With the Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorization looming and Washington’s eyes focused on school turnarounds and the Common Core State Standards, we must listen to the voices of dynamic leaders tackling the challenge of high-quality literacy instruction in the nation’s school districts.

How many times have you heard Barack Obama talk about "investing" in education? Quite a few, if you've been listening to the president at all.In fact Americans have been investing more and more in education over the years, led by presidents Democratic and Republican. But it's become glaringly...

An intriguing experiment is afoot in some of the nation’s struggling public schools. New “Parent Trigger” laws passed in California and on the agenda in New York, Ohio, Colorado, and Chicago, allow parents of chronically failing schools to unseat the schools’ leadership and staff. But the initiative has pitfalls.

No environmental problem is more important than that posed by the degradation of our cities, and we must reflect on the factors that might prevent or reverse the decay that we are witnessing. In urban planning, civic leaders should think in terms of fostering beauty through the use of aesthetic constraints.

The 2001 No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) increased federal involvement in America’s public schools by mandating state-imposed sanctions on schools failing to meet state-determined standards. Through NCLB, the federal government requires students in grades 3 through 8 to take standardized tests in reading and math. The law’s legitimacy rests...

Michelle Rhee's experience in Washington, D.C. proves it's not just about mayors, manners or academic momentum, but that turning troubled urban school systems around requires community cover and local political muscle.

The role of philanthropy in driving urban school reform efforts has gained much attention in recent years. In cities such as Chicago, San Diego, New York, and Philadelphia, private investment has been critical to launching and sustaining ambitious reforms. How can philanthropic dollars drive meaningful reform in large urban districts?...