Congress is finally grappling with which parts of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) ought to be repealed or retained. Various officials, and the president who must sign the final agreement, have different lists. After the squabbling, a shadow of a national school improvement policy will remain with nothing
In the last six months, there have been four radio and webinar interviews with Jack Jennings about Presidents, Congress, and the Public Schools. This list of the interviews contains the working web connections as of May 23, 2015. At times, those web addresses change or the material is removed from
When shopping for a car, dishwasher, or cell phone, a prospective buyer will often go to the Consumer Reports to learn about important aspects of the possible purchase. How does the product’s performance compare to that of its competitors–and why? What are an item’s best and worse features? What should
In March the Harvard Education Press released a new book by Jack Jennings. Presidents, Congress, and the Public Schools analyzes a half century of national school improvement efforts, such as Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the No Child Left Behind Act. In lieu of those
By 2014, every child should be proficient in reading/English language arts and mathematics. In so many words, this noble purpose was established in 2002 by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) as the Nation’s guiding principle for improving public education. But, within a few days, 2014, the year for
The Horace Mann League presents its Outstanding Friend of Public Education Award to Jack Jennings, founder and CEO of the Washington-based Center for Education Policy, at its annual awards luncheon and officer installation on Friday in Houston. The league, one of the oldest pro-public education advocacy organizations in the United
It’s late August, and thoughts are turning toward getting the kids ready for school. It seems hardly a few weeks ago that school was over for the summer, and here it is time for them to go back. Kids will be in a higher grade than last year, and they
When something goes right for the country, we should first thank those who made it possible. And then, enjoy the moment before being overwhelmed again by reports of wars, mud slides, and unemployment. In April, the U.S. Department of Education announced that the United States recorded its highest ever graduation
A blizzard of education reports and studies appears every year. This swirl of information, analysis, and commentary — some of which is contradictory — makes it difficult to understand the condition of America’s public schools. In short, are the schools getting better or worse? In December of 2013, two major
