Veteran teacher Marc Epstein surveys the wreckage of “school reform” and wonders who will come along to put our nation’s education system back together again.
He writes:
“Today’s education reform rests on the premise that the civil rights movement that overturned Plessy and desegregated the South has failed because there are elements of the black community that have not made sufficient progress over the past fifty years to justify the continued existence of public education as we know it.
“For these reformers the solution is the adoption of the free enterprise system because they believe free market choices always results in the survival of the best products, in this case the best schools, while the inferior ones whither away. Theirs is a universe devoid of snake oil salesmen or Chinese handcuffs.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Universe? No, just a toxic fantasy land of lies, fragmented & contradictory policy and unacknowledged self deceptions.
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Excellent commentary! I’d share it with my wife, who teachers, but I’m afraid she’ll get too depressed.
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Universe? No, just a toxic fantasy land of lies, fragmented & contradictory policy and unacknowledged self deceptions. The funhouse mirrors of their echo chambers are the only reality they perceive, a reality where the snake oil looks like cotton candy. They never leave the fairgrounds. Too bad we can’t wall them off and turn out the lights. Or can we?
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Free enterprise tends to result in the survival of the most powerful. This is not necessarily the fittest or the best. Understanding the distinction requires some “critical thinking.”
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Off topic, but I recommend re-posting this article:
http://www.pogowasright.org/?p=32852
It provides “a list of questions parents should ask their child’s school district about how their child’s personal information is protected.”
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With the exception of Chubb and Moe, I don’t know of any “reformers” who think that the market is “THE solution.” Sure is a lot of energy going into distorting other people’s views.
Meanwhile, tomorrow, I’ll continue our work of working with district & charter public schools. They are collaborating to help increase the number of students who have strong skills and greater knowledge of how to accomplish their life goals. That’s school level collaboration which has and is making a difference. We don’t see a need to demonize either district or chartered public schools.
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Joe,
How virtuous of you and your fellow reformers.
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You misspelled deformers.
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That’s the new Charter tactic: concede that charters aren’t “perfect” and just state in a seemingly “humble”, that charters “are just one of several things we need to employ” blah blah blah…
Sorry, Joe. No offense is intended. But it just won’t wash. It just won’t wash.
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Yes, the delusions of grandeur continue unabated. The lowly public school teacher who has been doing just that for many, many years is an old, tired, stale union thug and represents the status quo.
When a “reformer” collaborates and makes a difference it is so much more effective and therefore, so much more admirable.
We bow to the the elite, the chosen ones who know so much more than unionized teachers. A moment of silence…..
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Actually Linda, I write a weekly newspaper column that constantly celebrates individual teachers. My wife recently retired after 33 years as an urban public school teacher. Our older daughter is a St. Paul Public School math teacher. I’ve worked closely with The Minneapolis and St Paul Federation of Teachers on several projects.
Please say more about your work. I’m interested.
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You haven’t figured out what my work is? Why would I boast to you? Your comments speak for themselves. Please post one of your articles where you “celebrate individual teachers”.
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Linda, Here is a link to several columns in which
individual or groups of teachers are praised. Incidentally, I was
an urban classroom teacher for a number of years. As noted, our
older daughter is an urban public school teacher, my wife retired
as an urban public school teacher after 33 years, and our 3
children attended urban public school teachers, k-12. These columns
are printed in weekly newspapers that reach up to 650,000
families/week. If you would like to be added to the email list of
people receiving this, please send a note to
joe@centerforschoolchange.org
http://hometownsource.com/2012/02/22/minnesota-educators-use-creative-online-resources-to-promote-learning/
Noted individual teachers who are developing “flipped” classrooms.
http://hometownsource.com/2012/05/17/minnesotas-most-creative-educators-recognized-on-state-and-national-levels/
Celebrated some individual award winning teachers
http://hometownsource.com/2012/09/27/remarkable-range-of-opportunities-in-science-technology-engineering-and-math/
http://hometownsource.com/2012/08/30/highlights-reported-on-two-polls-on-public-schools/
Seventy-one percent reported having “trust and confidence” in the
men and women who are teaching children in the public schools.”
That should encourage teachers, who in many cases bring creativity,
insight and commitment to students.
