Reimagining K-12
Matt Greenfield is the managing director of Rethink Education, a venture fund focused exclusively on early- and growth-stage education technology startups. Tom Segal, an analyst for Rethink Education, has written extensively about innovation and educational technology issues. This blog is no longer being updated.
School & District Management
Opinion
So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodnight
One last post before we hit the road. A thank you to our readers and the EdWeek staff, and a review of the progress we have made since launch.
Classroom Technology
Opinion
There Is No Bubble in Educational Technology: Not For Businesses That Actually Make Sense
Many people are wondering whether there is a bubble in educational technology. Has too much venture capital been invested in the sector? Have valuations gotten too high?
My answer is that there is a bubble in ideas that won't work and a dearth of capital for ideas that can work.
College & Workforce Readiness
Opinion
Datapalooza: How the Federal Government is Easing the College Process
Datapalooza highlighted the strengthening bond between the federal government and new apps and websites (for profit and nonprofit alike) seeking to streamline and educate the college application process. By providing access to unique and powerful datasets through consumable APIs, the Deparment of Education is creating a framework for public-private-partnerships that can best inform the consumer known as the aspiring student.
Science
Opinion
Computer Programming: A New Frontier
Tech giants like Google and Microsoft have issued a call for global government surveillance reform, marking quite publicly that we live in a world where technological advancement has accelerated passed our cultural capacity to regulate it. Fears of spying and data ownership have negatively affected K-12, but the advancement has also created new industries for career paths, and with them the need for new educational focus areas.
Assessment
Opinion
Lessons Learned from 40 School Years
In the first of a series of guest posts from leading public officials and elected officers, Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia offers the lessons he has learned as a parent and participant in the K-12 education system.
Federal
Opinion
Rethinking Energy: The Importance of Education
Guest blogger Miles Whitten looks at how new technologies in energy distribution and tracking will increasingly play a direct role within the K-12 classroom, and just why it is so important to treat energy consumption as a valuable piece of basic curriculum.
Education
Opinion
Why Every Venture Capitalist Should Focus On Social Impact
My partners and I intend to change the world. We invest only in companies whose employees have a burning desire to solve a large social problem (in our case, a social problem related to learning and teaching). We turn down many potential investments that we think will make a lot of money because we don't think the company is committed enough to doing something genuinely transformative.
College & Workforce Readiness
Opinion
Nice Test Scores, Can I Buy You?; The Future of Financing Talent
A Company called Fantex recently announced it will be selling stock in football superstar Arian Foster, SEC-approval and all. With this breakthrough, is it only a matter of time before we can invest in the future earnings of promising kindergartners?
Classroom Technology
Opinion
EdTech Titans of Industry: A Reflection
This week marked the second annual EdTech Titans of Industry event in New York City featuring some of the top players in education: Diane Rhoten, Jonathan Harber, Gates Bryant, and George Cigale. Here are some of the highlights..
Classroom Technology
Opinion
Mark it a Ten: Tech Acquirers Enter the World of Education
With the rise of ed-tech over the past few years, we have seen a steady stream of publishers, media companies, and private equity shops acting on the back-end of the venture market as the ultimate acquirers. But we have not seen a major technology company jump on board... until now, with Amazon's purchase of TenMarks
Classroom Technology
Opinion
Launching a Venture in Ed-Tech, Part Two: Valuations
There seems to be this idea in venture capital that if an entrepreneur raises money at a high valuation, they have somehow succeeded. In reality, they will best succeed if they raise money at the PROPER valuation, though the process is a bit tricky.
Classroom Technology
Opinion
Crystal Blue Persuasion: How Breaking Bad Is Rethinking Education
Breaking Bad. The Museum of Natural History. The Bronx Zoo. All of these sacred institutions are beginning to understand the power of mobile technology and the App store in educating their audience and yielding a more informed consumer.
Classroom Technology
Opinion
Students All Need Internet Access At Home As Well As At School, Don't They?
The E-Rate Program has played a critical role in moving our nation's schools into the 21st century, and I wish it had substantially more funding. I am concerned, though, that the recent Notice of Proposed Rulemaking outlines changes that will substantially reduce the effectiveness of this critical program.
Federal
Opinion
What is the Goal of the American Education System?
It's basically impossible to make any sensible change regarding education policy and reform without first asking: What are we trying to achieve with our public education system? So I asked some experts what their thoughts are on the matter.
