In the last few years, there has been an all-out attack on local control. Most of the attack comes from the privatization movement, which thinks that school boards debate too much, listen too much, move too slowly. The privatizers prefer mayoral control in cities to get fast action. And they push laws and constitutional amendments allowing the governor to create a commission to override local school boards that reject charters. This is the ALEC agenda.
Happily, leading members of the National School Boards Association will have a chance to ask Arne Duncan why he pushes mayoral control, which has done so little for Cleveland and Chicago–and is now approved in NYC by only 18% of the public.
And they can ask Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia what he thinks about that state’s recent drive to strip local school boards of control of their districts. They might also ask him what he thinks of the re segregation that charters are promoting.
Media Advisory
Contact: Linda Embrey
Communications Office, National School Boards Association
Office: 703-838-6737; Cell: 571-437-7425
Onsite Press Room as of January 27: 202-797-4820; lembrey@nsba.org
Secretary of Education, Key Congressional Leader to Address National School Boards Association’s Advocacy Conference
Alexandria, Va. (Jan. 25, 2013) – U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee & Member, Senate Finance Committee will speak at the National School Boards Association’s (NSBA) 40th annual Federal Relations Network Conference on Monday, Jan. 28. The conference is taking place January 27 to 29 at the Washington Hilton, 1919 Connecticut Ave., Washington, D.C., and will be attended by more than 700 school board leaders from across the country. Attendees will participate in sessions on major public education issues and meet with their members of Congress and Capitol Hill staff to discuss key education policy issues.
The following events are open to the press and are being provided to the media for planning purposes. Items are subject to change.
Monday, Jan. 28:
3 p.m. – Remarks by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. He will speak about progress in K-12 education and the Obama administration’s goals for education reform going forward. A question-and-answer session will follow.
3:30 p.m. – Remarks by Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee & Member, Senate Finance Committee.
Media are welcome to cover these conference sessions. Valid credentials must be shown before obtaining a NSBA press pass. The press room and press registration will be located in the Embassy Room, Terrace Level. Please contact Linda Embrey at 703-838-6737 (office), 571-437-7425 (cell/onsite), 202-797-4820 (onsite press room on Jan. 27), or at lembrey@nsba.org .
# # #
Founded in 1940, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) is a not-for-profit organization representing state associations of school boards and their more than 90,000 local school board members throughout the U.S. Working with and through our state associations, NSBA advocates for equity and excellence in public education through school board leadership. http://www.nsba.org
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National School Boards Association (NSBA), 1680 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314 United States
Diane Ravitch's blog 
NSBA should ask US ED why they haven’t followed GAO recommendations. (see below)
Commercial Activities in Schools: Use of Student Data is Limited and Additional Dissemination of Guidance Could Help Districts Develop Policies
[The Secretary of Education should take additional action to assist districts in understanding that they are required to have specific policies in place for the collection, disclosure, and use of student information for marketing and selling purposes by disseminating its guidance to state school boards associations.]
Click to access d04810.pdf
NSBA can’t remain silent without actions. We already know Duncan is inept.
This is very important, since school boards are composed of parents and concerned citizens who vote. Without their presence, the lobbyists will control the agenda. But once the voters start hammering the politicians, the momentum will shift quickly. I hope we’ll have one here in Maine soon, which I’ll join, in order to open another front against the privatizers.
even in cities that don’t have mayoral control, the BROAD FOUNDATION does its best to control school boards….it sends senior staff to “advise” board members on how to
“govern” and it stacks school district administrations with BROAD-trained superintendents and ‘ fellows’ who go on to take up senior power roles, who in turn influence school board directors….
Call or write YOUR local school superintendant and let him or her know how you feel about this assault on local control and the evils of for profit privatization.
Does anyone know, nationally,how the members of school boards think in terms of No Excuse Reforms vs. Social Context Reforms? Are we sure that the majority of local school boards are not heavily in favor of CCSS, VAM, etc.
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2013/01/the_education_reform_dichotomy.html
Diane,
I will post two great CT news pieces.
One written by Wendy Lecker and the other by Sarah Darer Littman. Please consider posting both.
Wendy here:
Every legislative session, charter school lobbyists proclaim how successful privately run charter schools are compared to “failing” public schools, and that charters should get a share of public money disproportionate to the 1 percent of public school children they serve. In order to illustrate the murky world of charter school statistics, here is a follow-up to two of my columns on Connecticut charters.
