Jeff Bryant

Solutions To The Teacher Shortage Crisis Even Republicans Will Like

3 days ago

Public schools across the nation are experiencing severe teacher shortages that are apt to develop into a “crisis.” Here are good reasons even Republicans should embrace the crisis and support good solutions.

Is Donald Trump The Charter School Industry’s Worst Nightmare?

September 15, 2016

Presidential candidate Donald Trump's full-throated support for school choice is the ill-conceived, grandiose, and politically polarizing gesture that many charter school proponents feared most.

The Racism of School Closures

September 12, 2016

The rush to close more schools and embrace school closings is a perverse approach to "school improvement," with the hugely negative effects on students and communities.

Who Gains Most From School Choice? Not Low-Income Students Of Color

September 8, 2016

As parents and students reenter public schools for a new year, they're hearing a lot about "school choice." No doubt school choice will benefit some parents. But who really stands to gain most from choice and why?

New Poll Finds Public Differs Sharply With Education Policy Elite

September 1, 2016

The longest continuously running survey of American attitudes toward public education has startling findings that reveal how out of whack current education policy is from the prevailing public opinion.

John Oliver Slams Charter Schools And His Critics Totally Miss The Point

August 25, 2016

Comedian John Oliver revealed how often charter schools are poorly, even criminally, operated, and the charter industry missed the crux of his argument that there might be something fundamentally wrong with the schools.

What Your Back-To-School List Reveals About Our Underfunded Schools

August 18, 2016

Back-to-school supply lists are likely longer than ever. But the lack of funding for basic school supplies is just the most obvious sign of America's growing and deepening crisis in education funding.

How Populism Is Rewriting The Charter School Narrative

August 11, 2016

Two recent events showcase exactly how the populist fervor in the nation is redrawing the education policy landscape, and more specifically, rewriting the story of the roll out of charter schools in our communities.

Is Tim Kaine A Sign Democrats Are Leaving The ‘Education Reform Camp?’

July 27, 2016

In reviewing Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine’s education policy chops, what’s in his record may not be as important as what isn’t: the current education 'reform' establishment’s policy checklist.

What’s Taking Little Rock Back To Its Segregated Past?

July 22, 2016

Progress on racial integration achieved during the civil rights period has gradually eroded. But in places like Little Rock, Ark., where progress started in 1957, the conflict continues; only the actors have changed.

How Mike Pence’s Extremism May Divide Democrats On Education Policy

July 21, 2016

Mike Pence has implemented many of the same education policies Democrats have promoted for years. But in calling out Pence as an "extremist," is Hillary Clinton signaling there may be shifts in her party’s education agenda?

Rally for Education Justice – Are We Winning?

July 18, 2016

800 advocates for “the people’s education” gathered at the Lincoln Memorial last week, where speakers who included Diane Ravitch and Rev. William Barber placed the fight to save public schools in the context of social justice advocacy.

Sanders Supporters Push Party Platform Into A Fight Over Charter Schools

July 15, 2016

Bernie Sanders supporters teamed up with those of Hillary Clinton to change how the Democratic Party platform addresses the charter school industry's threat to public education. Charter supporters aren't happy.

How Education Fares In The Democratic Party Platform

July 8, 2016

Many are saying that this year's Democratic platform may be the most progressive the party has ever had. But is it progressive on education? Let's weigh the evidence.

This Friday In D.C., Let’s Rally For An Important Progressive Cause

July 6, 2016

Progressive activists will throng the Lincoln Memorial to listen to Rev. William Barber II, education historian Diane Ravitch and other prominent voices rally the nation in support of the public education students deserve.

Are Public Schools And Private Equity A Bad Mix?

June 30, 2016

Cities and towns are required to offer citizens a free education. That doesn’t mean that schools aren’t fair game for privatization. Detroit’s system incentivized a predatory sector to move into the city to get a good return on investment.

Getting The ‘Customer Model’ Out Of Education

June 23, 2016

We're told schools need to be in step with the needs of businesses, and that education is "an investment" that gets a "return." The language of education policy is saturated in business values. But the truth is most businesses fail.

Why Denver Is A Warning Sign, Not A Model, for Urban School Districts

June 17, 2016

Denver is being widely hailed as the next model of "education reform" for other urban districts. But of the 27 charter schools the city has opened in the past five years, at least 40 percent are performing below expectations.

How Long Can Big Money Keep Democrats In The Charter School Camp?

June 16, 2016

Although, the issue of charter schools has barely been addressed in the presidential contest, there’s little doubt the subject is a matter of intense and bitter debate down ticket.

Mindless Underfunding Of Schools Continues, Doing Harm To Kids

June 10, 2016

High school graduation season is in bloom, but in some places, parents with children still in school have to worry about conditions in the schools they'll return to in the fall – or even if schools will open at all.

