New Orleans Warns Other Cities about Charter Takeover
Ten years after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans has a very different educational landscape, and it's one that many students, parents, or educators are unhappy about. A recent conference sent out a strong warning to other cities that "relinquishment" reform policies, in which the state takes over local school districts and replaces "failing" public schools with chartered ones, hurts children and communities—and, unfortunately, these takeovers are spreading rapidly across the country.
The conference brought together parents, students, local education activists, educators, and organizers from other districts where takeover reforms have already been implemented or proposed. Presenters shared both their experiences and new research about with the closing of neighborhood schools and subsequent takeovers, teacher's unions, inequity and segregation in charters, harsh discipline practices, and charter school accountability. They showed the locally produced documentary, "A Perfect Storm: The Takeover of New Orleans Public Schools." The film aptly demonstrates how this charter takeover managed to occur, and why parents and students are so opposed to it.
The conference in New Orleans was also supplemented by a lively twitter discussion, under#NOLAedwarning—check out some of the tweets shared below! You can also go here and herefor articles on the conference.
Op-ed Gives Guidance for Progressive School Reform in NYC
Posted on: Wednesday August 5th, 2015
Pedro Noguera, a professor at New York University, outlines a clear direction for Mayor de Blasio and progressive school reform efforts in his latest op-ed. Noguera emphasizes that although de Blasio has made progress in some educational areas, he needs to create a clearer narrative of change in order to inspire communities to support and build on that progress. The op-ed lists six crucial areas de Blasio and his administration needs to focus on promoting, including addressing school segregation, working with the teacher's union, collaborating with parents, and stopping the school to prison pipeline.
Noguera argues that articulating a clear platform would help bringMayor de Blasio's supporters together and help him continue the positive changes his administration has already begun to make, such as working with grassroots groups to bring funding for restorative justice, and promoting community schools.
As the op-ed says of its recommendations:
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it could serve as the foundation for a coherent vision and strategy. The nation is in the midst of a battle over the future of public education. The stakes are high because powerful forces are determined to dismantle this system.Despite their flaws, public schools continue to be more accessible and stable than other institutions, and they offer hope and opportunity to millions of children across the country. Bill de Blasio has the opportunity to play a leading role in revitalizing and sustaining our schools. Let’s hope that he will seize it.
You can read the entire piece here.