Get a Black Belt in Common Core Curriculum Implementation!
by Susan Ohanian
Proving once again that current education policy and programs have made satire nearly impossible, The Common Core Institute brings us the notion of black belt certification for teacher leaders. These people bill themselves as a “leading provider of professional development, coaching, and training services for schools.” They invite educators to join them for a full day of “formative data, data-driven decision making and school improvement. . . .” And black belt certification.
Of course it seems entirely fitting that the folks at The Common Core Institute would lift this notion of black belt management from the corporate culture destroyer who made it popular, Jack Welch. Welch was affectionately known as Neutron Jack, for his policy of getting rid of employees at General Electric while leaving the buildings intact. After his retirement from GE, New York City schools chancellor Joel Klein tagged Welch as chief advisor to a new academy to train principals. Caroline Kennedy, then-chair of the city schools fundraising effort,, said corporate heads were eager to chip in $30 million here and there for this venture. The academy’s much-
Of course it seems entirely fitting that the folks at The Common Core Institute would lift this notion of black belt management from the corporate culture destroyer who made it popular, Jack Welch. Welch was affectionately known as Neutron Jack, for his policy of getting rid of employees at General Electric while leaving the buildings intact. After his retirement from GE, New York City schools chancellor Joel Klein tagged Welch as chief advisor to a new academy to train principals. Caroline Kennedy, then-chair of the city schools fundraising effort,, said corporate heads were eager to chip in $30 million here and there for this venture. The academy’s much-