Lowell

Big City Education: We Know What Works, So Why Don't We Do It?

Ed Rendell, Paul Vallis, Antonio Villaraigosa, Tony Miller, Rudy Crew, Lowell

Leading education reformers including Tony Miller, Rudy Crew, and Paul Vallis converge on evidence-based strategies to close achievement gaps in large urban districts where 46% of fourth-graders currently read below basic levels. These experts advocate for structural overhauls involving performance-based pay, extended instructional time, and the elimination of seniority-driven hiring to replace the current system that relies heavily on punitive accountability and fragmented leadership. The dialogue further identifies state funding as a critical barrier and proposes federal quid pro quo models that condition financial support on immediate, measurable improvements in literacy and math standards.