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A growing body of research shows that when teachers work more collaboratively, student outcomes can improve, teachers can be more satisfied in their jobs and teacher turnover can decrease. With the school year in full swing, teachers, administrators and education leaders are once again fully entrenched in the day- to-day…

Whether dealing with climate change, immigration or even trade, cities and metropolitan areas have for some time now taken initiatives and formed networks to address pressing social and economic issues. The New Role for Cities The late Benjamin Barber, a political theorist, wrote that the dysfunction of democracy that we…

Throughout my undergraduate studies as a political science major, I have come across the subjects of community engagement and public deliberation before. However, until this meeting in Canarsie, I had never had the privilege to witness them firsthand. Late on a Monday evening in July, roughly 30 people gathered at…

Both Santiago de Cali, in Colombia, and Bologna, Italy, demonstrate the power of putting citizens at the center of governance, giving them opportunities to engage that are meaningful, enjoyable, regular, and sustained. The main problem with American democracy is that we don’t realize it can be improved. We assume that…

Government officials are elected to represent the public, on good faith that they will listen to their constituents. Yet, if so many Americans believe more should be done, why hasn’t Congress done anything? Will the public take action? It’s the same plot we have sadly become familiar with as Americans.…

Part of our monthly “Progress Report” newsletter. To receive the latest email updates from Public Agenda, click here. Last week, friends, family, and colleagues came together in New York City to celebrate the life of Public Agenda’s co-founder, Dan Yankelovich. It was a fitting event to honor a man who touched so many,…

Indeed, while racial divides are real and significant, we are learning that Americans see ways to move forward, like strengthening rehabilitation and addressing systemic factors in education and economic opportunity that they believe contribute to criminal behavior. February is Black History Month and we at Public Agenda took the opportunity…

While the debate on who should pay more taxes and why continues on a national scale, one thing to keep in mind is that the solutions to complex issues are rarely black and white, and more often than not, will elicit a range of feelings that Americans, regardless of political…

The Hidden Common Ground Among Partisan Solutions to Health Care Concerns It seems nowadays Americans can’t turn on the TV, go online or scroll through their social media sites without finding the same narrative: a dystopian portrait of a hopelessly-divided America. The media, pundits and other purveyors of daily happenings…

When examining student success outcomes, it is necessary to look not only to teachers, but to everyone who is and should be involved in a child’s education. For years, policymakers, educators and researchers have examined ways to create stronger student success outcomes in K-12 education. Many research studies have found…