In a RealClearEducation op-ed Richard Whitmire and I take a look at D.C. as a microcosm for broader education trends in light of last week’s new charter data.
A decade ago the debate about Washington D.C.’s public schools turned on school vouchers. How many students in the city’s beleaguered schools should get a lifeline out and how many national Democrats would break ranks and support vouchers? As a new report released last Friday makes clear, the questions now are how fast can the city’s booming public charter school sector grow and how quickly — not if — the city’s traditional public schools can improve as well…