Governor Phil Bryant is poised to sign a modest charter school bill into law on April 17, 2013 that would allow for the creation of charter schools. The Mississippi legislature sent the compromised bill to his desk yesterday after falling to pressure from school districts and special interest groups.

The Center for Education Reform creates a state-based Media Bullpen for organizations, and announces the Tennessee Charter Schools Association as its first partner in this exciting initiative.

Today, the Indiana Supreme Court unanimously voted 5-0 to uphold a lower court decision declaring the state’s school voucher program constitutional.

The Center for Education Reform (CER) President Jeanne Allen was honored with the “Champion Award” by the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO), a school choice advocacy group that focuses on minorities, for her dedication to providing all families with access to educational options and choice.

Calling their passage of a broad education bill “the most significant in 30 years,” the Mississippi state senate moved closer to adopting new measures to open charter schools, yet yielded to pressure from school districts in limiting the opportunity for students across the state to have substantive, meaningful choices.

Less than 40 percent of our nation’s 4th and 8th graders are proficient in math and reading. A closer look at the 2011 results of the five states with the largest public school student populations reveals these mega-states generally do not perform better than the nation’s average, but there have been modest achievement gains.

Concerns over selective admissions criteria out of the scope of accepted methods for charter school enrollments and policies should be taken seriously, and authorizers are obligated to govern school policies according to very clear rules and oversight practices. But whether there are issues in how charter schools enroll students or not because of the actions…

Jeanne Allen, Founder and President of the Center for Education Reform (CER), today announced she will be stepping aside as President of the Center, effective November 1 of this year — the organization’s 20th anniversary — a move that signals a nod to the next generation of education reformers. Through October, Ms. Allen will continue…

A national research study across 23 states and DC assessing charter school performance over time makes erroneous conclusions about the impact of charter schools on students, while ignoring critical distinctions among state proficiency standards and the components of each state’s widely differentiating charter school laws.

Citing the critical role of communications and the intersection of politics with the organization’s mission to educate and activate the public and policymakers on substantive education reform, CER President Jeanne Allen welcomed Nate Breeding as Director of Communications, overseeing all of the organizations outreach, public affairs and media relations.