TNTP, progenitor of the seminal “Widget Effect,” has this to say about how some states are bypassing  D.C. flaccidity (sorry) to produce meaningful education reform:

And in New Jersey, Democratic Sen. Teresa Ruiz built a bipartisan coalition and won the public support of GOP Gov. Chris Christie to pass the TEACHNJ Act, New Jersey’s most extensive education reforms in more than 100 years. Her argument: a stronger profession means more learning for kids, particularly in low-income communities. The law established a new teacher evaluation system and ties tenure to teachers’ performance in the classroom—controversial moves that were nonetheless passed unanimously.