Schools Matter: Fight Club Fantasies of the Corporate Education Deformers

Schools Matter: Fight Club Fantasies of the Corporate Education Deformers:

Fight Club Fantasies of the Corporate Education Deformers

by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene

By John Thompson
Political scientist Patrick McGuinn wrote a sympathetic account of education reform advocacy organizations (ERAOs) that gather in Washington, D.C. The ERAOs, "compare notes and plot strategy in what is (half in jest) referred to as 'fight club.'" I wonder if they would be so enthusiastic about political bloodletting if more of their members had been covered in the blood of actual students.
Viewing schools from 30,000 feet, it is easy for "reformers" to simply blame the teachers unions that they "derisively called the 'blob.'" Glorying in rhetorical violence, accountability hawks seek to destroy the members of the educational "status quo," under the assumption that disruptive innovation will somehow create better alternatives. It is easier to kick down a barn, however, than to build one. And anyone who has labored to turnaround a school that accepts every child who walks through the door knows that it is harder to improve the toughest neighborhood schools than it is to start a charter that can kick out the most challenging kids.
McGuinn is one of many political scientists who are intrigued by the "brass knuckle" school of reform that has

Chicago Teachers Vote to Stand Up for Children, Parents, and Themselves

by Jim Horn

EDUCATORS VOTE YES Chicago Teachers Vote Overwhelming for Strike Authorization as Contract Negotiations Continue; Union to use leverage to fight for smaller class sizes CHICAGO – Today, the Chicago Teachers Union revealed nearly 90 percent of its eligible members voted to give their labor organization the authority to call a strike should contract negotiations reach an impasse. The Union has been in negotiations with the Chicago Public School system since November 2011. A new state law requires a 75 percent of all eligible CTU voters to vote in the affirmative in order to provide strike authorization. Although both CTU and CPS are in the fact-finding stage of negotiations, the Union pointed out that the independent review will only provide recommendations on a small number of contract concerns. Public school educators say they are fighting for smaller class sizes, art, music, world language and physical education classes for students, and fair compensation for being asked to work under more difficult guidelines as determined by CPS. Armed with strike authorization, teachers, paraprofessionals and clinicians say they believe this will give them more leverage at the bargaining table going forward. Should a strike become necessary, the Union’s 800-member House of Delegates will set the date for a work stoppage. The three-day vote tally showed: Category Number ÷ Membership = % Total Membership 26,502 ÷ 26,502 = 100.00% Members Voting “YES” 23,780 ÷ 26,502 = 89.73% Members Voting “NO” 482 ÷ 26,502 = 1.82% Members Casting Votes 24,262 ÷ 26,502 = 91.55% Members Not Voting (includes 494 spoiled ballots) 2,240 ÷ 26,502 = 8.45% Day Daily Votes* Number ÷ Vote Count = % 1 Total Votes 19,614 ÷ 19,614 = 100.00% “YES” Votes 19,235 ÷ 19,614 = 98.01% “NO” Votes 379 ÷ 19,614 = 1.93% 2 Total Votes   2,108  ÷ 2,108 = 100.00% “YES” Votes  2,060  ÷ 2,108 = 97.72% “NO” Votes     48  ÷ 2,108 = 2.28% 3 Total Votes    392 ÷    392 = 100.00% “YES” Votes    370 ÷    392 = 94.39% “NO” Votes     22 ÷    392 = 5.61% S Total Votes  2,148 ÷  2,148 = 100.00% “YES” Votes  2,115 ÷  2,148 = 98.46% “NO” Votes     33 ÷  2,148 = 1.54% Total Votes 24,262 ÷ 24,262 = 100.00% “YES” Votes 23,780 ÷ 24,262 = 98.01% “NO” Votes    482 ÷ 24,262 = 1.99% * Daily Votes were totaled each day for members on the roster for each school. "S" refers to Supplemental ballots, which are those cast by employees voting at a site where they do not appear on the roster (e.g. school social workers or nurses, who service multiple schools). These votes are tallied separately. CTU President Karen GJ Lewis, NBCT, said the following during a news conference today: “We have called you here today to announce the results of the strike authorization vote held last week. The results are not a win. They are an indictment on the state of the relationship between the ‘management’ of CPS and its largest labor force, members of the Chicago Teachers Union. It is also an indictment of the outside groups that seek to destroy the real work being done by Chicago’s teachers, paraprofessionals, and clinicians. “We do not understand why Democrats for Education Reform, Education Reform Now and other organizations continue to stand on the backs of our children and profess to care about them when they ignore the harsh realities of their lives. And while our members work in schools that are under-resourced, under-staffed and under-appreciated, they have toiled in silence long enough while the mayors of this city have exerted control, shut down schools, and handed over facilities to their well-connected friends. “The problems with our schools will not be answered by overpaid outside consultants or billionaire education dilettantes but rather by the people who actually work in our schools with our children in full partnership with the District. For some reason, this administration has behaved as if the Union was some out-of-touch bureaucracy only speaking for ourselves. But the dominant narrative among the so-called Ed Reformers in concert with city’s business fathers and mothers has been that the reason why CPS is in such bad shape is that its teachers are incompetent. “This new leadership of the CTU were all classroom teachers and paraprofessionals two years ago. We have the pulse of our members. We listened to what they had to say. And we made a plan using the tools and the resources we have. That’s what teachers do. We analyzed the data and adjusted our plans. But all along, we had the feedback of the members in our schools. While the chaos on Clark Street continues, our members—intent on being heard—were loud, clear, and serious. “We want a contract that gives Chicago’s students the schools they deserve. So we call on CPS to take the process seriously and negotiate with us in good faith and with an eye on the real prize: Our children.”