Schools across America are scrambling to figure out whether and how to reopen. Complying with the rigid bureaucratic structure of union requirements and government regulations is impossible. There is no "correct" way to reopen — local circumstances and risk tolerance will vary. Communities will need to innovate and adapt.

In this essay in Education Next, Philip Howard argues that now's the time to jettison the top-down bureaucracy for good, and restore the local autonomy needed to build energetic school cultures. Decades of dictates aimed at better inputs (e.g., elaborate teacher evaluations) and outputs (test scores) have succeeded in crushing the human spirit needed to build healthy school cultures. Here is the link to the vigorous forum on school red tape that we hosted on July 28, and here is our platform for school overhaul.  

Next week, we're hosting a zoom forum on healthcare red tape. Confirmed panelists include:

• Shari Erickson, Vice President, Governmental Affairs and Medical Practice, American College of Physicians

• Dr. Sandeep Jauhar, author; contributing opinion writer, The New York Times

• Dr. Mark McClellan, Duke University; former Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

• Ashley Thompson, Senior Vice President, Public Policy Analysis and Development, American Hospital Association

The forum is Thursday, August 20, at 11:00 AM (EDT). Registration is required. Here is our healthcare platform that will be the starting point for the discussion.