In part one, we learn how Arne Duncan's change in the requirements for a federal grant application precipitated the firings:
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/...
In part two, we examine the timeline of events:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discu...
In part three, we learn about the interesting background of Deborah Gist, Rhode Island's Education Commissioner, & the similarly interesting background of some of her co-educators:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discu...
So, can we form any hypotheses about what happened in Central Falls, & why?
1. Duncan's rules change was made purposefully to force schools to close, charterize, fire staff, & marketize staff ("pay for performance" & the like).
This is almost surely the case, as a Dept. of Ed. slideshow explicitly links the changes to this goal.
2. Duncan's rules change targets poor schools.
This is absolutely certain: it's a Title 1 (low-income) grant that was changed.
3. Deborah Gist probably had foreknowledge of the rules change.
She completed the pre-grant requirements in record time, apparently working over Christmas/New Years' break.
She was "one of the first, if not the first" (in fact, she was the first) state education head to complete the required identification of targeted schools & narrative as to how she would comply with the grant requirements -- even before the Feds published all the documentation for the process.
This suggests that she had prior knowledge of the rules change and the requirements, or was assisted by someone at the federal level.
4. Deborah Gist is an operative for monied interests that have spent billions of dollars attacking public education & establishing a parallel, quasi-privatized system of schools, school authorizing institutions, teacher credentialling institutions, administrator
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/...
In part two, we examine the timeline of events:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discu...
In part three, we learn about the interesting background of Deborah Gist, Rhode Island's Education Commissioner, & the similarly interesting background of some of her co-educators:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discu...
So, can we form any hypotheses about what happened in Central Falls, & why?
1. Duncan's rules change was made purposefully to force schools to close, charterize, fire staff, & marketize staff ("pay for performance" & the like).
This is almost surely the case, as a Dept. of Ed. slideshow explicitly links the changes to this goal.
2. Duncan's rules change targets poor schools.
This is absolutely certain: it's a Title 1 (low-income) grant that was changed.
3. Deborah Gist probably had foreknowledge of the rules change.
She completed the pre-grant requirements in record time, apparently working over Christmas/New Years' break.
She was "one of the first, if not the first" (in fact, she was the first) state education head to complete the required identification of targeted schools & narrative as to how she would comply with the grant requirements -- even before the Feds published all the documentation for the process.
This suggests that she had prior knowledge of the rules change and the requirements, or was assisted by someone at the federal level.
4. Deborah Gist is an operative for monied interests that have spent billions of dollars attacking public education & establishing a parallel, quasi-privatized system of schools, school authorizing institutions, teacher credentialling institutions, administrator