Honor the Fourth of July-Keep Our Schools Democratic!
Recently I posted about the requirements of the new Race to the Top grants for school districts. The federal Dept. of Education has doubled down on the emphasis on standardized tests by moving to use them not only to judge schools, but also to judge teachers and administrators. Even more disturbing is the new requirement that tests for schools boards be developed. Is this just another way to end democratic control over public education?
The slow ceding of democratic control began with the charter school movement. The only thing public about charter schools is the money that funds them. A charter school’s teachers aren’t public employees nor are their governing board members elected. Those governing boards spend public money, but aren’t accountable to the public. No one votes them into office and parents can't vote them out if they don't like the way the school is governed. Their only option is to vote with their feet.
Another anti-democratic "reform" element is mayoral control. Using the mantra of "accountability" the public has
The slow ceding of democratic control began with the charter school movement. The only thing public about charter schools is the money that funds them. A charter school’s teachers aren’t public employees nor are their governing board members elected. Those governing boards spend public money, but aren’t accountable to the public. No one votes them into office and parents can't vote them out if they don't like the way the school is governed. Their only option is to vote with their feet.
Another anti-democratic "reform" element is mayoral control. Using the mantra of "accountability" the public has