The above video is a short talk from the Washington Education Innovaton Forum from 2011. Pulled from the CRPE vimeo channel, from this vimeo link you will find the rest of the 2011 Forum.
http://www.crpe.org/
Center on Reinventing Public Education
Improving education through transformative, evidence-based ideas
Through research and policy analysis CRPE seeks ways to make public education more effective, especially for America’s disadvantaged students. We start from the premise that, too often, the structure of today’s public education system makes it difficult, if not impossible, for every family to have access to a school that meets the needs of their child, and for teachers and other adults to achieve the goal of providing an outstanding public education for every student.
The gaps we have to close—between privileged and disadvantaged students in our nation and between U.S. students and their peers in other advanced countries—require bold changes in how we provide public education. Policymakers, philanthropists, and civic leaders must take significant action so that those overseeing public schools become active managers of performance and improvement, rather than passive arbiters of compliance. School systems must become active problem solvers, encouraging innovation rather than just tolerating limited examples of success. Public education should attract and develop talented teachers and leaders. Public funds need to flow equitably to students and align with performance goals. Families should have a wide range of high-quality public school options to meet their students’ unique needs.
To address these needs, we help redesign governance, oversight, and dynamic education delivery systems to make it possible for great educators and programs to do their best work with students.
Our work emphasizes evidence over posture and confronts hard truths. We search outside the traditional boundaries of education to find pragmatic, equitable, and promising approaches to address the complex challenges facing public education. Our goal is to create new possibilities for the parents, educators, and public officials who strive to improve America's schools.
CRPE is a self-sustaining organization affiliated with the University of Washington. Our work is funded entirely through private philanthropic dollars, federal grants, and contracts.