How can we give students options when their public schools are failing them?
What exactly is NCLB and how is it effecting our education system?
How do we ensure that all children are prepared to enter kindergarten?
Why are we struggling to recruit and retain teachers? What reforms do the candidates propose to solve the teacher shortage and improve their working conditions?
With a struggling economy, should lawmakers place further emphasis on federally-funded school-to-work programs? Moreover, do they work?
Who are the key players changing education today?
Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP)
Steve Barr: Founder of Green Dot Public Schools
“Public schools can do a far better job of educating students if they are operated more effectively.”
Disruptive Innovation: Green Dot Schools are all based on the same "Six Tenets of High Performing Schools". This model enables Green Dot schools to consistently outperform comparable schools on nearly every academic performance measure.
The Six Tenets are:
1) Small, Safe, Personalized Schools
2) High Expectations
3) Local Control
4) Parent Participation
5) Get Every Dollar into the Classroom
6) Keep Schools Open Later
Potential to Serve: Primarily urban public high school students, especially in Los Angeles.