Deborah Meier is a visionary teacher, author, and founder of successful small schools in New York City and Boston. Harry Boyte, senior scholar at Augsburg College, is founder of the youth civic empowerment initiative Public Achievement and a leader in the movement to democratize higher education. This blog is no longer being updated.
Education
Opinion
Thoughts on Six Powerful Principles of Learning
Young people like Ismael and Sheriden help illustrate six powerful learning principles.
Education
Opinion
Building a Democratic School Community Around Issues and Values
The so-called charter school "movement" needs to be stopped precisely so that its better parts can survive and inform school communities, says Deborah Meier in an exchange on changing the prevailing mindset around the purpose of schools.
School Choice & Charters
Opinion
Sharing Facilities Can Help Students and Schools
Two or more schools can share space in a building, or share space with other organizations. Or they can do both. Sharing space can be done badly. But skillful sharing has many benefits for students, families and educators.
Education
Opinion
Putting More Human Judgment Into Student Assessment
Deborah Meier and Joe Nathan discuss the role of performance and human judgment in school assessment systems. Do state driver's license exams offer lessons for schools?
School Choice & Charters
Opinion
What Assessment System Would Serve Students & Society?
"From my perspective, using a variety of measures, including some selected at the local school level by educators, families and students,is the best way to capture the broad array of things each school is trying to do."
School Choice & Charters
Opinion
3 District Problems Help Explain Charter Growth
I'd like to discuss three documents. The first document is a powerful description of Metro, a terrific innovative district high "school without walls" in Chicago that operated 1970-1991. The second is a 1988 speech by Al Shanker. The third is an article by civil rights legend Dr. Kenneth Clark.
Standards & Accountability
Opinion
Can We Bring the Charter School Movement Under One Umbrella?
I'd love to figure out a way we could join together to create a charter movement that brings us together under one umbrella to fight for better charter or pilot legislation that will preserve the best of 'public-ness' and the best of 'private-ness.'
Teaching
Opinion
A New, Better Deal for Teachers and Families
Many public school educators are frustrated. Fortunately, there's a growing movement to give teachers, along with families, a new, better deal. This empowers teachers to create, as options, new schools that reflect their views about how schools should be organized.
Education
Opinion
Bringing Charter School Control Closer to Constituents
Deborah Meier and Joe Nathan debate the merits of public vs. private control of schools. What can democratic systems teach us about school governance?
School Choice & Charters
Opinion
Moving Ahead on 3 Dreams
Nathan: Let's begin with Antonia, Jennifer, Khalique and your encouragement to dream.
Education
Opinion
Lessons From Boston: Rethinking Charter Schools
Meier: How can we redesign the "charter idea" as the future of education itself? We can start with expanding school autonomy.
School Choice & Charters
Opinion
New Ways to Expand Opportunities for Educators, Families, and Students
Nathan: Since 1985, Minnesota has allowed high school students to earn college credit with state funds following them, helping pay for all tuition, book and lab fees. Moreover, some of us are advocating providing start-up funds to help district faculty start new options within school districts.
Teaching
Opinion
School Choice, Common Core, Too Much Testing, & Other Thoughts
Meier: I'm against all choice methods that give the school the right to choose rather than the students and families.
School Choice & Charters
Opinion
Wise & Woeful School Choice Plans
Nathan: School choice is a powerful tool that needs to be used carefully. I think you and I agree on this.