"Educational Entrepreneurship" Won't Help Urban Schools

by Jessica Shiller · 2010-08-27 07:12:00 UTC
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The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation just issued a report on which cities are the most friendly for school reform. The report defines reform as "educational entrepreneurship" , which includes charter school development, increasing the flow of private dollars into the public system, and generally allowing educational entrepreneurs the freedom to startup new ventures to try and make improvements in urban school systems.

While the media has been caught up with the actual rankings (New York is one of the friendliest, while Detroit is one of the most unfriendly), I am concerned with how reform is being defined in the first place. When we talk about improving urban schools, entrepreneurship is not what we need.

Although conventional wisdom posits that urban school systems are in need of new and innovative reforms to improve student achievement, the reality is quite different.

Research has documented what kind of teaching, leadership, and curriculum is needed in urban schools. Ron Edmonds began writing about successful urban schools back in the late 1970's and early 1980's. The ingredients needed for effective urban schools have not changed. Urban districts have failed to implement Edmonds' findings in large measure. Rather than a bunch of new ventures or entrepreneurs, urban districts need to devote funds and muster the political will to bring life to the recommendations made decades ago.

Photo credit: jurvetston

Jessica Shiller is the education policy director for Advocates for Children and Youth in Baltimore, MD.
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