How do You Defeat an Army of Determined Educators? You Don't!
The election of 2012 was a tough one for some who consider themselves "reformers" of education. Michael Petrilli, of the Hoover and Fordham Institutes wrote yesterday, in an op-ed that appeared in the Charlotte Observer, that "Teachers unions remain the Goliath to the school reformers' David."
This framing is, in itself, remarkable. That a "movement" generously financed from the deep pockets of our nation's billionaires would have the chutzpah to claim for itself the mantle of underdog should be laughable. Mr. Petrilli bemoans the defeat of such insurgents as Tom Luna in Idaho, whose ALEC-inspired efforts to expand online learning were defeated, and Tony Bennett, the pro-voucher "chief for change" from Indiana. (Bennett spent four times as much as his "Goliath" opponent, by the way.) But what lessons does Mr. Petrilli actually draw from their setbacks?
This framing is, in itself, remarkable. That a "movement" generously financed from the deep pockets of our nation's billionaires would have the chutzpah to claim for itself the mantle of underdog should be laughable. Mr. Petrilli bemoans the defeat of such insurgents as Tom Luna in Idaho, whose ALEC-inspired efforts to expand online learning were defeated, and Tony Bennett, the pro-voucher "chief for change" from Indiana. (Bennett spent four times as much as his "Goliath" opponent, by the way.) But what lessons does Mr. Petrilli actually draw from their setbacks?
First, it's time to stop angering suburban parents and teachers by subjecting their schools to changes they don't want or need. It's not that suburban schools are perfect - their performance lags behind that of our international competitors, too. But the policies required for these schools to go