Wednesday, June 15, 2011

NYC Educator: The Incredibly Shocking Truth About Transformation

NYC Educator: The Incredibly Shocking Truth About Transformation

The Incredibly Shocking Truth About Transformation

It appears the much-touted "transformation model," much beloved by Arnie Duncan, Mayor Mike and President Hopey-Changey, hasfailed to turn around the troubled Central Falls High School. The first approach, you may recall, was to fire all the teachers. Education Secretary Duncan "applauded" that action. (Will someone remind me what the heck I was thinking when I voted for Barack Obama?)

Personally, I'm shocked that the 75% of Central Falls students receiving free lunch are not suddenly affluent. I was also certain that the 22% receiving ESL instruction would suddenly achieve native fluency. How could that have failed? There is, of course, the possibility that the reason kids are failing has something to do with the kids themselves, with poverty, with learning disabilities, or