Welcome to Charterland: The Game

September 8, 2013 //

The National Opportunity to Learn campaign has created a game called Charterland, based on the popular children’s game Candyland.

Test your skills. Would you make it to the finish lime?

Categories Charter Schools

16 Comments Post your own or leave a trackback: Trackback URL

Joe Nathan says:

September 8, 2013 at 8:26 am

The people who created this assert, “Many policymakers like to herald charter schools as the cure-all solution to a struggling public education system.”
Please name one policy – maker who has said this.
I’ve worked for a couple of decades with policy-makers all over the US and have not heard one say this. But I’m open – perhaps someone has said this. It is an absurd assertion.

Please let me and others know if you have identified someone who said this.

Reply
- K Quinn says:
  
  September 8, 2013 at 10:35 am
  
  Lisa Graham-Keegan – formerly Supe of AZ, who opened the charter school floodgates and now reap$ the benefit$. She was also McCain’s education advisor, even though she’d never been a teacher.
  Anyone at Students First/Last and Stand On Children…..
  
  Reply
  - Joe Nathan says:
    
    September 8, 2013 at 3:13 pm
    
    Do you have a quote in which Lisa said this? Since I’ve heard her speak and talked with her a number of times, I’ve never heard her say that.
    
    Any examples for Students First? I disagree with many of their positions but don’t see any evidence that they charters are “cure-alls.” Do you have any evidence?
artseagal says:

September 8, 2013 at 9:34 am

@Joe Nathan: I would like to start with a quote from Geoffrey Canada in which he addresses his approach to hiring teachers:
I’m just stunned sometimes with how unwilling people are to bring somebody in the office and just say to them: “Look, you’re a good person. You know I like you. I like your family. “This job is not really working out, and I’m going to have to let you go.” And so they will put people in another position, where they don’t really add to the bottom line, so they don’t have to deal with firing them. We don’t have the luxury of being able to do that. I mean, we don’t have positions that we can just sort of stuff you in…”

Referring to an employee at a school “not adding to the bottom line” is an indication of how things go… If a student doesn’t “add to the bottom line” … they go by either subtle or not so subtle tactics. So I ask, “What about students who do not contribute to the bottom line????” Now a quote taken from the Ravitch blog…I guess you should read Paul Tough’s book, “Whatever it Takes”.. Gary Rubinstein dug beyond the Canada “sales pitch”

After reviewing the data, Gary writes: “So the 62 graduates in 2012 had been the 97 6th graders in 2006. This does not represent a 0% dropout rate, as Canada implied to John Legend, but a 36% dropout rate.” The graduation rate is not 100%, as Canada claimed, but 64%.

Gary discovered this too, ” Canada has TWICE kicked out an entire class. A few years ago, Paul Tough wrote a book about Canada and the Harlem Children’s Zone called “Whatever It Takes.” Tough tells the story of Canada firing the entire entering class–three years after they started sixth grade–because their persistently low test scores embarrassed the bankers and lawyers on his board”…

Just one example…. they are not hard to find.. you just have to be willing to dig through a lot of PR BULL.

Reply
- Joe Nathan says:
  
  September 8, 2013 at 11:00 am
  
  Art, I asked about policymakers asserting that charters are the answer. Yes, there are both district & charters that have significant attrition rates.
  
  Some charters, as some district schools serve primarily students who have been encouraged or told to leave other public schools.
  
  Reply
  - Michael Fiorillo says:
    
    September 8, 2013 at 11:15 am
    
    Joe, your disingenuousness is off the charts. You try to restrict the discussion to statements by “policy-makers, intentionally ignoring the media narrative (now collapsing because of its mendacity; thus your attempts at backpedaling and damage control) cultivated by charter touts like yourself.
    
    Here, try this one, where Governor Christie of NJ anoints Geoffrey Canada as a Miracle Worker, while handing him the Patterson, NJ public schools: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/07/education_reformer_geoffrey_ca_html
  - Joe Nathan says:
    
    September 8, 2013 at 3:11 pm
    
    Michael, I didn’t try to restrict the discussion at all. I simply asked for an example of what was asserted – that “many policy-makers like to herald charter schools as the cure-all to a struggling public education system.”
    
