To celebrate FutureEd’s third anniversary, we’re reposting our launch announcement from March 2, 2017:
We are pleased to announce the launch of FutureEd, an independent, solution-oriented think tank at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy. FutureEd is committed to bringing fresh energy and nonpartisan analysis to the causes of excellence, equity and efficiency in K-12 and higher education.
“The organization is grounded in the belief that every student should be effectively prepared for postsecondary learning and that performance-driven education systems have the potential to greatly improve student achievement,” said Thomas Toch, FutureEd’s founder and director.
We won’t follow a script. Sometimes we’ll talk about what everyone else is talking about, and other times we’ll address a topic that we feel deserves more attention. Our goal is to give policymakers, practitioners and other change agents research and analysis that helps them navigate a complicated, fast-changing education landscape. “In every case, our work will reflect what research says is best for students, rather than the pursuit of ideological agendas or adult self-interests,” Toch said.
We are excited to combine Georgetown’s stature as a respected research university with FutureEd’s policy and communication skills to provide a platform for some of the best thinkers, writers and reformers working in education.
Today, FutureEd’s website launches with perspectives on a number of topics attracting national attention. These include:
- A critical look at the Indiana voucher program amid talk of expanding private school choice
- An infographic showing the educational and political ties of new U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos
- A dissection of the growth-versus-proficiency debate in school accountability
- An argument for holding schools accountable for chronic absenteeism among students and teachers
In addition to in-depth reports, we will provide a wide range of commentary in our Sound and Fury section. We’ll publish explainers, interviews, important research from other organizations and work we do for other publications. We’ll highlight notable quotes and confounding data in our Verbatim and FutureEd Index sections. And we’ll complement our web features and publications with a wide range of live programming. Among other events, we are excited to host the Education Writers Association’s 2017 National Seminar at Georgetown on May 31-June 2.
Please follow and engage with us on Twitter (@FutureEdGU) and Facebook. And let us know what you think.