Why Education Inequality Persists - And How To Fix It

By John Jackson, President and CEO of the Schott Foundation for Public Education, and Pedro Noguera, the Peter L. Agnew professor of education at New York University

If it takes a village to raise a child, the same village must share accountability when many children are educationally abandoned. In New York City, the nation’s largest school system, on average student outcomes and their opportunity to learn are more determined by the neighborhood where a child lives, than his or her abilities.

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CO Passes School Discipline Reform Bill

In a major victory for Colorado students and the movement to end zero-tolerance discipline policies, the Colorado state legislature passed a bill that gives schools more flexibility in school discipline policies and encourages them to pursue restorative justice practices rather than referring students to law enforcement. Senate Bill 46, called the "Fair Discipline in Schools Act," is one of the most far-reaching state laws on the issue of school discipline reform and puts CO at the forefront of the movement to end both harsh discipline policies and the racial disparities in the application of those policies.

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Give Students Their Day in Court!

Hussein v. The State of New York is challenging the State to live up to its 2006 promise (following the the landmark Campaign for Fiscal Equity ruling) to provide all students with a "sound basic education." However, the State has repeatedly tried to have the case dismissed, which would deny parents and students their day in court to fight for equitable funding for their schools.

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An Arkansas Student Bill of Rights

Students and teachers shouldn't be held accountable to high-stakes test scores and grades unless they have the resources they need meet those standards. "An Arkansas Student Bill of Rights" calls for the state government to be held accountable for providing all students with the resources and opportunities they need to succeed. 

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Who's Killing Philly Public Schools?

Philadelphia's public school system is on the edge of a precipice, hammered by budget cuts from Harrisburg and an influx of market-based "reform" agendas. This disturbing investigative piece by Daniel Denvir of Philly's City Paper shines a light on the often shadowy forces and political process at work — and should be a wake-up call for education advocates in every community: if it can happen here, it can happen anywhere.

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Chicago Students Win Voice in Teacher Evaluations

Let's hear it for the student advocates in Chicago fighting for student input in teacher evaluations! Thanks to the advocacy efforts of groups likes Voices of Youth in Chicago Education (VOYCE), the Chicago Public Schools announced that its new teacher evaluation system will include a pilot of student feedback at all CPS high schools. 

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