Bruce Baker here analyzes the new CREDO report on charter schools in New Jersey.
Charters in Newark outperform district schools, and Baker explains the secrets of their success.
Outside of Newark, charters were no different from public schools.
Archives for the month of: November, 2012
For years we have heard about the Florida miracle, supposedly the result of Jeb Bush’s tough accountability measures.
But whoa!
The latest federal data show that Mississippi has a higher graduation rate than Florida.
Is there a Mississippi miracle?
Joanne Barkan has written an excellent summary of how public education fared in the recent elections.
Barkan knows how to follow the money. Her article “Got Dough?” showed the influence of the billionaires on education policy.
She begins her analysis of the 2012 elections with this overview of Barack Obama’s embrace of GOP education dogma:
“Barack Obama’s K-12 “reform” policies have brought misery to public schools across the country: more standardized testing, faulty evaluations for teachers based on student test scores, more public schools shut down rather than improved, more privately managed and for-profit charter schools soaking up tax dollars but providing little improvement, more money wasted on unproven computer-based instruction, and more opportunities for private foundations to steer public policy. Obama’s agenda has also fortified a crazy-quilt political coalition on education that stretches from centrist ed-reform functionaries to conservatives aiming to undermine unions and privatize public schools to right-wingers seeking tax dollars for religious charters. Mitt Romney’s education program was worse in only one significant way: Romney also supported vouchers that allow parents to take their per-child public-education funding to private schools, including religious schools.”
Barkan’s analysis shows significant wins for supporters of public education–the upset of uber-reformer Tony Bennett in Indiana, the repeal of the Luna laws in Idaho, and the passage of a tax increase in California–and some significant losses–the passage of charter initiatives in Georgia and Washington State.
The interesting common thread in many of the key elections was the deluge of big money to advance the anti-public education agenda.
Even more interesting is how few people put up the big money. If Barkan were to collate a list of those who contributed $10,000 or more to these campaigns, the number of people on the list would be very small, maybe a few hundred. If the list were restricted to $20,000 or more, it would very likely be fewer than 50 people, maybe less.
This tiny number of moguls is buying education policy in state after state. How many have their own children in the schools they seek to control? Probably none.
The good news is that they don’t win every time. The bad news is that their money is sometimes sufficient to overwhelm democratic control of public education.
The largest of Pennsylvania’s virtual charter schools is under investigation for its handling of public money. It’s offices were raided by the FBI earlier this year. It fired its top executives. The investigation continues.
Apparently the money rolled in so fast and furiously that the charter came up with ingenious ways to spend it, like sending a large number of its executives to get an online master’s degree on the public’s dime. But the lawyer for Pennsylvania Cyber Charter is not answering any questions. He seems to have forgotten that where public money goes, public accountability and transparency must follow.
Herbert Michael writes that the recently approved Newark teachers’ contract accepts the corporate reformers’ ideas but that it uses the wrong model. Why not change urban schools to look like the schools where the leaders of the corporate reform movement send their own children?
He says:
“Despite the specious claims made by corporate financed education “reformers” claiming
that teacher “performance is our schools’ central problem, the real problem is the failure of our political classes to learn from schools that are effective. The model for effective schools are the ones they send their children to, private schools.
Those children are in small classes 12-16, usually managed by a teacher and teacher assistant. Social services and counseling are available in depth, right in the building (though their parents can afford it on their own).
Private tutoring, real science labs and respect for the students by Administration and security staff contrasts from the zero tolerance and near criminalization of public school security screenings and metal detectors.
Newark’s new teacher’s contract addresses none of these things. Instead it takes the a assumptions of the “corporate reformers” and accepts them a priori. This is a grave error. The new contract creates a merit system that will divide teachers, a two-tier wage system and an evaluation program based on standardized testing.
Over the last few years I have witnessed a steep decline in the morale of excellent teachers. Our “performance” has been confused with the inevitable outcome of increasing inequality in the U.S. Increasing numbers of teachers feel afraid to speak freely and teach creatively ( because of the assault on Teacher Unions ) as Charter schools actually eliminate Union jobs.
