Paul Thomas taught high school in rural South Carolina for nearly twenty years. Now he teaches at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina.
He writes here about what it means to have a life of service, in contrast to a life devoted to self-service in a celebrity culture, a life adorned with press conferences, self-promotion and photo ops.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
This reminds me of the scene from Tuesday night’s Frontline which I found both egregious and telling. It was when the little girl on the playground comes up and asks for Rhee’s autograph. That had to be staged. What elementary school kid asks for a school chancellor’s autograph? If it was genuine, it was probably the child’s assumption that anyone followed by a camera crew must be a celebrity, and I doubt the little girl had much clue who Rhee was.
But in any case, including that snippet undermines any claim on Merrow’s part that he was trying to expose Rhee. That one little snippet put the shine on Rhee’s halo because it allowed her to look both revered and humble. It’s almost a Christ-like scene – “suffer the children to come unto me”. But then she tries to act dismissive and claim that she’s anyone important. Ah, such humility from one so great! How privileged – no, how *blessed* – we are to have walked the earth the same time as her. (Cough, choke, gag.)
And so the media obliges…and continues to paint them as saintly saviors of these poor children. While those of us in the trenches do the real work of trying to educate ” other people’s children” in this war-like environment created by these “Edeformers” . We will still be here to pick up the pieces of their deform long after their fame has faded. I just worry about the damage being done in the meantime. These deformers would never allow their own children to be subjected to this ALEC nonsense. But it’s just fine for “those kids” .
” I just worry about the damage being done in the meantime”
So before the reformers came along, low graduation rates and high illiteracy were ok with you?
What is so sad is that even blacks have come to the conclusion that blacks can only be educated so much. This is awful.
This is beautiful…Thank you!
It’s funny that I used to suffer through education history courses in college, thinking how useless that information was. Why would I need to know about the progressive vs the pragmatic, or whatever…? I now realize I should have paid attention. I admire Dr. Ravitch’s vast knowledge and I can’t wait to read her next book. How desperate I am to know how to stop this runaway train and wonder what I can do as a school administrator to protect my students from this nonsense. I feel helpless, but refuse to give in. I am mandated by law to implement much with which I disagree. Our only hope is for parents to finally rise up and say enough is enough!
Bridget, I have a question for you because you sound so caring and knowledgeable:
Yesterday I suggested that teachers take over their own schools and run it the way they want. For example, in your situation you and your teachers could apply for charter status and then run the school as you think best for your students. The school would still be public and serve the community as it does now but it would operate independently as charters do. In this way the faculty could enjoy professional autonomy as college professors do. The money would go to salaries, books and supplies and of course no one would profit as charter managers do. In the simplest terms, these schools would be almost the same as the traditional public school except that educators would run it.
Because charters seem to be opening across the country by privateers who are skimming off the money into their pockets, I feel that the only choices teachers have is to take advantage of this movement or get left behind. It seems to me that the charter “cat” is out of the bag and it is too late to put it back in.
Only one person responded to my comments yesterday. I know that teachers generally oppose my idea of starting their own schools or taking over the ones that they’re in, but I don’t understand why. I’d appreciate your input. Thanks.
Of course, I can’t speak for Bridget, but I have a couple of concerns. First, who takes care of the financial, insurance and other paperwork needs? One would have to find an accountant or something to help with all of those details things. I don’t know many teachers that are comfortable with that business side: I know I’m not.
Second, I would expect that it would be very difficult to receive a charter in some states (mine is one) without being linked into one of these charter networks that seem to know everyone in power.
Thanks for responding, Jennifer. My idea is that teachers would vote for an administrator and assign people to do the business aspects, just as administrators do at the present time. In my city, the one charter school is assisted by the school district.
In California almost anyone can start a charter school if a certain number of teachers or parents ask to start one. I do understand your concerns, but it seems to me that teachers have already lost the charter battle and now can either take them over themselves or leave the task to the educational grifters. Teachers are an honest group. I hope other people will consider my ideas because if there is going to be continued change in education, educators should be at the forefront.
Linda, Sorry I’m just responding. I was working. As Jennifer stated above, the financial, insurance, transportation, Accounting, etc. are not my strengths. I work in a school district that is pretty supportive, and unlike others, I dont feel like they are the enemy. We are pretty much all in the same boat here. I blaim our elected officials for selling us out.
I love my job, but doubt that I would be great at running a business. I am not sure that I would be willing to put my career on the line at this point in my life. You are correct, starting my own charter is tempting. Not having to follow the mandates sounds great. I guess maybe one day I may have to make that choice, but for now I will hang in there and do my best to educate my students. I still believe that parents are the key to the success of public education.
Thanks for responding, Bridget. To my mind, if the charter were operated by educators, it would not be a business, but a service, as it is now. But perhaps I underestimate the work involved. Still it pains me to see outsiders coming in and siphoning off the money while paying teachers as little as possible.
Of course that is the goal at the forefront of all of this “reform” . It was never about children, but always about the money. Here in Louisiana it is about NOT having to pay teachers’s retirement that they have been paying into for years. I am just hoping that I can keep making adequate yearly progress to keep them out of my hair. The problem here is that they keep playing fast and loose with the numbers. It’s hard to aim for a moving target.
Paul continues to generate some of the best educational pieces.
Mendacious loudmouths like Rhee, Palin and Limbaugh will all be humiliated in the eyes oh history…..
Another one of those people who can put into words the mish mash in my head.