America is in the midst of a contentious debate over whether charter schools are an effective institutional remedy for closing the education gap. The divisive nature of the issue tends to push policymakers, educators, and parents to extremes; observers and sta... More »
As American political rhetoric becomes more and more partisan, debates around public education have become increasingly divisive. From Betsy DeVos’s support for charter schools to nationwide protests by public teachers demanding higher pay, disagreement abound... More »
School closure can be a jarring process for students, families and communities. Over the past decade, school closures have become a lightning rod, sparking debate across the country. These closures raise several key questions, including where students go after... More »
Over the past several decades, public sector unionization rates have held fairly steady, even as private sector unionization rates have plummeted. Among economists and social scientists, a debate persists as to whether public sector unions serve the public int... More »
Texas education policy in the 1990s provided the blueprint for Bush-era school reforms. In 1993, the Texas legislature introduced high-stakes testing, followed by the authorization of Texas’ first charter schools—schools that are publicly funded but privately ... More »
Charter schools have become a dominant fixture in the city of Chicago and across the United States. Nationwide, enrollment in charter schools has more than doubled in the past ten years. In Chicago during the early 2000s, legislative action increased the numbe... More »
Students who miss school intermittently suffer more than students who miss school due to mass disruptions like snow days, suggesting there are more negative effects from poor attendance than just missed instructional time. More »