Some people would argue that the 600 billion dollars spent each year on public education is the prize the corporate world and Charter advocates seek by demonizing public education. I am sure that’s true but I would argue that our teachers and their students are really victims of a shell game. The goal of that game appears to be to hold political leaders and School Officials harmless for school failures. At the same time, they withhold the solution, making the schools for working-class children in Newark more like those in the private schools.”
Katie Osgood reviews Chris Hayes’ new book “Twilight of the Elites” and ponders how the elites–the so-called best and the brightest–are now running education policy. Their ideas fail and fail but they boldly push ahead, utterly unfixed by the damage they inflict on others. They enjoy money, power, prestige, unlike those poor teachers and children whose lives they mess up with their hapless schemes.
In its issue of November 19, The New Yorker published a lengthy profile of my efforts to change national education policy: to halt the galloping privatization, the demonization of teachers and the misuse of testing to advance the two previously mentioned topics.
Let me begin by saying that I was immensely grateful that this distinguished and influential magazine gave attention to these important issues. As everyone who follows this blog knows, it is very rare to see a critique of the ruinous bipartisan policies in print or on television.
I was also thrilled that David Denby wrote the article. He is not a player in the debates and was able to approach the issues with a fresh and unbiased perspective. By now, everyone in education has chosen sides.
I had other reasons to be grateful that Denby was on the case. He is well educated and cares genuinely about education (in one of his books, he describes a year he spent as an adult auditing Columbia’s famous “great books” classes). In addition, he spent a lot of time immersing himself in the subject. In addition to reading widely and interviewing many people on all sides of the issues, he accompanied me to four events from mid-April in Atlantic City to the end of July in Detroit and interviewed at length.
I have enormous respect for him as a writer and a thinker. Also, I enjoyed the time I spent with him. He is funny, insightful, and smart. As he picked my brain about education, I tried to pick his about film and books.
And I am grateful to him for two surprising reasons. My conversations with him encouraged me to start this blog and to write a book during the summer.
However, there were two inaccuracies in the article that I feel compelled to correct because they go to the heart of my argument against the current wave of destructive policies.
Both NCLB and Race to the Top are based on the spurious claim that our public schools as a whole are failing. I argue that this narrative is false. The article refers to my criticism of this “exaggerated negative critique” but then cites statistics that are wrong.
According to the article, I allegedly said that “high school graduation rates are higher than ever” at 75.5%. That’s the four-year graduation rate, the number that Arne Duncan and Bill Gates use to claim that rates are flat and we have made no progress in 30 years.
But that is not the number I use. The graduation rate for people ages 18-24 is 90%. That includes August graduates, as well as those who earned their diploma in five or six years or got a GED.
So let me say that again: the high school graduation rate for people ages 18-24 is 90%, the highest in our history.
The same paragraph says, “She mentioned a slight increase, among all ethnic groups, in reading and math scores on national tests.” This was an especially galling inaccuracy, because the fact checker asked me about it and I said it was wrong. I sent the NAEP data and a copy of my AFT speech in Detroit to the fact checker to demonstrate what I did say: test scores are not slightly increased. They are at their highest point in history for all ethnic groups. The scores of black and Hispanic students have increased in reading steadily and significantly over the past 20 years. The scores of black and Hispanic students in mathematics have increased dramatically over the past 20 years.
Yet despite my protest that I did not say “slight increase,” and my documentation with both the NAEP data and my speech, the erroneous statement was left in the article.
One may argue that my interpretation is wrong, but one cannot argue that these statements can be attributed to me.
The New Yorker decided not to print my correction, which is why I am writing it here.
Are you confused when you read Nick Kristof?
Jersey Jazzman is puzzled too.
Kristof makes sense when he writes about almost anything about education..
But when he talks about American education, he becomes incoherent.
For example, he is ga-ga about charters yet seems to know nothing about them.
He must have gone on a tour of the Potemkin Village Academy.
New York is very proud of its new Educator Effectiveness Evaluation model, which claims to measure which teachers and principals are effective, relying in part on the increase (or not) of test scores of students.
Bruce Baker of Rutgers demonstrates that the model is biased and inaccurate. It favors classes and schools that start off with higher-performing students.
