Shortly after posting that the school board of Durham, North Carolina, voted not to renew its contract with Teach for America, I recalled that another major city had done the same, reversing the previous board’s decision to bring in 30 TFA recruits.
Last December, the newly elected majority on the Pittsburgh school board voted 6-2 not to renew its contract with TFA. The issue was how to fill positions at hard-to-staff schools. One of the board members who voted not to renew TFA said, “Board members said they’re concerned resignations from teachers in those schools stem from a lack of support for the educators. “People will come to hard-to-staff buildings if they know they will have support there.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Linda Lane, Pittsburg’s superintendent, is a Broad book club member. Bravo to the school board!
This and the previous posting: along with other developments (e.g., re CCSS and standardized testing), I am sensing a trend…
Albeit slowly and painfully, the tide is turning…
Heartfelt thanks to so many that have made this possible.
😎
Detroit EAA (the privatized school district in Michigan) sends out deceptive letters to parents of public school children informing them that their children have been “assigned” to one of the privately-owned and privately run schools:
“This past week, parents of students outside of the EAA have been receiving letters from the EAA. The letters are recruitment letters, trying to bring in more students, but masquerade as official letters informing the parents that their students have been formally assigned to the EAA. ”
Where are Michigan lawmakers? While I recognize that it’s now fashionable to “relinquish” all state duties and responsibilities to private contractors, surely some lawmaker in Michigan will do the job they’re paid to do and force charter operators to stop deceiving people with these letters. Obviously, this is unethical and deceptive behavior. Surely there’s some state law left in Michigan that could be enforced.
I’d also like to know how charter management companies are getting student information. How are they getting these kids’ names and addresses? Who is releasing student contact information to private contractors and management companies?
http://www.eclectablog.com/2014/08/breaking-education-achievement-authority-sending-out-deceptive-letters-to-poach-students-from-other-districts.html
Arne Duncan must be really proud. He’s quoted directly in the deceptive letter the EAA sent out to public school parents trying to trick them into enrolling in these schools:
http://www.eclectablog.com/2014/08/breaking-education-achievement-authority-sending-out-deceptive-letters-to-poach-students-from-other-districts.html
Does the US Department of Education endorse these tactics?
Truly abhorrent.
In Dallas, the charters tell parents who don’t speak Spanish that the school is a “private” school.