Education Reform Now

Education Reform Now
Name	Education Reform Now
Formation	2005
Founders	Michelle Rhee, Joel Klein
Type	Nonprofit advocacy
Headquarters	New York City, United States
Leader title	CEO
Leader name	Katherine Bradley

Education Reform Now is a nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 2005 that promotes changes to K–12 school systems in the United States. The group has engaged with policymakers, philanthropists, think tanks, and media outlets to advance policies such as expanded charter school, teacher-evaluation reform, and accountability measures linked to standardized testing. Its activities intersect with actors from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to the U.S. Department of Education, and it has been active in debates involving state legislatures, municipal school boards, and federal initiatives.

Background and Rationale

Education Reform Now was established amid national debates following high-profile reports like the Coleman Report and events such as the launch of the No Child Left Behind Act and subsequent bipartisan education efforts. Founders drew on reforms associated with figures including Michelle Rhee, former Chancellor of the District of Columbia Public Schools, and Joel Klein, former Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education. The organization framed its rationale in the context of performance disparities highlighted in studies by institutions such as the Brookings Institution, the Urban Institute, and the National Center for Education Statistics. Its advocacy referenced policy models from reform-minded leaders like Rahm Emanuel, Michael Bloomberg, and international comparisons to systems in Finland, Singapore, and South Korea to justify shifts toward greater school autonomy, accountability, and market-based mechanisms such as charter networks exemplified by KIPP and Success Academy Charter Schools.

Policy Proposals and Initiatives

Education Reform Now promoted policy proposals that included expansion of charter school authorization, implementation of teacher-evaluation systems linked to value-added model assessments, and support for school choice mechanisms including voucher programs and weighted student funding. The group partnered with research organizations like the American Enterprise Institute, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, and advocacy coalitions such as Stand for Children and StudentsFirst. Campaigns referenced litigation and policy precedents tied to cases like Vergara v. California and legislative efforts influenced by the Every Student Succeeds Act. Initiatives often emphasized data systems interoperable with standards from organizations such as the Common Core State Standards Initiative and assessment vendors like Educational Testing Service.

Implementation and Governance

Implementation strategies advocated by the organization involved collaboration with municipal authorities including the New York City Department of Education, the Chicago Public Schools, and the Los Angeles Unified School District. Governance reforms promoted charter authorizers like State University of New York (SUNY) and nonprofit management structures akin to Teach For America alliances and multi-site operators such as Uncommon Schools. The group engaged with state agencies, legislative committees in states including California, Florida, and Texas, and federal actors at the U.S. Department of Education and through Congressional hearings involving members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Impact and Outcomes

Claims about outcomes tied to the organization’s agenda were assessed in research from universities such as Harvard University, Stanford University, and University of Chicago. Studies evaluating charter school performance often cited comparisons with traditional district schools in districts like New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina and Denver Public Schools where portfolio models were adopted. Metrics invoked included gains measured by National Assessment of Educational Progress results, graduation rates monitored by state departments such as the California Department of Education, and college-enrollment indicators from the National Student Clearinghouse. Philanthropic supporters included The Walton Family Foundation and the Broad Foundation, which tracked scale-up effects on school choice expansion.

Criticisms and Controversies

The organization faced criticisms from labor organizations like the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association over positions on teacher tenure, collective-bargaining reforms, and layoffs. Opponents cited research from scholars at Teachers College, Columbia University and advocacy groups such as the Network for Public Education challenging claims about charter efficacy and value-added evaluations. Controversies intersected with debates over funding priorities in cities like Philadelphia and Detroit, legal challenges akin to Campbell v. State-style suits, and media scrutiny from outlets including The New York Times and The Washington Post.

Case Studies and Comparative Examples

Prominent case studies linked to the organization’s agenda included New Orleans’ post-Katrina reconstruction of schools, the District of Columbia Public Schools reforms under Michelle Rhee, and turnaround efforts in Baltimore City Public Schools. Internationally, observers compared reforms to systems in Finland, Ontario, and Singapore to debate the roles of centralized standards versus market-based choice. Comparative research drew on datasets maintained by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and cross-national assessments such as the Programme for International Student Assessment to contextualize policy trade-offs.

Category:Educational reform in the United States Category:Non-profit organizations based in New York City