He concludes with a brief sermon about the importance of ethics:
“I have pointed out that the originators of the SGP approach have stated in numerous technical documents and academic papers that SGPs are intended to be a descriptive tool and are not for making causal assertions (they are not for “attribution of responsibility”) regarding teacher effects on student outcomes. Yet, the authors persist in encouraging states and local districts to do just that. I certainly expect to see them called to the witness stand the first time SGP information is misused to attribute student failure to a teacher.”
“But the case of the NY-AIR technical report is somewhat more disconcerting. Here, we have a technically proficient author working for a highly respected organization – American Institutes for Research – ignoring all of the statistical red flags (after waiving them), and seemingly oblivious to gaping conceptual holes (commonly understood limitations) between the actual statistical analyses presented and the concluding statements made (and language used throughout).”
“The conclusions are WRONG – statistically and conceptually. And the author needs to recognize that being so damn bluntly wrong may be consequential for the livelihoods of thousands of individual teachers and principals! Yes, it is indeed another leap for a local school administrator to use their state approved evaluation framework, coupled with these measures, to actually decide to adversely affect the livelihood and potential career of some wrongly classified teacher or principal – but the author of this report has given them the tool and provided his blessing. And that’s inexcusable.”
In case you have time on November 28, you might want to listen in to the summit convened by Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education. It will be live streamed at http://www.ExcelinEd.org/Everywhere.
Jeb Bush is now a key figure in the reform movement. He is a strong supporter of charters and vouchers. He wants all teachers and all schools to get a grade based on the test scores of students. His foundation is supported by many foundations; see the list below (including Gates), and by technology companies and charter chains. Bush is a cheerleader for the digitization of classrooms. He foresees the day when there are fewer teachers and more online learning.
What a cool summit this will be!
So many superstars of reform in one place!
You will get to hear David Coleman, president of the College Board and architect of the Common Core standards.
You will notice that one of the keynote speakers at this conservative event is Arne Duncan. Another is John Podesta of the Center for American Progress, who headed Obama’s transition team in 2008. You might wonder why Duncan and Podesta are there, especially there are rumors that Bush will pursue the presidency in 2016. Just think of it as a testament to bipartisan comity around a shared agenda.
Recently defeated Indiana Superintendent Tony Bennett will appear, as will Kevin Huffman of Tennessee, now serving one of the nation’s most conservative governors and legislatures.
You will get to hear Condoleeza Rice and Joel Klein explain why our public schools are “a very grave threat to national security,” and why we need charters and vouchers.
Another really cool thing is that they are showing “Won’t Back Down.” It was released on September 28 and a month later it had almost disappeared from the nation’s theaters. Last weekend it was showing in only 24 theaters in the entire USA. This will be one of the few places in America where you can still see it.
Here is the press release; the agenda follows.
WASHINGTON – The Foundation for Excellence in Education today announced its final general and strategy sessions for the fifth annual Excellence in Action National Summit on Education Reform at the JW Marriott in Washington, DC, Nov. 27-28.
During the general session “Won’t Back Down Movie and Parent Trigger,” attendees will hear the story behind the film that premiered in September. Reporter and education reform supporter Campbell Brown will discuss with Shirley Ford of Parent Revolution and Dr. Gloria Romero, California director of Democrats for Education Reform and former California State Senator, how this powerful, parent-driven movement is inspiring change across the nation.
Don’t miss “Common Core State Standards,” as Governor Jeb Bush joins David Coleman, President and CEO of the College Board; Bob Corcoran, President and Chairman of the GE Foundation; and Dr. William Schmidt, University Distinguished Professor and Co-Director of the Education Policy Center at Michigan State University, to discuss implementing these new standards and ensuring today’s students are equipped with a world-class education.
Strategy sessions will include “Charter Schools: Accountability and Funding,” “The Florida Formula for Student Achievement,” “Implementing Bold Teacher-Effectiveness Reform,” “Recruiting and Retaining Great Principals” and many more. Click here to view all strategy sessions and the complete event agenda.
