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Is Big Disruption Good for Urban School Districts?
Washington Post | 12/5/2012

Behind the Headline
Wave of the Future
Education Next | Winter 2008

In Washington, D.C., the school district may close 1 in 6 traditional public schools due to declining enrollment, but charter schools are thriving. Jay Mathews wonders whether struggling districts like D.C. should consider the radical plan proposed in Andy Smarick’s new book The Urban School System of the Future: the schools chancellor could oversee a collection of schools, some traditional public schools, some charter schools, and some private schools. The aim would be to quickly close ineffective schools and to start promising new schools in their place.

In 2008, Andy Smarick introduced the germ of his idea in an Ed Next article that urged charter school advocates to embrace a strategy of large-scale replacement of failing district schools with charter schools.

-Education Next