Wednesday, December 8, 2010

The Answer Sheet - A primer on (and problems with) market-based reform

A primer on (and problems with) market-based reform

This was written by Anne Geiger, who served on the Orange County School Board in Orlando, Fl., from 2004-2008. A native of Virginia, she lives in Arlington and blogs at www.publicpolicyblogger.com, where this appeared. The words and sentences in bold were in the original post, not added by me. It is long but worth the time. By Anne Geiger Productivity, performance, efficiency, data, accountability, industry, market, marketplace, churn, competition, supply and demand, innovation, human capital, delivery system, customers, consumers, operators, managers, franchise, marketing, branding, leverage, risk, market share, profit.... Business vocabulary? Of course. But, the words also comprise the vocabulary of market-based education reform.... ...As promoted by the "stars" of the movement, namely Bill Gates, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former Washington D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee (now on her way to advise Florida's Governor-elect Rick Scott)....Plus other influential

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Quotable Cathie Black

Quotable Cathie Black

by Mike Klonsky

Why she thinks she's ready to run N.Y. public schools

You know, I’ve been a public figure for a long time. This is different, certainly, but believe me, the early days of USA Today, when I had to go shareholder meetings and be surrounded by 30 Wall Street analysts — you know, “What’s going to happen next week? How’s the advertising? When is it going to be profitable?” That kind of thing toughens you up over a period

We Need School Improvements, Not Just School Closures « EdVox

We Need School Improvements, Not Just School Closures

by edvoxny

by Reina Foster

Reina Foster is a parent of three students at PS 332 in Brownsville, Brooklyn and one student at W.H. Maxwell Career and Technical Education High School in East New York, Brooklyn. She is a member of New York Communities for Change.

I have the unique and unfortunate experience of having children in two schools that the Department of Education tried to shut down last year. These schools are in Brownsville and East New York, two of the lowest-income neighborhoods in the United States. The percentage of students living below the poverty line would rival any of the poorest neighborhoods in the country. Although this might seem like a coincidence, I do not believe that it is an accident. The DOE is targeting low-income neighborhoods for their experimental programs and shutting down our neighborhood schools in their so-called “reform” efforts.

Last year, hundreds of parents rallied at PS 332 and at Maxwell to stop their shutdowns. A lawsuit was filed, and the schools were kept open. This was the perfect opportunity for the DOE to step in and say: “We are going to

The problem? Cheerleading and Ceramics, of course! « School Finance 101

The problem? Cheerleading and Ceramics, of course!

by schoolfinance101

David Reber with the Topeka Examiner had a great post a while back (April, 2010) addressing the deceptive logic that we should be outraged by supposed exorbitant spending on things like cheerleading and ceramics, and not worry so much about the little things, like disparities between wealthy and poor school districts. I finally saw this post today, from a tweet, and realized I had not yet blogged on this topic.

This logic/argument comes from the “research” of Marguerite Roza, who, well, has a track record of making such absurd arguments in an effort to place blame on poor urban districts and take attention away from disparities between poor urban districts and their more affluent suburban neighbors.

This new argument is really just more of the same ol’ flimsy logic from this crew. For the past several years, Roza and colleagues have attempted to argue that states have largely done their part to fix inequities in funding

Queens Teacher: Clueless Cathie Wouldn't Send Her Own Kids to a City School - No kidding

Clueless Cathie Wouldn't Send Her Own Kids to a City School - No kidding

by Queens Teacher

Incoming chancellor Cathie Black says, 'I don't know' if I'd send my kids to a city school
BY Meredith Kolodner and Rachel Monahan

Even as she takes the helm of the Department of Education, incoming Chancellor Cathie Black still isn't sure if she'd send her own kids to city public schools.

Black acknowledged yesterday that public schools have improved in the 15 years since she sent her two kids to

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

How Oprah’s Love Affair With Michelle Rhee Misleads | The Atlanta Post

How Oprah’s Love Affair With Michelle Rhee Misleads

DECEMBER 07, 2010 11:15 AM

What is it with Oprah’s love affair with Michelle Rhee?

After anointing Rhee as the second coming of Educational Christ during the episode featuring the “Waiting for Superman” documentary, Oprah invited her back to her holy grail of platforms once again, this time, to announce the launching of an organization called Students First, an interest group that will lobby for her brand of education reform.

But of course this will not be any regular special interest group but one that will “take the lessons, which Rhee has learned in D.C. and imply it to the rest of the nation.” Hmm, and what would those lesson be? Not quite sure but according to the video clip, it involves the word “change.”

For some reason Rhee, who has about three years of actual teaching experience and another three years of leadership experience, has become the face of school reform in America. Beside her reoccurring stint on Oprah, she has also graced the cover of Newsweek magazine.

She is even the face of her own Students First movement. Check out the website and you’ll see

Antonio Villaraigosa: It is Time for Teachers Unions to Join the Education Reform Team

It is Time for Teachers Unions to Join the Education Reform Team

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Read my Education Reform Strategy here.

Read the text of my keynote on Education Reform at the Public Policy Institute of California here.

In the 60s, when I was in school, the California public school system was the gold standard--a national model that complemented our State's image as a land of opportunity.

Today, our schools rank in the bottom third among all states, we are out-spent by $2,400 per pupil, and we fail to graduate a full quarter of our students. What happened?

Well, I've spent an entire career fighting to fund and reform our public schools--first as a teacher union organizer, then as an Assembly Member and Speaker, and now as a Mayor.

In the past five years, I've partnered with students, parents, non-profits, business groups, higher education, charter organizations, school district leadership, elected board members, and teacher

DPS: After Ruling, No Program Will Be Changed - Education News Story - WDIV Detroit

DPS: After Ruling, No Program Will Be Changed

Ruling Says Financial Manager Overstepped His Authority

POSTED: Monday, December 6, 2010

UPDATED: 6:03 pm EST December 7, 2010

DETROIT -- The Detroit Board of Education says they are not planning on changing any programs implemented by emergency financial manager Robert Bobb, even though a judge recently ruled against him in a lawsuit.

The district held a press conference Tuesday evening to announce their future plans.

Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Wendy Baxter ruled Monday that Bobb overstepped his authority by seeking academic control of the district.

Bobb was appointed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm in March of 2009 to help the district dig out of a more than $200 million deficit.

Bobb wanted to implement a five-year, $530 million academic plan and close dozens of schools