Brightbeam CEO Chris Stewart with high school culinary students at @1st Century Charter School in Gary, Indiana

Life Fell Apart For Me. It Won’t For Them.

Career and technical education transforms decay into opportunity, giving students the skills, confidence, and futures they deserve.

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Black school children in NOLA with a blue overlay next to a photo of the flood damage caused by Hurricane Katrina

No Idea Too Radical: Inside New Orleans’ Dramatic K-12 Turnaround After Katrina

Two decades after Hurricane Katrina forced the reboot of New Orleans’ schools, academics, and college-going are up, but racial divides persist.

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Chris Stewart interviewing a student at Geo Academies 21st Century Charter in Gary Indiana

It’s Time to Get Serious About Scaling Success in American Education

American education is addicted to failure narratives—yet real success stories are happening every day. It’s time we studied what works with the same urgency we study what’s broken.

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A young boy and a young girl looking at their schoolwork with a teacher looking over them.

Explained: What Is the Federal Charter Schools Program?

Title I Funding, the primary federal source of school funding receives more funds than charter schools. Click now to learn more school funding history.

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Male teacher and pupils walking on busy school campus

The Benefits of Charter Schools: Equity, Innovation, and Accountability

Discover the benefits of charter schools, including educational equity, innovation, accountability, and a high-quality education for all students.

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Cropped view of medium holding magic orb at home, banner

So, How Did I Do? A Response to My 2024 Predictions on Education

Last February, I made ten predictions regarding education policy and practice and promised to grade my work. In the spirit of accountability, here’s how I did!

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Three young Black Democracy Prep students engaging in a voter registration drive.

Educational Inequity Is a Matter of Civil Rights in 2024

We must not leave the problem of fixing education solely to our educators. We need American citizens to get fired up about inequities in public schools.

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Progressive figures and politicians in front of a gradient background

Progressives Created Charter Schools. It’s Time To Defend Them.

My personal attachment to charters is personal, not political.

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Art and creativity in an elementary school class

We Need To Be Clear About What School Choice Means

Chris Stewart discusses his journey to becoming an advocate for choice, and how his advocacy has always been grounded in anti-racism, liberation, and people’s choice.

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