This morning Checker and Terry had two conversations with Ohioans about Fordham's latest book, Ohio's Education Reform Challenges, a memoir of Fordham's experience as an authorizer of charter schools in Ohio, its history in fighting on behalf of families and kids in Dayton (and across the state), and what this means for others committed to school reform and innovation. (Be sure to tune in for another book event on August 26 in DC or via webcast.)
We at Fordham spend a lot of time talking about charter schools and school choice generally, and sometimes it's hard to un-stick oneself from an organizational perspective informed by years and years of on-the-ground experience with this issue, piles of research reports and papers, op-eds, and fruitful in-house conversations (and why would you want to disentangle from all that valuable knowledge?). Still, it's useful to hear what other people are saying on the issue, to learn how they're framing questions about the past (and future) of charter schools in Ohio and to get a sense the outstanding challenges as perceived by people working in schools and in the communities that surround them.
The first event ? hosted by the Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools ? took place at Horizon Science Academy High School in Columbus and was attended mostly by folks from the charter school world (and charter advocates generally). The high school was the perfect backdrop for a conversation about charter schooling and how we can ensure greater success and sustainability in the movement. Rated ?Excellent? by the state and awarded the elite ?School of Promise? award, Horizon is a charter high school serving grades 9-12 ? and a significant number of students who are economically disadvantaged ? and doing it well. Housed in a mostly empty, unassuming commercial storefront, Horizon has transformed its space into what feels like a ?real? school ? a reminder of how important it is not to judge a book by its cover and to think flexibly about what an excellent school should look like.
The second was held at the Columbus Metropolitan Club (CMC) and was an opportunity to talk about charter schools ? and other reform issues ranging from STEM and project-based learning to teacher compensation and Race to the Top ? with central Ohio's business and civic community.? Checker encouraged community leaders to play a more direct role in pushing education reform and removing the ?stake? from current education stakeholders' hands, as a key lesson from our book is that even reformers and innovators become defenders of vested interests over time.
You can access a webcast of the CMC event here.