National Education Standards: The Right Answer for Virginia

Communications Manager Kris Amundson argues the time is right to step up education standards in Virginia. Endorsing the Common Core may be the first step, she says.

Community Colleges' Commitment to Teaching

Education Sector's Thomas Toch discusses the unique positioning of community colleges as institutions of learning. This talk was delivered to the faculty and staff of the College of Lake County in Illinois.

Speaking Up for English Language Learners

Writer and tutor Edward Gresser shares lessons learned from working with immigrant children.

Where Education Is a Matter of Prestige

Education Sector's Abdul Kargbo reflects on his contrasting schooling experiences in Sierra Leone, one of the world's poorest countries, and the United States, one of the richest.

The Maestro of Urban School Reform

Tom Payzant is unique among public school reformers—a leader with a long, successful run at reform inside a major urban school system. He spoke with Education Sector's Thomas Toch about the core ingredients to reform and how he shaped an award-winning school system.

Reviewing The Knowledge Deficit

Andrew Rotherham reviews E.D. Hirsch's The Knowledge Deficit.

Students are Streaming to State Virtual Schools

State virtual schools are among the fastest growing programs in  K–12 public education. If trends continue—as states continue to create virtual schools and existing programs grow—there could be a half-million students enrolled in state virtual schools in just a few years.

Core Convictions

E.D. Hirsch, Jr., one of the most well-known figures in the culture wars debate, discusses his 2006 book The Knowledge Deficit, the links between his work in education and his literary scholarship, school choice, standards, and the politics of education.

Have Hope, Will Travel

Abdul Kargbo reviews The Boys of Baraka, a documentary film about a group of at-risk boys from Baltimore City who are chosen to attend a special all-boys' school in Kenya.

D.C.'s New Teacher Demographics

An influx of young, well-educated teachers from Teach For America and other non-traditional routes is changing the demographics of the teacher labor market in Washington, D.C.

Do Kids Need a Summer Vacation?

In the New York Daily News, Elena Silva argues that the traditional three-month summer vacation may not work for all students.

"Education Should Be a Rich Symphony"

The late Ted Sizer was one of American education's most influential thinkers. In 2006, Education Sector's Andrew Rotherham got a chance to sit down with Sizer to discuss school reform, instruction and curriculum, the standards movement, No Child Left Behind, school choice, high school reform, higher education, and what he considered to be his unfinished work.

Blackboard Journey

As a portal into one man's experiences, Frank McCourt's Teacher Man has much to offer readers interested in public education. Read our review of McCourt's 2005 memoir.