Ohio's Education Reform Challenges: Lessons from the Frontlines [Paperback]

Charter schools have emerged as one of the central policy debates in U.S. education - and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute team has been a key participant in this debate since day one, both nationally and in Ohio. Despite President Obama's call for states to strengthen the charter sector and widen the options it provides to needy youngsters, established interests in education and politics oppose this disruption of the status quo. Ohio has struggled with these issues for more than a decade, struggles in which the authors of this book have played influential - and controversial - roles, including that of an actual authorizer of charter schools. They write from wide experience on the ground as well as extensive research and nationally-respected policy expertise.Charter schools have emerged as one of the central policy debates in U.S. education - and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute team has been a key participant in this debate since day one, both nationally and in Ohio. Despite President Obama's call for states to strengthen the charter sector and widen the options it provides to needy youngsters, established interests in education and politics oppose this disruption of the status quo. Ohio has struggled with these issues for more than a decade, struggles in which the authors of this book have played influential - and controversial - roles, including that of an actual authorizer of charter schools. They write from wide experience on the ground as well as extensive research and nationally-respected policy expertise.Dayton's Decline * The Dawn of? Charter Schools * Urban School Reform: Part I * Be Careful What You Wish For * Urban School Reform: Part II * Plunging Ahead * Baptism under Fire * An Education Tragedy * Polarization and Politics * The Rest of the Story * Hard Lessons

A brutally honest account of charter school reform in Ohio - a fast-paced narrative full of fascinating insights gained from real experience. I wish I could have read this book my first yl#,