On Top of the News
Getting Past Rumors to See KIPP DC in Motion
2/2/14 | Washington Post
Behind the Headline
The Softer Side of ‘No Excuses’
Winter 2014 | Education Next
In the Washington Post, Jay Mathews writes about popular misconceptions about KIPP schools.
Look for references to KIPP charter schools on the Internet, and you will find critics saying they are akin to military schools or concentration camps. That is far from the truth. The schools have rules but are full of games, songs, choices and critical thinking. Some of those most hostile to KIPP have never been inside a KIPP school, but that doesn’t stop them.
A feature story in the Winter 2014 issue of Education Next, “The Softer Side of ‘No Excuses’: A View of KIPP Schools in Action,” takes readers inside KIPP schools to see what they are really like.
Our extensive fieldwork shows that in contrast to the claims of some KIPP backers, there is no magic. In contrast to the claims of KIPP detractors, there is no ill treatment of children. There is lots of hard work and hard play, led by teachers and administrators who, at most KIPP schools, know every kid and every family.
-Education Next
