The Office of Black Male Student Achievement (OBMSA) of Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS), established in 2014, is one of the first in the country. The innovative work of the OBMSA is centered on student voice and student thought. After getting input from parents and families, community members, educators, and young Black males themselves, the…

Municipal officials know that education is tied to quality of life and public safety; cities are better off when more people are well-educated. Mayors across the country are dedicating staff to focus on key education issues--to work on partnerships between school districts, their colleges and universities, and to create multi-sector partnerships…

As more people question the value of standardized testing, the public appetite for a change in the accountability system grows. A 2016 national survey found that "voters consider standardized tests the least important factor in measuring the performance of students," preferring instead to have a multiple-measures data dashboard of…

New York City's new mayor, Bill de Blasio, represents a dramatic shift from his predecessor Michael Bloomberg in the area of education. Bloomberg was a national trendsetter on market reforms focused on privatization, testing, and competition. De Blasio was elected on an agenda of classroom investments, student supports, parent and community…