How to be taken seriously as a reformer (don't be an educator)
This was written by Gregory Michie, who teaches in the Department of Foundations, Social, Policy and Research at Concordia University Chicago. He is the author of "Holler If You Hear Me: The Education of a Teacher and His Students" and co-editor of "City Kids, City Schools: More Reports from the Front Row." By Gregory Michie In the current upside-down world of education policy, there's one foolproof strategy for being taken seriously as a reformer: Make sure you're not an educator. Urban districts nationwide, with Chicago leading the way, have hired those with business or legal backgrounds to head their school systems. Major voices in the reform conversation such as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and philanthropist Eli Broad have never been teachers. And when Oprah wants to talk about schools, she invites Bill Gates or Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg -- all the while reminding her audience how much she loves
Banned student play will go on!
Two high school principals who banned a student-written play critical of New York City reform -- and Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former chancellor Joel Klein -- have reversed themselves and will allow the work to be staged after all. The play, titled “Declassified: Struggle for Existence (We Used to Eat Lunch Together)” and based on the Greek tragedy "Antigone," was written by 14 students from two New York City schools -- Jamaica High and Queens Collegiate, which share the same building.