    So far no one has offered an example of such an assertion.
    
    Some people who post on this list serve question general assertions about public schools. Fair enough. I questioned a general assertion about policy-makers.
    
    An attack on Geoffrey Canada isn’t an example of a policy-maker who says charters are cure alls (and Canada does not see charters as “cure-alls” – he sees them as part of what needs to be expanded. He’s also a big fan of early child-hood education, for example)
    
    Another person mentions Lisa Graham Keegan, but offers no quote from her. I know her and have heard heard speak. I’ve never heard her say charters are a “cure-all” and the poster offers no evidence she aid or believes that.
    
    If some people are going to question generalizations about district public schools, they might want to do these charter public schools.
  - Joe Nathan says:
    
    September 8, 2013 at 3:18 pm
    
    Sorry, the link does not take me to an article. So I went to Gov Christie’s web site and looked for his views on education. Hope this link comes through:
    Nothing there about charter schools as a “cure-all.”
    
    http://nj.gov/governor/priorities/edu/index.html
    
    Education
    Putting New Jersey’s Children First by Challenging the System
    On September 28, 2010 Governor Christie outlined a package of reforms to improve New Jersey public schools by challenging the status quo and transforming a system that has fallen behind. The Governor’s reforms will fundamentally alter New Jersey’s education system to make teacher effectiveness and student achievement the driving forces behind every policy and practice.
    
    Governor Christie’s Reform Agenda will move public education in New Jersey away from an antiquated, ineffective model that props up failing schools and toward a system that demands accountability, rewards highly effective teachers, utilizes performance measures and ensures each and every child receives the quality education they deserve.
    
    Improving Public Schools by Rewarding Effective, High-Quality Teachers and Demanding Accountability in the Classroom:
    Rewarding Innovative, Effective and High-Quality Teachers
    Expanding Opportunities for Great Teachers to Succeed
    Demanding Accountability and Results for New Jersey’s Children
    Ensuring Our Children Have Well-Prepared Teachers
    
    Empowering Parents with Access to Quality Data and Additional Outreach Efforts
    Engaging Families in Their Children’s Education with Improved Access to Information
    Improving Outreach and Communications Efforts to Parents and Families
  - Michael Fiorillo says:
    
    September 8, 2013 at 9:09 pm
    
    http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/07education_reformer_geoffrey_ca_1.html
    
    “Great ideas are a miracle. And what Geoff Canada is doing everyday for the children of his community represents a miracle.”
    
    – Chris Christie, July, 2007
    
    OK, what’s your next red herring, Joe?
  - Joe Nathan says:
    
    September 8, 2013 at 9:17 pm
    
    Miracle does not = “cure all”.
    
    David fighting (and defeating) Goliath was – if it really happened – a miracle. But it certainly was not a “cure-all.”
artseagal says:

September 8, 2013 at 9:42 am

I should add that when Geoffrey Canada claims 100 percent graduation rates and these rates are found to be the result of “gaming the system” … like “firing and entire class of students”.. therein is the unfortunate cure-all solution promoted by a relentless charter school promoter – Canada!

Reply
jim cooper says:

September 8, 2013 at 10:01 am

OK folks, off topic comment here…I need help…I’m looking for the best article/resource(s) one would use to convince the average person not to shop at Walmart if they care about public education. My wife continues to shop there in spite of what I’ve told her about their involvement in the reform movement. I blame myself for not conveying the message effectively enough. I know there are countless articles and stories, but I’m wondering if anyone has found one to be particularly useful in convincing someone to stop spending money there. Thanks for your help.

Reply
- Sara says:
  
  September 8, 2013 at 10:15 am
  
  There are so many reasons but sometimes a nice info-graphic helps.
  
  Reply
Cupcake says:

September 8, 2013 at 10:14 am

Diane, how does one contact you via email?

Reply
on the prairie says:

September 8, 2013 at 11:07 am

Try this eye opener:

http://www.ilsr.org/new-study-finds-walmarts-miserly-wages-cost-taxpayers/

Reply
- on the prairie says:
  
  September 8, 2013 at 11:08 am
  
  This should have been placed under the WalMart question.
  
  Reply