On October 22, the Forum hosted a panel discussion in Washington, DC about how to invest in the creation of a long-term teaching profession in the United States. The following article about the event, written by Anthony Rebora, appeared in Teacher Magazine. A copy of the Forum's policy brief can be found at http://rethinklearningnow.com/resources/Teaching_Brief_1009_ForumForEd.pdf.

In case you missed it, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recently announced his intentions to jumpstart the reauthorization process for federal education policy in 2010.

Duncan’s call to action suggests a breakneck pace of policy debates this fall. But as you well know, we can’t craft the best possible guidance for our public school system until we rethink learning NOW.

I’m a lifelong Red Sox fan, so as this year’s trading deadline approaches, I’m wondering once again what Theo Epstein, the GM of my beloved Boston Red Sox, will do to improve his team’s chances of winning their third championship in six years – after not winning one for eighty-six.

I’m also a lifelong public education fan, so with the Department of Education’s Race to the Top Fund poised to provide billions of dollars in competitive grants, I’m wondering if Arne Duncan can do for public schools what Theo Epstein has done for the Red Sox – take a maligned institution known more commonly for its failures than its successes, and turn it into a perennial winner.

Earlier this week, Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee announced the latest hopeful sign for DC’s public schools –  a spike in citywide student reading and math scores. "We're thrilled at the progress we've made this year," said Rhee. "We still have an incredibly long way to go."

A few years ago, a reporter in Columbia, South Carolina asked local elementary school children why America celebrates the Fourth of July.

Most of the answers were predictably personal. To eat hot dogs, said one boy. To watch fireworks, a girl answered.  Another child thought we all celebrated the Fourth of July because it was his brother’s birthday.

One student, a fifth grader from Nursery Road Elementary School named Vante Lee, gave a different answer. “We celebrate the 4th of July,” he said, “because we celebrate our freedom and the chance to make our own decisions.”

When you were nine, which child’s answer would yours have resembled?

(This article originally appeared in Education Week.)

Want to imagine a different path to improving public education in this country? Take my 15-minute challenge.

First, find a partner. Then, take four minutes to reflect and write silently on your most meaningful personal experience in a learning community. It could be a club, a church group, a school, a course, or something else. The only criteria are that it was a transformative experience, and that real learning occurred.

(Originally appearing in the Huffington Post.)

With $100 billion to spend in the next two years, the Obama administration means business when it talks about reshaping the public education system. Why, then, is it ignoring some of the business community’s best insights when it comes to core questions of how to spark systems change?

There’s a disconnect between what the administration is promising – a set of voluntary national content standards – and what we the people will receive – a standardization of the public school system.

April 30, 2009 – (Washington, DC) –The Forum for Education and Democracy today announced that over 10,000 petitioners – more than 100 per day since President Barack Obama took the oath of office – have united to challenge the administration to prioritize four core principles that can guide its ambitious education reform efforts.  Petitioners signed onto www.willwereally.com, where they also shared personal stories of effective learning experiences – and demanded that the country’s school system be aligned to ensure that every child in America can tell a similar story.  

Don't just rely on blog postings -- follow The Forum on Twitter to get more frequent updates, reflections and questions to consider about public education -- and what needs to be done to improve it.

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