Innovation Schools – Massachusetts

Innovation schools catch on, By James Vaznis, July 11, 2011, Boston Globe: “A growing number of school districts from Boston to Western Massachusetts are embracing a new kind of school to pursue educational innovations and compete more aggressively with charter schools. About a dozen ‘innovation schools’ are expected to open this fall, while another dozen should arrive a year later. The movement follows the launch of the state’s first three innovation schools this past school year. ‘It’s really catching fire,’ said Paul Reville, the state’s education secretary. ‘I would predict innovation schools in a relatively short period of time could surpass the number of charter schools in the state if the growth continues at the rate we’ve seen recently.’ Innovation schools – a cornerstone of Governor Deval Patrick’s overhaul of public education – are part of the state’s efforts to create schools that operate with more autonomy than traditional public schools…”