Unfortunately, we have reached maximum capacity for the Summit, and registration is closed. However, you can enjoy this exciting event from the comfort of your own computer. All keynote speeches and general sessions will be streamed live at http://www.ExcelinEd.org/Everywhere, and all strategy sessions will be filmed and available after the event. Click here to view this year’s agenda.
Members of the press are welcome to cover the conference, including keynote and strategy sessions; however, participation in Q & A times is reserved for attendees. For more details and to apply for credentials for this event, please click here.
The Excellence in Action National Summit on Education Reform annually immerses lawmakers and policymakers in two days of in-depth discussions on proven policies and innovative strategies to improve student achievement. For all things related to the Summit, check out the #EIA12 app at http://bit.ly/W6wubM. This mobile app puts the event agenda and information about speakers, strategy sessions and our partners at your fingertips.
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For media inquiries, contact Jaryn Emhof, Communications Director, at 850-391-4090 or Jaryn@ExcelinEd.org.
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The Foundation for Excellence in Education thanks the following donors for their generous support of the 2012 National Summit on Education Reform: Visionary: GE Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Broad Foundation, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, Robertson Foundation, The Kovner Foundation, Achiever: Amplify, Doris & Donald Fisher Fund, GlobalScholar, The Kern Family Foundation, Microsoft, The Paul E. Singer Foundation, Susan & Bill Oberndorf, Pearson, Target, Reformer: Challenge Foundation, The Charles & Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, The Dick & Betsy DeVos Family Foundation, George Kaiser Family Foundation, K12, Intel, The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, McGraw-Hill Education, Scholastic, Scholar: Academica, Alvarez & Marsal, Apex Learning, Charter Schools USA, e2020, ETS, Morgridge Family Foundation, SAS, SMART Technologies, State Farm Insurance, VSCHOOLZ, William E. Simon Foundation.
The Foundation for Excellence in Education is igniting a movement of reform, state by state, to transform education for the 21st century economy. Excellence in Action, the organization’s flagship initiative, is working with lawmakers and policymakers to advance education reform across America. Learn more at http://www.ExcelinEd.org.
AGENDA:
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JW Marriott – Washington, DC
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
8:00-8:45 am Breakfast Buffet
8:45-9:30 am Opening Keynote:
Jeb Bush, Chairman of the Foundation for Excellence in Education
9:45-11:00 am Strategy Sessions:
Strategy Session 1: Reaching More Students with Vouchers and Tax-Credit Scholarships
Whether you are an advocate of education vouchers for all or believe special scholarships should be reserved for students in failing schools, the debate on school choice is one that matters. States across the country are enacting new reforms and expanding those that already exist to ensure vouchers and tax-credit scholarships reach the kids who need them the most. Join these state lawmakers as they discuss strategies to keep up with the growing demand from families for quality school choice options.
Moderator: John Kirtley, Chairman of Step Up for Students and vice chairman of the Alliance for School Choice and the American Federation for Children
Panelists:
Conrad Appel, Louisiana State Senator
Algie Howell, Virginia State Delegate
Jason Nelson, Oklahoma State Representative
Bill O’Brien, New Hampshire State Representative
Strategy Session 2: Implementing Bold Teacher-Effectiveness Reform
Over the past few years, states across the country have passed reforms linking student-learning data to teacher evaluations. Now, leaders have entered the critical phase of putting the reforms into practice at the local level. Learn how these education chiefs are developing assessments and evaluation systems in their respective states to measure hard-to-test areas and elevate educators’ professional development.
Moderator: Hanna Skandera, New Mexico Secretary-Designate of Public Education and Vice-Chair of Chiefs for Change
Panelists:
Kevin Huffman, Tennessee Commissioner of Education
Jill Hawley, Colorado Associate Commissioner for Achievement and Strategy
Dr. Diane Ullman, Chief Talent Officer for the Connecticut State Department of Education
Strategy Session 3: Accountability-Based Flexibility for School Districts
Across the nation, crisis situations are giving birth to new, student-centered learning models. In the midst of challenging economic times and a national focus on improving the quality of education, a new kind of school district is emerging – one with both autonomy and performance-based accountability. Learn how some of our nation’s most troubled school districts are challenging a conventional structure to change the futures of their students, schools and cities.
