripps National Spelling Bee starting May 28, then you’re doing it wrong. In a five-day-long extravaganza composed of both preliminary and final rounds, 277 spellers will try to advance each step by piecing together some of the most complex, nuanced and just plain…

As my semester at CER comes to a close, I can confidently say that I will always be passionate about education reform. As I said in my first blog post, I didn’t really have much background in the complexities of education policy in the U.S., and though I definitely don’t know the solutions yet, I…

Paul Public Charter School (PCS) held a panel discussion among African American education experts, parents, teachers, and community members to inform the public of the educational climate as well as to answer questions. The panel was composed of African American individuals from diverse backgrounds with a common goal of improving student education. The variety of…

Visiting BASIS DC was my first experience touring a charter school.  Having been a former public school student and an in-class tutor, I inherently evaluated BASIS by comparing its school model to that of a traditional public schools.  Enthusiastic teachers, actively engaged students and personable staff resonated in an environment one can only describe as…

This is Part VII in a series dedicated to National Charter Schools Week. People often say that small business owners on Main Street are the backbone of the economy, and provide real sources of inspiration for the rest of us. The same is true of the mom-and-pop charter school operators in American education reform. Armed…

This is Part VI in a series dedicated to National Charter Schools Week. The staff at Charlotte Secondary School(CSS) in North Carolina just seems to get it. They understand that being charter school educators gives them a responsibility to innovate and find the best possible methods of improving student learning and mastery of material. Acting…