More on the USDOE Principal Ambassador Fellowship Program
On May 14, 2014, I wrote this post on the US Department of Education’s (USDOE) Principal Ambassador Fellowship Program (PAF). I note that via PAF, it is possible for US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to monitor and control local districts of education.
My concern is that districts employing Duncan’s PAFs unwittingly open the door to site-level federal intrusion in education affairs.
I am not advocating that all principals who demonstrate an interest in the PAF program desire to equip Duncan to enforce his No Child Left Behind (NCLB) waiver and Race to the Top (RTTT) conditions, not the least of which are evaluating teachers and administrators using student test scores and adherence to the “state led” (tongue in cheek) Common Core State Standards (CCSS). I am advocating that principals participating in PAF might well find themselves placed in the regrettable position to do so.
First, consider this PAF job description from the USAjobs website:
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) is looking for the best and brightest to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the nation. If you are a highly-motivated , creative individual who would like to work for an agency that establishes policies on federal financial aid for education, distributes as well as monitors those funds; collects data on America’s schools and disseminates research; focuses national attention on key educational issues; and prohibits discrimination and ensures equal access to education, ED is the place for you!
This application is for ED’s inaugural Principal Ambassador Fellowship (PAF) More on the USDOE Principal Ambassador Fellowship Program | deutsch29: