Promises, promises: What can we learn about education from Kalamazoo?

By Edward Rodrigue and Richard V. Reeves. Five years ago, President Obama spoke at the graduation ceremony at Kalamazoo High School in Michigan—an unusual move for a sitting president. Why Kalamazoo? Because thanks to a generous group of local anonymous donors who created the ‘Kalamazoo Promise’, almost every high school graduate gets a scholarship that pays from two-thirds up to the entire cost of college tuition. More...