This narrative inquiry highlights the first year of a 5-year Jacob K. Javits grant. In it, the authors detail their experiences writing and receiving the grant and beginning the equity-focused work of helping develop and expand gifted education in Michigan. Michigan currently has no gifted education legislation or funding, so this Javits team…

This qualitative action research study was conducted within a multi-state Title I, K-12 public charter school organization with the purpose of identifying challenges and potential solutions for expansion of The Network into states beyond the state of origin and to determine the impact of a leadership development course on leaders within The…

In the late-2000s, Washington, DC achieved national notoriety for its embrace of market accountability in public schools and support for a steadily expanding charter sector. At the same time, the DC government pursued a concerted effort to attract new residents and investment to the city, a project that bore fruit in the form of some of the…

Over the past decade, the independent school landscape in the U.S. and Hawai'i has experienced a dramatic transformation resulting in school closures, consolidations, and attempts at expansions. Leadership of organizational change, particularly within complex contexts undergoing highly dynamic and disruptive forces, is long understood as…

This article introduces a conversation with Brett Peiser, named chief executive officer of "Uncommon Schools" in July of 2012, along with the principal of North Star Academy Vailsburg Middle School, a charter school in Newark, New Jersey's West Ward. There is no doubt that "Uncommon Schools" has given thousands of low-income…

During the recently concluded presidential nominating conventions, President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney offered stark choices on K-12 policy while downplaying areas of agreement between their two parties--and the tensions within each party on education issues. In Charlotte, North Carolina, last week, the Democrats put a…

The Administration's "Blueprint For Reform," and FY 2011 budget proposal set forth an education agenda that would make the expansion of charter schools a cornerstone of the reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Likewise, HR 4330 would promote charter schools as a central catalyst for education reform. Without…

Provides national data on the condition of public school facilities and the costs to bring them into good condition; school plans for repairs, renovations, and replacements; the age of public schools; and overcrowding and practices used to address overcrowding. Data are from the Public School Facilities Survey of the National Center for Education…

Explores how the myths of modular construction for schools began; also discusses the advances made in steel and modular construction. The major advantages of using permanent modular construction for schools are highlighted, including its rapid construction, use of standard building materials, financial flexibility, and durability. (GR)

Discusses how schools are using non-traditional settings to solve their combined problems of finding space for an increasing student population while creating environments that encourage and inspire students to learn. (GR)

Discusses the tradeoff of speed and movability versus costs when using relocatable buildings to solve educational space needs. Concluding comments address building-code compliance issues driving up expenses and impacting facility planning.(GR)

Explores using modular buildings to solve space problems in an atmosphere of decreasing budgets and how these buildings are capable of addressing multiple needs. Also discussed are what administrators should consider when adding modulars, including using suppliers as consultants, planning site visits, and using turnkey services to help ensure…

Highlights the history of the modular classroom industry and emergence of the Modular Building Institute. Analyzes the differences between temporary portable classrooms and permanent modular additions. Also examines the possible influence of modular classrooms on future facility design and the ways that educational facilities officials are saving…

Explains how modular buildings are uniquely qualified to solve space crunch problems, budgetary concerns, and time pressures when expanding and improving educational facilities. (GR)

Reveals how some schools are meeting the challenge of building new spaces to stimulate and inspire students during periods of climbing enrollment. The extent and character of the enrollment boom and its impact on public schools and universities are highlighted. (GR)