Education Innovations and The Charter School Impact

In this episode, Jeremy talks with Jim Manly, Chief Schools Officer at the KIPP Foundation, about his over 30-year career in education, his insights on charter schools, and his vision for the future of learning. 

Jim's career spans more than 30 years and includes roles as a teacher, school leader, and system leader at innovative organizations like Teach for America and Success Academy. Jim shares his journey from a struggling teacher to a founding principal of Success Academy Harlem Two, where the school became the top-performing school in its district. 

In talking about evidence of KIPP and charter school impact he highlights this CREDO study: https://ncss3.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Credo-NCSS3-Report.pdf 

His favorite Education book: Why Don't Students Like School? by Daniel Willingham

Key Takeaways:

> The Power of High Expectations: we discuss how Success Academy’s early success was driven by an "unwillingness to listen to old conceits of what necessarily had to happen in public schools." Jim notes that when they challenged the notion that students couldn't handle a rigorous curriculum, the kids responded with curiosity and eagerness. He learned that it was the adults, not the students, who were holding back academic achievement.

> The Importance of Systems in Education: Jim highlights the shift at KIPP from relying on individual, dynamic school leaders to implementing strong, consistent systems. Jim explains that the COVID-19 pandemic made it clear that a lack of robust systems meant new staff didn't have the necessary tools to succeed when faced with a major disruption. KIPP's new strategy includes academic progress meetings and a specific coaching model that focuses on intellectual preparation, real-time feedback, and analyzing student work.

> AI's Role in the Classroom: While skeptical of past educational innovations, Jim sees tremendous potential for AI as a productivity tool for teachers. He believes AI can handle tasks like grading papers, freeing up teachers to spend more time working directly with students. This shift allows teachers to focus on "the human relationship" and "real time coaching and feedback," which is where true learning happens.

> A "Devastating Loss of Conversation": Jim laments the current state of education policy, noting that despite proven successes in charter school networks like KIPP, Success Academy, and Uncommon Schools, these models are not being adopted more widely. He believes that we know the answers to improving schools, and the failure to implement them at a larger scale is a "giant win for our country" that is being missed.

Why You Should Listen:

This conversation offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the high-stakes world of charter schools and the philosophies that drive their success. Jim provides candid insights into the challenges and opportunities of scaling educational excellence and explains why a focus on foundational skills and data-driven instruction is critical for student success. Jeremy and Jim also delve into criticisms of charter schools.

Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe to The Education Equation with Jeremy Singer wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit us at TheEducationEquation.org for more.