Moderator: Dr. Paul Hill, Founder of the Center on Reinventing Public Education
Panelists:
David Harris, Founder and CEO of The Mind Trust
John White, Louisiana Superintendent of Education
Tyrone Winfrey, Chief of Staff of the Michigan Education Achievement Authority
11:30 am-12:45 pm Lunch Keynote:
John Podesta, Chair and Counselor of the Center for American Progress, with Dr. Chester E. Finn, Jr., President of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute
1:00-2:15 pm Strategy Sessions:
Strategy Session 4: How to Prepare for Common Core Assessments
The state-led transition to Common Core State Standards will change the expectation of what students need to be learning and is aligned with what they’ll need for success after high school in our changing world. The pressure is on for the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness of College and Careers (PARCC) and Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium to deliver new online assessments and for schools to build the technology infrastructure they’ll need to use those assessments. The Common Core transition brings individual opportunities for states but also challenges. Meanwhile, many state leaders are preparing parents, teachers and communities for the initial results which will likely follow new standards and assessments. Join this panel to discuss specific strategies states and districts can take to ensure everyone and everything is prepared to transition to these new assessments.
Moderator: Governor Bob Wise, President of Alliance for Excellent Education
Panelists:
Dr. Tony Bennett, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction and Chairman of Chiefs for Change
Steve Bowen, Maine Commissioner of Education
Laura McGiffert Slover, Senior Vice President of Achieve
Dr. Joe Willhoft, Executive Director of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
Strategy Session 5: Transforming Colleges of Education
Nine out of every ten teachers graduate from traditional teacher prep programs at colleges of education. Should these colleges be held accountable for the caliber of students they admit into their programs and the teachers they send into the classroom? Don’t miss this discussion on what can be done to ensure new teachers entering the profession are fully equipped to help each of their students succeed.
Moderator: Kate Walsh, President of the National Council on Teacher Quality
Panelists:
Dr. John Chubb, CEO of Education Sector and member of the Koret Task Force on K-12 Education
Paul Pastorek, former Louisiana Superintendent of Education
Strategy Session 6: Charter Schools: Accountability and Funding
With over 40 states now authorizing charter schools, the potential for innovation continues to grow. Each state serves as a testing site for diverse approaches to approving, funding and maintaining the accountability of these unique public schools. Learn the best policies states are using to shape high-quality charter schools across the nation.
Moderator: Jeanne Allen, President of the Center for Education Reform
Panelists:
Todd Huston, Indiana State Representative
Peggy Lehner, Ohio State Senator
Nina Rees, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
James H. Shelton III, Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement at the U.S. Department of Education
2:45-4:00 pm General Session: Won’t Back Down Movie and Parent Trigger
Shirley Ford, Parent Revolution, and Dr. Gloria Romero, California Director of Democrats for Education Reform and former California State Senator, with Campbell Brown, author and journalist
4:15-5:30 pm Strategy Sessions:
Strategy Session 7: Thinking Outside the School-Zone Box
From coast to coast, states are proving there is more than one way to provide families with school choice options. Many are developing new strategies to empower parents with the ability to choose the public school that is best for their child. Listen to these battle-proven leaders share lessons learned and strategies to expand public school choice programs and remove barriers limiting students’ education options.
Moderator: Mike Petrilli, Executive Vice President of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute
Panelists:
Matthew Barnes, Executive Director of Families Empowered
John Huppenthal, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction
Luther Olsen, Wisconsin State Senator
Strategy Session 8: College & Career Readiness
State leaders are facing a desperate call to action: just one-third of America’s high school students graduate with the knowledge and skills they’ll need to succeed in college. This tragic reality calls for rigorous standards and innovative policies, ones that incentivize acceleration and launch students into college or gainful employment. It’s time to give students the opportunity to advance to college or careers as soon as they are ready, even if that’s earlier that the traditional K-12 calendar allows. Get the details on what methods states are using to prepare our youngest generation to thrive in today’s competitive global economy.
