No Child Left Behind

NCLB at 20: The Law Sparked a School Data Revolution

Before the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the country’s view of school data was blurry, if available at all. Twenty years later, the picture is much clearer, and both supporters and critics of the...

Jane Crow

The So-Called Parents Bill of Rights Recycles a Dangerous Playbook

A fast-tracked, Republican-backed, federal Parents Bill of Rights is scheduled to go to the House floor today. At first glance, the bill seems innocuous. But it is the latest salvo in a culture war...

Social Emotional Learning

POLL: Public School Parents Want SEL in Schools, Divisive Parents Out

New polling released today by the National Parents Union (NPU) shows substantial majorities of public school parents want an end to parent-led censorship in schools and a stop to violent threats...

Unlocking the Future

A New Educational Future Requires New Allies

When school doors reopened after the prolonged shift to virtual classes sparked by the pandemic, it signaled the end of the once-robust conversation about public education’s woefully inadequate...

student success

Let’s Expand Schools’ Thinking about Student Success

Especially in the wake of pandemic school disruption, it’s time to develop a new, more holistic definition of student success, NewSchools Venture Fund CEO Frances Messano argues in her essay for...

In Purple Districts, Polarization Prevents Teaching Democratic Skills

In late November 2022, researchers from the University of California found evidence the culture wars have taken a heavy toll on schools. In a survey of over 600 principals across the country, more...