Bob Peterson here writes about the fate of Milwaukee which is a model city for almost every bad idea of the corporate reform movement.
Milwaukee has had vouchers and charters since 1990. The voucher schools and charter schools do not outperform the public schools. The public schools have disproportionate numbers of students with special needs, who Re not wanted by the voucher and charter schools.
Some of the charter and voucher schools are abysmal and should never have been funded or kept open.
On the NAEP, Milwaukee is one of the nation’s lowest performing districts.
The current school board now wants to turn its lowest-performing schools into charters, even though their record is no better than public schools.
The public schools are slowly and surely dying. The children are not benefitting.
One of our nation’s basic democratic institutions is being abandoned by those responsible for its health.
This is called “reform.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Although I agree with Bob the overall analysis especially when it comes to sp needs, I find it unacceptable that high performing or low performing is based on the test we all know is flawed. Until we stand as one against the test, public schools will continue to perish. Please, never embrace the test as an indicator of success when it favors us and be against it when it doesn’t. No room for hypocracy.
One voice must say, the test sucks!
Of course the tests suck. That being said, when the “reformers” use that metric to measure schools, we should be able to beat them at their own game.
“. . . the test sucks!”
Nah, the test don’t suck they smell to high heaven like a dead skunk in the middle of a Texas road in the middle of the summer.
But you are quite correct about using the numbers when the numbers supposedly support one’s side, hypocrisy it is! Not to mention also being ‘hyper crazy” and “hypo-credible”.
It doesn’t matter. Ohio has had vouchers and charters forever too, and it simply doesn’t matter what the “results” are. They expand them every year, regular as rain.
It’s the definition of “ideological”: ed reform can’t fail, it can only BE failed, and the solution for failed ed reforms is MORE ed reforms.
There wasn’t enough choice! They needed more school grades, or better tests, or fewer unions! They had mayoral control, but they needed more control! Cut they mayors out! They had state-level control but they need to cut the state lawmakers out and create appointed boards!
If it fails, they just double down. That’s not a “plan”, it’s an ideology, a belief system. Scott Walker would rather walk over hot coals than admit anything “market based” is a failure. What’s worse, the more they invest in it, the LESS likely they are to admit it isn’t working. I think we’re well past that point, myself.
Reblogged this on Transparent Christina.
A summation of what is going on with TFA and how that pans out:
http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2014/03/teach-americas-unspoken-alliance-one-percent.html
Not exactly on topic, but close.
When I was young, back in the dark ages, they had “reform schools” which were supposed to reform children who had broken the law. The present “reform” is not for those children who have broken the law, only to divert attention from the lawmakers who cannot address societal needs which have led to so very much of the problems in the public schools in the blighted areas of our country.
Our politicians lack the integrity to accept their responsibility. MUCH easier to make, as is usually the case, the public schools the whipping boys for their ineptitude.
Hi Diane,
I am sure the speeches from the NPE conference would help educate the public on these matters. Live streaming was not available for SUnday. Can you tell us if those speeches/workshops will be posted somewhere?
These numbers only include MPS? Not the charters, etc?
“Stephanie Simon @StephanieSimon_ Feb 28
Mitchell stepped down from Students Matter today, midway thru Vergara trial, as he faces confirm. hearings to the #2 spot in Dept of Ed.”
Why do they even bother to step down from these jobs? Is there any real distinction at this point between the US Department of Education and the various ed reform foundations and lobbying groups? He’s behind the teacher tenure lawsuit. Is there anyone who is fooled by his OFFICIALLY stepping down prior to his new job “representing the public interest”? It’s almost insulting.
On to rubber stamping in the Senate! Ethics? Conflicts? Who cares!
Right?
As Bill Moyers summed up Mike Lofgren’s essay, “elected and unelected figures collude to protect and serve powerful vested interests”.
“Like any other bureaucracy, it’s groupthink that drives the Deep State”
The deep state article and a critique of it’s shortcomings, the things not mentioned by Mr. Giroux are a must read. They codify what has always been visible if you scratch the surface and are a skeptic of even the most mild persuasion.
Thanks, I’ll have to watch the program with Henry Giroux.
I love the “waiver” thing they’ve come up with.
The Gates and Apple people get a “waiver” from the DOE to exempt themselves from the DOE’s own rules.
Chris Christie wants a “waiver” in NJ so he can violate the terms of the agreement he made with teachers.
It’s like they genuinely believe that the legalistic and technical maneuvering absolves them from the fact that they made these agreements. It doesn’t, of course. They’re breaking a promise they made. Christie’s promise to teachers in Newark means absolutely nothing, but he’s got a waiver to cover his ass, so no harm, no foul!
I want a “waiver” from this representation. I want a real advocate.
Bob’s article was great. But to blame all of MPS’ problems on vouchers and charters is simply wrong. MPS’ problems pre-date vouchers and charters and continue regardless of them. For example, vouchers & charters are not responsible for MPS’ long standing fueling of the school to prison pipeline. http://systemschangeconsulting.wordpress.com/2013/01/09/putting-an-end-to-the-school-to-prison-pipeline/
I’m sure you know more about the history of MPS than me. But I’d have to ask, in reference to your post here in the comments, the following question:
If MPS’ problems continue regardless of charters and vouchers, then why are they considered any part of the solution?
Seems that they make no difference at all. Isn’t it time to try something else other than these two schemes?
Steve: your point is well taken. My view is that there are multiple systems failures which are rooted in a complete lack of accountability for both MPS and the voucher and charter schools so rampant failure is allowed to persist. I spent 10 years litigating a class action against the state Dept. of Public Instruction and MPS, which resulted in an excellent settlement with the state, but MPS spent millions on corporate attorneys instead of its students to get this progressive settlement designed to improve the education of all children at MPS overturned by the 7th Circuit. So, the floundering continues…very sad. Here is a snippet of that case. http://systemschangeconsulting.wordpress.com/2013/05/09/combating-the-racism-of-low-expectations/
I don’t think it’s contrarian to cast my vote for NOLA in particular and Jindal-land in general as the most disfunctional epicenter of reform today. John White will never have 1984 emulations exorcised from his policy decisions and public comments.
Sadly, this was inevitable once the precedent was set for public money going to anything other than public school. The charter/voucher grifters will reframe any data to fit their purposes, as others have said. “Choice” becomes an end unto itself.