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Sarah Reckhow, a grad student at UC Berkeley and a Teach For America alum, e-mailed me an idea for the naming contest: How about the Boardroom Progressives? The name comes from Reckhow’s dissertation (getting serious here!), which she excerpted for me:

A new cohort of “Boardroom Progressives”—officers in major national foundations, leaders of education nonprofits, corporate leaders engaged in education, and non-traditional urban superintendents—are leading a charge to reform public education. Much like the Progressives of the early 20th century, the Boardroom Progressive represent elite segments of society. They also share a suspicious view of the role of politics and interest groups, particularly teachers’ unions, in education policy. (more…)

I’ve been getting a lot of ideas for what to call the nameless movement personified by Jon Schnur. The good news is that I think the descriptions are getting a lot more precise. The consensus points I see emerging: This set of reformers puts a primacy on data; is obsessive about getting rid of bad teachers, and views the democratic political process as a barrier. They are also young and bratty.

We are getting closer, but I do not think we are there yet. I define “there” as the moment at which you the readers have delivered me a single adjective that I can slap before “reformer” without feeling a twinge of remorse.

So, please send more entries! As you brainstorm adjectives, the best of the suggestions so far, which I’ve compiled below and which include superstar entrants including Joel Klein and Diane Ravitch, may help. (more…)