Myra Blackmon, a columnist for the Athens, Georgia, Banner-Herald, explains how the state legislature is determined to destabilize and disrupt public education with a wacky “parent trigger” bill. Read her terrific analysis here.
It won’t do anything to improve education nor will it “empower” parents, but it will make ALEC and others advocates of privatization very happy.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
It is amazing how dissatisfied parents cannot make a charter school revert into a public school. The deck is certainly stacked against us.
The comment section below the article was entertaining to say the least. I usually do not read comments from the public online because their ignorant and rude comments depress me about the state of civilized discourse in this country. I didn’t get far before I left the site.
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I call it abrogating management. Giving up. Like New Orleans.
The key to New Orleans was exhaustion and fear. The residents were offered a hand from outside and unwisely give up their autonomy. Now they have an endless chain of fast-food education joints that fail one after another.
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Joe,
We need someone to come to the defense of the “fast food education joints!!!
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I’m a veteran math teacher and suffered under a situation where numbers mattered more than kids. I’m in the classroom with all low level classes, by choice.
What concerns me is this debate has become an us versus them situation and mentality. To me it’s like parents in a divorce. They worry more about their problems than those of the kids. Teachers decry accountability to the point that it does seem that many are simply against any accountability. They get to the point that parents are in the them side of the debate. They don’t put forth a credible, easy to understand alternative for the general public. We can go to blogs and sit and teacher’s lounges decrying how unfair our situation is becoming or we can be proactive.
In such an effort we have to be willing to give as well. In CT we are in the midst of rolling out comprehensive teacher evaluation system. It originated as the typical outsider, testing is the panacea for education woes but through union and teacher input and push back there is a solid system taking shape. Of course there are warts but change was inevitable.
In the case of Georgia, parents need to be educated about the options. It’s like classroom management, if the kids don’t have a positive alternative for undesired behavior many choose poorly. Same with parents.
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With Manchurian Candidates (manchurian elected officials?) like Nancy Jester : http://www.NancyJester.com/ParentTrigger.aspx
on our school boards, GA public education is in deep trouble. Louisiana, we are coming for you. Be prepared to give up your spot as the “biggest mess”!
😉
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Please read “Yes, We are Stupid in America!”. EMPHASIS on rural Georgia.
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Part II on Georgia’s much-abused Tax Credit Scholarship Program, from today’s Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, GA
“Don’t talk to me about choice. That’s a euphemism for “just us.” Don’t talk to me about failing schools; talk to me about a failing legislature and corporate “reformers” who understand everything about education except teaching and learning. Don’t talk to me about “bloated budgets.” Since 2008, Georgia’s public schools have gained 37,000 students and lost 5,000 teachers.”
http://bit.ly/X4xPQm
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