Foundation for Education Reform and Accountability

Secret Agreements Reached to Sidestep Teacher Evaluations

Foundation for Education Reform & Accountability — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:25:05 +0000

Press Release | The revelations made public today that teachers unions and local school boards in New York State, including those in Buffalo and Rochester, have reached secret agreements to sidestep their new teacher evaluation programs after receiving state approval are an unacceptable breach of the public’s trust, harm students by putting tens of millions of dollars in state and federal funding at risk, and guts the intent of the reform which is to improve teacher quality.

A New Approach to Educational Equity in New York: Suing for School-Choice Scholarships to Free Students from Failing Schools

FERA — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:46:36 +0000

New York’s failure to improve student achievement and the state Court of Appeals’ willingness to reexamine educational equity issues provide opportunity to achieve school-choice remedy.

Report Identifies Approach for Lawsuit to Achieve School-Choice Scholarships for Buffalo and Rochester Students

FERA — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:45:48 +0000

Report | New York’s failure to improve student achievement and the state Court of Appeals’ willingness to reexamine educational equity issues provide opportunity to achieve school-choice remedy.

Education Policies in Governor’s Budget A Mixed Bag

FERA — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 19:28:31 +0000

Press Release | The education policies proposed in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s budget unveiled today offer some good ideas, but unfortunately don’t provide a plan for the top-to-bottom restructuring needed of the state’s failed public education system.

Statement on Gov. Cuomo’s State of the State Education “Priorities”

Foundation for Education Reform & Accountability — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 19:38:30 +0000

Press Release | “While the education priorities identified today can be combined with those of his commission as good ideas, as a whole the education agenda offered by Gov. Cuomo today is underwhelming, and does little more than nibble around the edge of real reform.” More

National School Choice Week Whistle-Stop Tour Coming to Albany

NY Foundation for Education Reform & Accountability — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 20:51:06 +0000

Event | Join us in Albany on Friday, February 1st to celebrate National School Choice Week and to shine a spotlight on effective education options for every child. National School Choice Week has chartered a historic railcar and is organizing the school choice movement’s first cross-country, whistle-stop train tour to galvanize public support for enhanced educational options. This 14-city tour makes its thirteenth stop here in Albany! See here for more information.

Left Out of the Gov’s Schools Rx

NY Foundation for Education Reform & Accountability — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 20:49:35 +0000

New York Post Op-Ed | Hang on to your hats, folks: Those of us who favor serious, overhaul-minded education reforms actually agree with the bullhorn of the “just spend more” crowd, the Campaign for Educational Equity’s Michael Rebell, when he says that the big problem with Gov. Cuomo’s education-reform commission’s report is “what’s not in there.”

Testimony Provides Vision for “Transformative Change” Needed for the State’s Education System

NY Foundation for Education Reform & Accountability — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 20:48:38 +0000

Press Release | FERA President Brian Backstrom presented testimony to the New NY Education Reform Commission highlighting reforms to improve academic achievement without relying on more funding to do so, including expanding mayoral control, creating a “parent trigger,” providing more school choice options, and reigning in pensions and retirement benefits.

Open Enrollment: Using Public School-Choice Options to Improve

NY Foundation for Education Reform & Accountability — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 20:47:18 +0000

Report | A new mandatory statewide open enrollment Program could be created to immediately improve the quality of education provided to thousands of students by providing new transfer options for students from failing schools to attend better-quality schools.

A Parent Trigger for New York: Empowering Parents to Reform Their Children’s Schools

NY Foundation for Education Reform & Accountability — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 20:45:42 +0000

Report | FERA outlines an ideal parent trigger policy for New York that combines true choice and genuine parental empowerment with a responsible plan to implement dramatic reforms in low-performing schools.