As he travels across the country seeking to advance his school-reform agenda, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has drawn help from an unlikely pair: the Rev. Al Sharpton, an outspoken progressive Democrat, and former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich, an equally outspoken conservative.

Joining forces on the need for school reform, the two political adversaries joined Duncan in Philadelphia, where the once-poorly performing schools were taken over by the state and handed to an independent commission. According to the Wall Street Journal, organizations and companies have been running what were the worst 46 schools. After hiring new people, these schools saw improved test scores, achieved at lower cost. Duncan views Philadelphia as a model. Read more

Filed under: K-12 Education News