Martin R. West

Biography: 

Martin R. West is a research fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution and the research editor of Education Next.

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Whose Standards?

by Michael Henderson, Paul E. Peterson, Martin R. Westvia Hoover Digest
Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Parents of schoolchildren certainly support standardized tests; the Common Core, not so much. Highlights of the latest Education Next poll.

Analysis and Commentary

Why Do Two Good Polls Get Different Results?

by Paul E. Peterson, Martin R. Westvia EducationNext
Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Two major public opinion polls have just been released. First, Education Next (EdNext) released its ninth annual survey of over 4,083 respondents, which is administered by Knowledge Networks. (Along with Michael Henderson, we are responsible for the design and analysis of this survey.)

Education and testing
Analysis and Commentary

Public Supports Testing, Opposes Opt-Out, Opposes Federal Intervention

by Paul E. Peterson, Martin R. Westvia EducationNext
Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Testing and accountability have become a focal point of the congressional debate over the new federal education bill designed to replace No Child Left Behind (NCLB), originally scheduled to expire in 2007. The Senate and the House have each passed a bill revising the law, but disagreement persists on a key testing provision.

Analysis and Commentary

Even Teachers Are No Fans Of Forced Union Payments

by Paul E. Peterson, Martin R. Westvia The Wall Street Journal
Wednesday, July 15, 2015

An ‘agency fee’ levied on those who refuse to join a union isn’t popular in schools or with the public.

Teachers versus the Public: What Americans Think about Schools and How to Fix Them

by Michael Henderson, Paul E. Peterson, Martin R. Westvia Brookings Institution Press
Tuesday, April 29, 2014

A comprehensive exploration of 21st Century school politics, Teachers versus the Public offers the first comparison of the education policy views of both teachers and the public as a whole, and reveals a deep, broad divide between the opinions held by citizens and those who teach in the public schools.

Teachers' Unions Slipping

by Paul E. Peterson, William G. Howell, Martin R. Westvia Hoover Digest
Friday, October 26, 2012

The unions are losing their appeal. Even among teachers themselves, polls suggest. By Paul E. Peterson, William G. Howell, and Martin R. West.

Analysis and Commentary

Teachers Unions Have a Popularity Problem

by Paul E. Peterson, William G. Howell, Martin R. Westvia Wall Street Journal
Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Only 22% of Americans think unions have a positive effect on schools...

In the News

Pyrrhic Victories?

by Michael J. Petrilli, Frederick M. Hess, Martin R. Westvia Education Next
Tuesday, February 1, 2011

The following essay is part of a forum, written in honor of Education Next’s 10th anniversary, in which the editors assessed the school reform movement’s victories and challenges to see just how successful reform efforts have been...

Analysis and Commentary

Meeting of the Minds

by William G. Howell, Paul E. Peterson, Martin R. Westvia Education Next
Wednesday, August 25, 2010

The 2010 EdNext-PEPG Survey shows that, on many education reform issues, Democrats and Republicans hardly disagree...

American Education in 2030: A New Education Federalism

by Martin R. Westvia Analysis
Tuesday, May 25, 2010

The federal government in 2030 foots more of the total bill for public education than ever before.