2011 Unpublished GQ Interview [Mr. Vilson vs. Jose Part 3]
Mr. Vilson (left) vs. Jose (right)
For some reason, GQ Magazine (Yes, Gentlemen’s Quarterly) decided not to publish their interview with me for Man of the Year 2011. Those of us who’ve been occupying and marching on Washington, DC, got a little shine via Time Magazine’s Person of the Year issue as “The Protestor.” Obviously, we can do better. I know, I know. I’m as disappointed as you are. At some point, I’m hoping teachers get some props nationwide. But at least they passed me the first draft of the interview, and here’s what we came up with. Enjoy.
Interviewer: We have in this chair, Jose Vilson, writer, activist, and Spongebob enthusiast. He’s been rather critical of the testing industry and the proliferation of corporate rule in public schools. In the other chair, we have Mr. Vilson, math coach and teacher in a NYC public school. He handles data, technology, and a plethora of other hats, or should I say Kangols, for his school. Let’s start with this question: what’s it like working for one of
Posted: 12/21/11 08:18 PM ET
In nearly two decades, only 3 percent of charter schools have ever been closed for underperforming, according to a new report released Tuesday.
The Center for Education Reform, a pro-charter advocacy group, traced charter-school closures since 1992 in what it called the "first-ever national analysis" of its kind. It found that 15 percent of 6,700 charter schools have been shuttered, and 18 percent of those closures were attributed to academic underperformance. Other prevalent reasons charter schools were closed include financial deficiencies (41.7 percent), mismanagement (24 percent), district-related issues and facilities problems.
The data is key to deciphering whether charter schools -- which are publicly funded but can be independently run -- are holding up their end of the