Trump University Shows Why For-Profit Motives Don’t Belong In Education

June 3, 2016

Outrage over the Trump University documents should go beyond the scam itself to acknowledge the lesson of this fraud: Profit-making and education are a bad mix for all except the few who are able to bank the results.

Who Needs To Reach Higher For Higher Education?

June 1, 2016

Michele Obama on Friday may commend City College of New York graduates for their effort to "reach higher" in education. Let's hope she also tells policy leaders and public officials to reach higher to fund it.

How Charter Schools Heighten The Politicization Of Education

May 26, 2016

Regardless of how you feel about charter schools, because of the way they've been forged in the crucible of politics, they've become much more political beings than they are institutions of education.

Why Oppressing Transgender Students Is An Attack On Public Education

May 23, 2016

Conservatives have chosen public schools as the battleground to attack transgender student rights because that is one of the few places where the nation's diversity comes together to engage in its most collaborative endeavor.

The Growing Crisis Of Our Education Infrastructure

May 19, 2016

We've drifted away from talking about education as "essential infrastructure." That's a mistake, and our students, and the nation's future, are worse off for it.

Teachers Are Increasingly Frustrated, And That’s Bad For Students

May 12, 2016

Frontline educators are committed to students and satisfied with schools but are deeply frustrated with how they’re being treated. The discontent is the continuation of a long and alarming trend that has negative effects on students.

Tell Republicans In Congress: Don’t Cut Free Lunches For Poor Children

May 6, 2016

A bill introduced by a Republican in Congress would cut the availability of federally subsidized lunches to hungry children in public schools. The bill is still in committee, but it’s not too early to tell Congress you oppose this.

The Protest Generation Wants Its Education Back

April 29, 2016

Protests in North Carolina against HB2, the infamous “bathroom law” limiting protections for LGBT people, made national headlines. But there's another wave of protest actions in the Tarheel State you should know about.

How School Vouchers Promote Religious Schools And Hurt Education

April 28, 2016

Due to school voucher programs, such as the one Congress is voting on for Washington, D.C., religious schools get large amounts of public tax dollars to fund religion-based curricula.

We Won’t Improve Education By Making Teachers Hate Their Jobs

April 21, 2016

Teacher shortages are spiking and job dissatisfaction among teachers is at an all-time high. Now a new survey points to another contributor to low teacher morale: their evaluations.

Here Comes The Charter School Sneak Attack On Bipartisan Policy

April 18, 2016

The Every Student Succeeds Act had wide, bipartisan support, but its real effect will be determined by its interpretation. Charter school advocates want it interpreted their way.

The Flint Effect: Will One City’s Crisis Spark A National Awakening?

April 14, 2016

The Flint, Mich., water crisis prompted school officials in many places to test classroom sinks and cafeteria faucets for lead. What they found was alarming – and calls for nationwide action.

Another Argument In The Campaign Against Teachers’ Unions Bites The Dust

April 8, 2016

For years, teachers' unions have been blamed for the fact that disadvantaged children are often taught by under-credentialed, less-experienced teachers. A new report shows the blame needs to be pinned somewhere else.

Why The Panama Papers Scandal Is About Cheating School Children

April 7, 2016

The Panama Papers show how wealthy people avoid paying taxes. But tax avoidance at a much smaller scale is actually quite commonplace right where you live, and the effects are most consequential on the least powerful in our society.

Is Education Being Measured To Death?

March 31, 2016

April ushers in the beginning of testing season in public schools across the nation. But the tests don’t serve purposes that are as clear and reasonable as their advocates would have us believe.

How Breaking Government Hurts Children

March 25, 2016

After years of declarations that “government is the problem” and we should “drown it in a bathtub,” new reports reveal that years of hating government are taking their toll on government services essential to children.

Don’t Blame Bernie; Most People Don’t Get Charter Schools

March 17, 2016

When Bernie Sanders fielded a question about charter schools, his answer left a lot of folks scratching their heads. But charter schools do inhabit a sort of twilight zone in the legal distinction of what is public versus what is private.

How the Walmart Business Model Is Reshaping American Public Education

March 16, 2016

Stories about local communities being devastated by business decisions made in distant headquarters have become a staple of this era. But what if that story isn't just about businesses? What if the story is about a closed public school?

Elizabeth Warren’s Latest Challenge To College Loan Corruption

March 15, 2016

The Massachusetts senator is calling out the U.S. Department of Education for a significant part of its role in being complicit with college loan debt-rigging.

The Urgent Education Issue That Needs To Be In The Presidential Debates

March 10, 2016

Hearing how our potential leaders might take on the real crisis at hand – the inadequacy of how our education system is funded – might take the whole nation in a direction closer to more meaningful change.

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About Jeff Bryant