Publications

Can Teachers Run Their Own Schools?

Report • October 2010

A case study of Avalon School and several other teacher-led schools in the Midwest. These schools use resources differently than traditional district schools, use a different praxis of teaching, and divide authority and responsibility differently—including assigning responsibility for learning to the students.

Disrupting Class

Book • September 2010

Today’s youth are more different from each other and from previous generations than at any time in history. The nation’s still standardized model of learning isn’t working for nearly half of them. Customizing learning opportunities will. And today’s fast-changing technology platform already shows how effective on-line and computer-centric learning can be – and how it changes the role of educators in amazing ways.

Rethinking Student Motivation

Report • September 2010

Why understanding the ‘job’ is crucial for improving education This white paper is adapted from a new chapter in the second edition of Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change […]

Kolderie Talk to Knowledge Alliance

Speech • August 2010

E|E’s Ted Kolderie explains why sound policy requires true innovation, followed by “continuous improvement”. The two must exist together; we may not be able to afford a ‘monoculture’ in education policy.

Minnesota teacher to Secretary Duncan: to improve teaching, put teachers in charge

Article • July 2010

Carrie Bakken, member of a teacher professional partnership (TPP) that runs Avalon High School in Saint Paul, Minnesota, met with Duncan to describe how the TPP arrangement improves school conditions for teachers and students. She argued that when teachers are put in charge, very different types of schools emerge, and today’s issues around tenure, compensation, and teacher evaluation are resolved.

Innovation-based Systemic Reform

Report • April 2010

Policymakers, in revising ESEA, should think of strategy as a “split screen”. The only realistic approach is to pursue our differing goals at the same time. K-12 education must improve both its performance and its economics. It must work concurrently for equity and for excellence. It must improve traditional school while encouraging innovation beyond traditional school.

New Minnesota Site-Governed Schools Law

Article • March 2010

The 2009 Minnesota Legislature passed new “site-governed school” legislation, which provides school boards a “charter-like” option. A district board may approve “site-governed schools,” which are provided significant autonomy and flexibility to develop new models of schools in exchange for greater accountability.

Shifting From “What We Spend” to “How We Spend It”

Article • January 2010

The total cost of the education system is rising at about 5 to 8 percent per year. If schools are not at the same time increasing “performance” or “productivity,” their real cost to the public is increasing. This relationship is not sustainable. To reconcile this problem, schools will need to be designed differently.

Clayton Christensen presents Disrupting Class Book to Education Commission of the States

Video • July 2009

Clayton Christensen, business professor at Harvard Business School, says: Improvement requires states to make room for disruptive innovation in public education.

How Information Technology Can Enable 21st Century School

Article • July 2009

This paper explains the ‘how’ of achieving greater innovation with Information Technologies in schools. The problem is one of structure, and requires both a redesign of schools and of the system. Recommendations are made for states and the federal government.

Stay In Touch

Get updates, new publications, fresh analysis, and event invitations in your inbox.

See past newsletters in the archive.