Policy Solutions: Was the LeBron James school a false promise?

LeBron James’ I Promise School in Akron, Ohio, attracted attention recently for its low test scores for 8th-grade students. Unlike other philanthropic schools. I Promise is neither a private school nor a charter school. Instead, it is part of the Akron Public Schools system and is governed by the school board. Columnist Jonathan E. Collins writes that I Promise is part of the school system and can’t be separated from it. While flawed, school boards are the best way to create a strong and equitable education system and make democracy better. School boards and the districts they govern allow for school improvement at a structural level. They also allow for the public to have a say in the school system, through elections and opportunities for dialogue around how to improve individual schools as parts of a larger system.