Jun 29, 2010

U.S. Lagging, Not Leading, Social Entrepreneurship

May 31, 2010

Patient Optimism In Other Words

Apr 27, 2010

Thoughts from the Council on Foundations Annual Conference

I’ve been in Denver for a few days at the Council on Foundations annual conference. I’ve been unable to post updates as I did at the Global Philanthropy Forum because the technology infrastructure available here is, frankly, terrible. With that said, some brief thoughts, which I hope to follow-up with more detailed posts over the next few weeks.

Apr 23, 2010

Esther Duflo wins John Bates Clark Medal

Today Esther Duflo was announced as the winner of the John Bates Clark Medal. The award is granted to the economist under age 40 who has “contributed the most to the profession.“ The increasing recognition of Duflo’s groundbreaking work to bring experimental economics to bear on real world questions is a ray of hope that philanthropy and public policy can learn from what works.

You can read an extensive interview with Esther Duflo here.

Mar 12, 2010

Teachers Are Made, Not Born

Good teachers are not born. Instead, research increasingly shows that effective teachers consistently possess attainable knowledge about their subjects and take specific actions in the classroom that promote student learning.

Feb 11, 2010

A Round-Up of Education Headlines

There have been a number of articles and reports published in the past few weeks pointing toward the value of clear evidence of what works in the field of education.

Dec 21, 2009

The Neocolonialists?

Recently I was listening to Rory Stewart’s The Places In Between, the story of his walk across Afghanistan. Near the end of the book Stewart turns his attention to the aid agencies, public and private, that had come rushing into Afghanistan. His observations are worthwhile reading for anyone interested in making international aid more effective, so I’m excerpting them here.

Nov 16, 2009

Saving the World By Lowering Your Expectations

Impatient optimists are like investors in subprime mortgages in 2007. They can be so blinded by the upside that they fail to do their due diligence. In the end, their impatience and pursuit of outsize returns fuels waste and disappointment. Patient optimists, by contrast, have lowered their expectations of any particular program or intervention, but not their belief in a better world over the long term. If we’re going to succeed in making the world a better place, we need to convince more people to lower their expectations, too.

Sep 22, 2009

Raising Tiny Tim

According to a recent study conducted by the OECD on child welfare, US-children rank among the lowest in certain indicators—such as material well-being and educational well-being—despite the fact that the US is one of the highest spenders. In fact, the study generally showed a poor relationship between funding and outcomes.

Jul 31, 2009

Credit Where Due

Last week I criticized the Obama administration’s education funding plans for requiring school districts to spend money on technology, which has a very poor record of improving student learning outcomes. So this week, I should equally give credit where it’s due: the administration’s $4 billion “Race to the Top” fund for education.