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I will read your posts and subscribe to your column and 100% of the parents of my students have trust and confidence in my ability to educate and advocate for their children…imagine an experienced, unionized capable teacher! 🙂
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Linda and anyone else…Having started an urban public school teacher, beginning in 1970, having been married for 38 years to a just retired, 33 year urban, public school teacher, and being a father urban public school teacher, I have personally experienced and observed over 4 decades the enormous challenges and joys of being an urban public school teacher.
Like many of you, I am eager to see fine public schools and teachers recognized, lessons learned, shared and hopefully used to help other students.
If an of you wants to receive an email copy of the weekly newspaper column I do that tries to do some of this, please send an email to joe@centerforschoolchange.org
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Hi Joe, there are many pushing market-like models for public schools. Portfolio districts are the big craze. The name pretty much says it all. The notion is that schools can be opened and closed based on their “performance” just like stocks in a portfolio. NYC is the prime example, but there are many others.
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Joe, I agree with your description. I’ve never like the term portfolio. But some will remember that East Harlem developed an internationally recognized public school choice program. One of the first who started a new school within a school in East Harlem was Deborah Meier. One of the keys of this was that groups of teachers and administrators, together sometimes with community groups, were allowed to create new public schools. Many good things for families, students and families happened.
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Deborah Meier supports democratically controlled public schools, not privately managed charter schools. She has seen the aggressive charters grabbing public space in Harlem.
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Glad to see a response from Diane. So Diane, how do you feel about so called public schools that explicitly exclude students who can not pass their admissions tests? Often called “magnets.” Is that OK as long as they are “democratically controlled?”
One of the reasons the charter movement was created was that some of us objected to schools being allowed to select students on the basis of their previous achievement or behavior.. I’m still opposed to that. Are you? How about others reading this?
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As long as the decision to create magnets is made by a democratically chosen board, I don’t object.
What I strenuously oppose is the transfer of public funds to private entities that may exclude students with disabilities and students who don’t speak English, that may kick out kids who have low test scores.
I much prefer schools that have doors open to all.
I think that the boasting about test scores is sick, as is the closing of public schools because of test scores. Most schools that close enroll the neediest children. Their needs are not served by closing their school.
You are surely aware of the charter school in Minneapolis that took over a low-performing school and promptly ousted 40 autistic children. That was an outrage, don’t you agree?
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Of course democratically controlled magnet schools are better than a privatized charter school where a CEO loads his pockets full of money while shortchanging staff and students. Most charter highs have a super narrow curriculum and high staff turnover. The schools are money makers. They don’t exist to do what is best for the student. It sounds like you’ve opened a charter school. I’ll bet the board isn’t democratically elected.
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Gobucks – Trying to understand why it is ok for “democratically controlled magnet schools to say “no” to students with disabilities that prevent them from passing standardized tests; or students who may be very talented but can’t pass those tests?
I’ve actually helped people start both district and charter public schools. In no case did any of them have admissions tests. I think admissions tests are inconsistent with the idea of public education.
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There are a wide variety of magnet schools and magnet programs in neighborhood schools.
There are selective enrollment magnet schools for gifted kids, who are exceptional learners and, contrary to popular opinion, won’t necessarily actualize their potential on their own. Just as students at the other end of the spectrum, they need more appropriate challenges than a teacher providing differentiation in a regular class or school might be able to give, especially with large class sizes, and they can also benefit from being with peers. If students with disabilities pass the cognitive test, they are accepted, too.
There are also magnet schools for creative and talented kids, who may need to pass performance assessments for admission. They also accept students with disabilities, such as a former student of mine who is artistically talented but has cognitive impairments.
Magnet schools and neighborhood schools with magnet programs, which are themed or specialize in certain disciplines usually have lotteries, but sometimes they keep slots available for children in the area and their siblings. They take kids with disabilities as well.
While magnet schools were created originally to promote desegregation, I think they added a lot more options for students than previously existed.
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Joe,
You stated “tomorrow, I’ll continue our work. . . ”
What exactly is your work? What company do you either own or work for? (and not writing columns, you’ve stated that already)
Thanks for your response.
Duane
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Duane, sorry, I tried to post a response to your question but it has not appeared (I made a mistake, apparently, not blaming this on anyone else). I direct the Center for School Change. We work with district and charter public schools, community groups and policy-makers.
http://www.centerforschoolchange.org
A few sample projects: we help promote the idea of students taking Dual (High School/College Credit courses, such as AP, Int’l Bac, College in the Schools or what Minnesotans call Post Secondary Options. We have done You-tube videos with high school kids in Arabic, English, Hmong Koran, Somali, Spanish to help promote this. We have two collaborative projects with the St Paul Public Schools and local charters. We run a leadership Academy that brings together district and charter educators. Hope that helps.