In September, I described the takeover of Hartford’s Milner School by Jumoke charter school, as part of the “commissioner’s network.” Charter school lobbyists bristle when people suggest that their “successes” emanate not from unproven “innovations” but rather from educating a different population than public schools and/or having more resources. Milner is one example.
Before the takeover, 95 percent of Milner’s students lived in poverty. Over 10 percent had disabilities and 25 percent were English language learners. For years, the school was not provided adequate funds, resulting in large classes, insufficient staff and a building in disrepair.
Read more: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Wendy-Lecker-Revisiting-charter-school-4224349.php#ixzz2J22aNlZV
Sarah Darer Litmann:
Expensive gift for taxpayers without accountability:
While receiving additional money for schools is always a cause for celebration, it’s worth taking notice when a small group of people accept a grant that results in additional costs for the state’s taxpayers without that grant having been voted upon by an elected body. It’s also worth taking notice when, in fact, the grant is purposely structured in such a way to avoid the scrutiny of an elected body. Back in December, when everyone was applauding the $5 million grant the Gates Foundation made to Hartford Schools, I had a few questions, particularly about MAP testing, and the expense of its associated technology.
Because of a loophole in current policy that only requires that it vote to approve Federal and State grant applications, the Hartford Board of Education never agreed to apply for the Gates Foundation grant, or to approve it, even though the acceptance of the grant has an impact on Hartford Public Schools and, ultimately, the Connecticut taxpayer.
Superintendent of Schools Christina Kishimoto, Mayor Pedro Segarra (a self-appointed member of the school board), school board Chairman Matthew K. Poland (Director of the Hartford Public Library), and representatives from Jumoke Academy, Achievement First, ConnCAN, Achieve Hartford, and the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving met with the Gates Foundation to discuss the grant in the summer of 2012 without the full school board’s knowledge. In August, the board was asked to renew the contract for the Northwest Evaluation Association MAP program for two years at a cost of $592,443, or $11.50 per student. MAP, or Measures of Academic Progress, was piloted with the 9th grade last year, but this year was extended K-12. At the time the school board was asked to renew the contract with the rollout of the program, the source of funding was described as “special funds”, with no mention of the Gates grant.
Read more:
http://www.ctnewsjunkie.com/ctnj.php/archives/entry/an_expensive_gift_for_taxpayers_without_accountability/
Mr. Arne Duncan has had adequate time to make it painfully obvious to everyone who has worked for him, or followed his career, what kind of person he is as a professional. There is no need to ask him more questions. Duncan and Obama have done everything that they did with eyes wide open. They are the enemy. Start sending them the same amount of vitriol that Rhee gets and things may change.
With any luck, Obama will be know by history as the guy who could have changed the world and instead sold everyone who supported him down the river in favor of his connected friends. Out with the bums.
Well said, Wibert, and the AFT’s support of Obama is frustrating, as well as the usual, “well it would have been so much worse if…” It’s absolutely shameful how Obama has facilitated the demise of good public education and his legacy will be horrid if he doesn’t try to make changes fast.
The more layers of citizen involvement that a community has for input stripped away, the greater the opportunity for a narrowed view and ownership of a few over the many. Schoolboards are a case in point. They may not be perfect but they give the public an opportunity to be represented. It would be wise to try and protect their existence.
Why can’t the School Boards speak up for themselves and for the millions of students, school employees and families they represent? They generally have more time on their hands and political connections than the average community member. Just a suggestion.
It seems even the school boards are being bullied. I am speaking to the National School Boards Association at their annual convention in April in San Diego and will encourage them to lead the fight for their schools.
Thank you Diane.
One wonders if “being bullied” is an improvement over “being duped.”
District governance presumes board members who are brighter than cabinet members, and electors that are more diligent than the senators who confirm cabinet members.
Would that be hyperbole or irony?
Prospects for NSBA’s effectiveness? An annotated bibliography would certainly help board members:
Making Americans, Hirsch
Teaching America, Feith et al
Montgomery Co MD case study
others?
There’s another way to take over a school board. In Los Angeles the mayor tried to get control of the school board via state legislation, which was overturned in court. So he backed pro-privatization candidates funded with big bucks from corporate donors and succeeded in getting a school board majority, who hired a superintendent handpicked by Bill Gates and Eli Broad. They’ve been starving public schools of funding, bashing teachers, increasing class sizes, laying off teachers and other school site workers, and giving public schools away to privately run charters ever since. They’re also keen on co-opting and/or busting unions, and of course spewing “reform” propaganda to cover up their misdeeds.
Anne Zerrien-Lee Public School Teacher