Moderator: Laysha Ward, President of Community Relations and the Target Foundation
Panelists:
David Abbott, Deputy Commissioner and General Counsel at the Rhode Island Department of Education
Russell Armstrong, Education and Workforce Policy Advisor to Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal
Joe Pickens, President of St. Johns River State College
Kelli Stargel, Florida State Senator
Strategy Session 9: Developing and Retaining Teachers We Can’t Afford to Lose
A teacher’s influence – good or bad – can have life-long effects on the students in his or her classroom. Hear new research on the teacher-retention crisis, and join the ensuing discussion on what can be done to develop and retain the high-quality educators our states need to reverse student decline and elevate the status of the teaching profession.
Moderator: Dr. Stefanie Sanford, Director of Policy & Advocacy, United States Program, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Panelists:
Tim Daly, President of the New Teacher Project
Christopher Cerf, New Jersey Commissioner of Education
Gary Holder-Winfield, Connecticut State Representative
6:00-7:00 pm General Reception
7:30-9:00 pm Dinner Keynote:
Dr. Condoleezza Rice, former U.S. Secretary of State, and Joel Klein, former chancellor of New York City’s public schools, with Dr. Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
7:30-8:15am Breakfast Buffet
8:30-9:00 am Breakfast Keynote:
Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education
9:30-10:45am General Session: Common Core State Standards
Moderator: Governor Jeb Bush, Governor of Florida from 1999-2007 and Chairman of the Foundation for Excellence in Education
Panelists:
David Coleman, President and CEO of the College Board
Bob Corcoran, President and Chairman of the GE Foundation
Dr. William Schmidt, University Distinguished Professor and Co-Director of the Education Policy Center at Michigan State University, Minnesota State Representative
11:00-12:15pm Strategy Sessions:
Strategy Session 10: The Florida Formula for Student Achievement
More than a dozen years ago, Florida embarked on a path to reverse a generation of decline in its public schools by forcing the system to focus on the student instead of the adult. Since then, Florida’s formula of high expectations for students, accountability for schools, choices for families and rewards for progress has yielded incredible gains in student learning. In the eight-year period prior to the reforms, graduation rates had declined by nearly seven percent, but since the reforms were put in place, graduation rates have increased by 20 percent. Education in the Sunshine State is now a model for the nation, inspiring leaders to strategically and boldly transform public education. Learn how Florida’s formula can transform student achievement for any state.
Moderator: Julia Johnson, President of Net Communications and former member of Florida’s Board of Education
Panelists:
Dr. Christy Hovanetz, Senior Policy Fellow at the Foundation for Excellence in Education
Dr. Matthew Ladner, Senior Advisor on Policy and Research to the Foundation for Excellence in Education
Strategy Session 11: Transforming Education for the Digital Age
Last year, Digital Learning Now! released “The Roadmap for Reform: Digital Learning,” a guide providing governors, lawmakers and policymakers with the nuts-and-bolts policies to transition to student-centered education. Now, states are changing the face of education by introducing blended learning models that combine the best of face-to-face instruction with the best of online learning. Hear state and school leaders share what they are doing – and what is yet to be done – to harness the power of technology and provide students with rigorous, high-quality, customized education.
Moderator: John Bailey, Executive Director of Digital Learning Now!
Panelists:
Dr. Janet Barresi, Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction
Dr. Mark Edwards, Superintendent of Mooresville Graded School District
Pam Myhra, Minnesota State Representative
Governor Bev Perdue, North Carolina
Chip Rogers, Majority Leader of the Georgia State Senate
Strategy Session 12: Recruiting and Retaining Great Principals
How can districts attract the best principals to their schools? Once found, can schools keep their great leaders by offering increased authority over personnel decisions and their school’s budget? Learn new, proven approaches to recruit and retain the committed principals our nation needs to prioritize students and lead our schools.
Moderator: Dr. Frederick M. Hess, Director of Education Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute
Panelists:
Dr. Andrés Alonso, CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools
Christine Campbell, Senior Research Analyst and Policy Director at the Center on Reinventing Public Education
Anitere Flores, Florida State Senator
12:302:00 pm Lunch Keynote:
Mitch Daniels, Indiana Governor
Diane Ravitch's blog 