Just ten days till the Education Reform Idol is crowned!
Even though we wonks love to obsess about every twist and turn of federal education policy, everybody knows that the real work happens at the state level. That's where the constitutional responsibility for education resides, where most of the money for our schools is generated, and where the most consequential education-policy battles play out.
And boy were there battles this year. November's Republican surge put reformers on the offensive and pushed the teachers unions back on their heels. Meanwhile, groups like DFER and Stand for Children made inroads within the Democratic Party itself. All of this combined to make 2011 arguably the most successful year in school-reform history.
But which state went the furthest, fastest? Who now owns the "cutting edge"? Who deserves to be crowned the Education Reform Idol?
On August 11th at 8:30AM, five states will compete for that title here at Fordham: Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin. These states were selected because, by our lights, they did the most this year to advance the cause of reform. From the expansion of school choice to the diminishment of teachers' seniority protections, these entities created the conditions which will allow local reform efforts to flourish.
Or so we at Fordham believe. But the ultimate winner of Education Reform Idol won't be up to us--it will be up to you. Our in-person and online audience will vote on August 11 to crown the winner. In the meantime, we'll host an online poll to get a sense the crowd favorites. (See below.) So vote early and vote often...but especially vote during the event on August 11, because that's when it's going to count.
And keep your eyes on Flypaper over the next ten days. Starting at noon today and continuing all this week, we'll be publishing posts by the Education Reform Idol contestants, making their case for their respective states. And next week we'll provide some independent analysis of these states' accomplishments this year.
Who will be the next education-reform superstar? The choice is up to you.
*NOTE: This is a pre-poll. Join us for the real vote on August 11.? And if you think that another state deserves the title, feel free to make your case in the comment section below!