The Financial Fantasies of Choice
(Originally posted at View from the Cheap Seats) Proponents of choice systems, whether they're talking about charters or vouchers, depend on certain financial fictions to make their case. Like beach-bound vampires wearing SPF 110 sunscreen, these robust and rigorous fictions just won't die. Let's examine some of these dancing unicorns of the choice world.System SavingsIn the 1960s, Pennsylvania st
Secrets
Secrets are rarely a good thing. Sure, there can be secret treasure maps and secrets of hidden temples, but mostly, secrets are bad news.I'm not talking about simply postponing information for a bit, like hiding a surprise birthday party until it's time. And I'm not talking about confidentiality, which is all about not telling people a story that is not your to tell. I'm not even talking about pri
9-24-14 Curmudgucation - Reforming Accountability: Does CRPE Have Something New To Say?
CURMUDGUCATION: Reforming Accountability: Does CRPE Have Something New To Say?News comes this morning of yet another initiative, this one aimed squarely at school accountability. Or as Michael Petrilli put it on twitter, "Not just a change in tone."It's the Center on Reinventing Public Education (and why couldn't they be reinventing Excellent public education, because then they would be