A weekly report on education news and commentary you won’t find anywhere else — from the nation’s leading voice on education innovation and opportunity.

Buongiorno! CER is proud to bring you greetings from Italia where this week we kicked off the U.S. Italia Education Innovation Festival. There are still two days of speakers, panels, and plenty of Mediterranean sunshine for you all!

ERCOLANO COMES ALIVE! If you didn’t register you missed what some early rising 5th and 6th graders were able to experience. All participants were transported to Ercolano which was buried beneath 16 meters of ash and mud during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

Just imagine the knowledge and learning that students around the world gained by “entering this site.” From science to geography to history, education that is delivered with state of the art technology is education that is accessible to everyone. Marco Cappellini, CEO and Co-Founder, of Centrica and Michael McDonald, the Founder of Gold Lotus Technology presented the technology behind this phenomenal journey.

TODAY. You can still join us to take in the inspirational talks and vista of the Mediterranean Sea. Live at 11 AM EDT, students, teachers and just plain people can SEE where Mt. Vesuvius once erupted and left enough land to build entire “new” cities on, where kings once defended their land,

and learn of the art that inspired civilizations. The potential to see it all virtually is extraordinary! JOIN US AT THIS EASY ZOOM LINK for the day at this event!

CULTURE! CULTURE! CULTURE! Who among us ever gets our fill of culture. Alberto Bonisoli former Minister of Culture fulfilled our opening day needs with a talk on the meeting of 21st century job requirements and the higher education challenges that exist even here!

JOBS! JOBS! JOBS! Hybrids, mixing and matching skills from different fields are all challenges to antiquated ways of learning and the ways employers find talent. The education sector must reinvent learning in ways that will ultimately strengthen the relationships between universities, students, and employers to meet these critical skills challenges. The Future of Work, and Skills, Not Jobs: Higher Education and the Future of Work were the topics yesterday. Experts such as Ulrik Christensen , CEO, Area9 Group. Matt Sigelman, CEO, Burning Glass Technologies, Carol D'Amico, Executive Vice President, Strada Education Network, Lisa Dawley Ph.D., Executive Director, Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education, University of San Diego and Co-Inventor of Pactful, Marco Gilli, Professor of Electrical Engineering, Politecnico di Torino joined us for a fascinating discussion.

COVID-19 still looms large and Roberto Ricci, CEO, INVALSI and, Marc Oswald, CEO, TAO Testing took us through the latest on the pandemic.

FALL IS HERE and Nate Davis, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors, K12 Inc. and Antonio Roca, Managing Director, Academica Virtual closed out our day with a fireside chat discussing online learning/virtual learning! “Technology transports learning. It makes our world smaller, it connects us. School does not have to end locally, it can expand.” An exciting close to our first day in Italy. Viva Italia!

DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR STATE RANKS in having effective charter school laws? That information is just one click away in CER’s new National Charter Schools Law Rankings And Scorecard 2020. There’s good, bad, and ugly among the rankings, but here’s your chance to

keep your state charter-friendly or find out what needs to change to make it so.

Labor Day is fading fast in the rear view mirror, the stores have Halloween and Thanksgiving items stocked...there can be no doubt that whether remote, in person or hybrid, “school days” are upon us. Here’s the amazing Chuck Berry with his unique musical take on School Days. Hope it brings a smile.

And as always, let us know if there is any way we can help you, your kids or your school.

Founded in 1993, the Center for Education Reform aims to expand educational opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans — particularly our youth — ensuring that conditions are ripe for innovation, freedom and flexibility throughout U.S. education.