In this final set of videos from the NewSchools Summit 2010, speakers at the Community of Practice event — held the day before the Summit with a smaller set of about 200 entrepreneurs and other practitioners — talked about the power of technology to help close the achievement gap.
In the morning, participants heard about entrepreneurial efforts like School of One (a NewSchools grantee) and the Quest to Learn “school for digital kids,” both in New York City, as well as what Sesame Street is doing to take its trusted characters into the world of technology.
Check out all the video coverage, and stay tuned for one more final installment: videos from the Community of Practice event that took place the day before the Summit.
Posted by NewSchools Team, Monday, August 16th, 2010 at 5:09 pm
Were you paying attention at the NewSchools Summit in DC this spring? Think you know who makes what plea to the entrepreneurial education movement? Then match the speaker with the memorable quote:
1. “No more Mister Nice Guy.”
2. “All means all.”
3. “The challenge before you now is to make these extraordinary successes a little less extraordinary.”
4. “Go hard or go home.”
A. Susan Colby, Bridgespan Group
B. Chancellor Michelle Rhee, District of Columbia Public Schools
C. Kevin Chavous, Center for Education Reform
D. Secretary Arne Duncan, U.S. Department of Education
Tucked away in a military spending bill in the House of Representatives is a false choice: saving jobs vs. education reform.
The proposal, by Rep. Dave Obey (D-Wis), who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, came to light yesterday thanks to the considerable candlepower of Alyson Klein, half of the dynamic duo that covers federal education policy at Education Week. The measure is ostensibly aimed at finding $10 billion to save teacher jobs, but does so through what even Sec. Arne Duncan says are unnecessary cuts to the key education reform efforts.
Specifically, these cuts would take from currently funded areas: $500 million from Race to the Top, $200 million from the Teacher Incentive Fund, and $100 million from federal support for charter schools. These cuts would be catastrophic for 3 main reasons:
This amendment will cut deeply into funds that are driving historic change in public education systems around the country.
Many states have embarked already on politically difficult reforms based on the promised availability of funds that would be cut under this amendment. This will pull the rug out and betray promises to the states.
This amendment pits jobs against reform—a choice that the Department of Education has made clear America does not need to make. As Department spokesman Peter Cunningham toldEducation Week today, “If Congress is determined to find offsets, we will help them do that, but these are not the right ones.” (See also this letter drafted by Democrats for Education Reform and signed by 26 education reform organizations — including NewSchools.)
A statement from the Obama Administration late today suggested that if the cuts were made, the President would veto the bill. “The President believes that we need to keep teachers in the classroom, and we have worked with Congress to find a way to pay for it. But the President also feels very strongly that we should not cut funding for Race to the Top, one of the most sweeping reform initiatives in a generation,” said Tommy Vietor, a spokesman for the White House, in an email to Ed Week’s Klein.
But what can you do? Contact your member of Congress (find contact info for members of the House here and Senators here) via email or through the Congressional Switchboard at 202-224-3121 (if you call, ask to speak with the person responsible for education issues), and encourage others to do likewise. Let Congress know that you oppose the Obey Supplemental Appropriations Bill for the three reasons named above, and that they should find other places to make cuts than in the key funds for education reform.
Posted by Jonathan Schorr, Thursday, July 1st, 2010 at 10:19 pm
Bridgespan has posted Susan Colby’s presentation from the NewSchools Summit 2010, in which she implored the audience “to focus relentlessly on the destination of all children having the means to achieve their dreams.”
The remarks surveyed what education entrepreneurs have accomplished and what lies ahead, and kicked off a session on what it will take for the entrepreneurial education sector to scale up its impact in the years ahead. You can view just the slides, or the script itself (which includes thumbnails of the accompanying slides).
NewSchools Venture Fund is a venture philanthropy firm working to transform public education through powerful ideas and passionate entrepreneurs so that all children — especially those in underserved communities — have the opportunity to succeed.
