Category Archives: Education

A Demographic Divide In Harlem: The Neediest Kids Go to Public Schools, Not Charters

Last month I published an OpEd in The New York Times, “Charter School Refugees,” which asked: “Is there a point at which fostering charter schools undermines traditional public schools and the children they serve?” The OpEd looked at Harlem, where … Continue reading

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The Emotional Life of Children: Reflections Of A New York City Educator

Jeanne Rotunda recently retired as the principal of West Side Collaborative MS250, a respected, innovative middle school on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Here are some of her reflections on what it means to be a public school educator. … Continue reading

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Grandmothers as Global Change Agents: How India’s Barefoot College Seeks to Transform the World’s Poorest Villages

Bunker Roy, the founder of India’s Barefoot College, likes to say that he got the best education in the world and it almost destroyed him. But instead of becoming a doctor or an engineer as his parents expected, he moved … Continue reading

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What A New IBO Study on Special-Needs Kids in NYC Says About Charter v. Public School Comparisons

A new study by the New York City Independent Budget Office offers fresh insight into thorny questions about charter school demographics and performance. The study compares student attrition rates at charter schools with nearby traditional public schools and finds that … Continue reading

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When Schools Get Caught in the Red Tape of Education Mandates

As cities and states across the country scramble to adopt the latest education-reform remedies, including the Common Core State Standards and new evaluation systems that are intended to hold educators accountable for the performance of their students, schools everywhere are … Continue reading

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