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The districts created special schools for the performing arts, etc. as magnets. Unfortunately they are being weakened and ruined because the public systems are being starved. The high schools do accept special ed students. Instead they’ve been replaced by junky charters that don’t even offer kids anything in the fine arts. It’s all about trying to improve test scores -still not good- and the CEO making money. Criminal.
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Puget Sound parent (and incidentally, my name is Joe, you might want tell me your first name, or not). A vast array of people across the political spectrum, including the President of the United States, believe that charters are part of what needs to be done. Also needed, more high quality early childhood education, better medical care, better teacher and admin preparation, plus many other things.
I understand some of you participate in this forum to vent. I also appreciate several participants who have contacted me to discuss ways we might work together.
Whether it’s the T-Party or some public schools “advocates” who think it has to be only there way, I think we need to do a better job of listening to & learning from each other. I realize, as one of you wrote earlier today, that for some of you, this is “war.”
But for some former public school teachers/administrators/parents in Washington and many other states, the charter movement allows people to create the kinds of public schools they think make a lot of sense.
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“A vast array of people across the political spectrum, including the President of the United States, believe that . . .”
As my mom used to say when my buddies and I had some cockamimie plan that spelled trouble: “Well, if everyone was jumping off a cliff would you? And I’m not going to let it happen!”
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Yes, I heard that from my mother too. However, what I was trying to point out is that a time where there are deep divisions in American, there is some agreement about key elements of helping more students succeed. I listed several points of agreement. I understand that just because many people agree does not make it right.
Since you have asked me what I do for a living (fair question) and I replied, please tell me what you do for a living.
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Joe, ALEC thinks that charters are a wonderful idea. ALEC has model legislation to create charters. As a member of a southern state school board said to me, “charters are a way of saying, ‘I don’t want my kids to have to go to school with THOSE kids.'” I know you want to preserve your progressive roots, but it is getting harder and harder to do when the privatization movement is in full cry and winning victories (e.g., Scott Walker, Bobby Jindal, and Republican governors across the nation, your new allies.)
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One of the things that sometimes happens is that support for an idea develops across the political spectrum. Early childhood education for low income families has been endorsed by a variety of liberal/progressive groups as well as some conservative groups, including business groups.
The charter idea also has attracted support across the political spectrum. That doesn’t mean everyone likes the idea. But there are people across the spectrum who do.
Also, for many, many years, exclusive suburbs have been a way of wealthy families saying “I don’t want my kids going to school with “those” students. What charters have done, when they work well (and they don’t always work well) is give new strong options to low income families.
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The rightwingers love charters and they have taken charge of the movement. The leaders of the movement today are Bobby Jindal, Rick Snyder, Rick Scott, Scott Walker, Tom Corbett, ALEC, DFER, and the edu-entrepreneurs.
Joe, I am sorry to say that you are window-dressing for the privatization of public education.
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Diane, I have been very critical of some of the companies that have entered public education – whether they are providing curriculum or running schools. I see you say non-profit charters are ok but you oppose those run by for-profit. I try to take a look at the results – including retention rates – of public schools, whether district or charter. I also think we need to be using broader methods of assessing what’s happening with students. As to leaders of the charter movement – I’d cite Dr. Howard Fuller, former Milwaukee Supt, or Dr. Deborah McGriff, former Cambridge, Mass and Detroit Supt, as two of the leaders. Another one is Ted Kolderie, who received an award from ECS a year or so ago. Those three are very influential around the country.
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snake oil would have been an improvement over what Michelle Rhee and Geoffrey Canada are pushing — at least snake oil is organic….
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excellent and interesting article about idiot reformers who
would be more useful if they were studying how to pack grocery bags
more efficiently
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Diane, I am not sure where to post this but this is a request for you. This impacts almost every public school parent, student and child in the country and your forum would reach out to many. Would you post this in a prominent place to make parents and teachers aware?
The new price of public education means that parents will give up the ability to protect their children’s privacy and data which may lead to possible abuse and misuse of information through potential security breaches or inappropriate use. Teachers lose a degree of privacy as well because their data will be included in this database. As a result of new FERPA rules, circumstances can exist in which personal data on our children can be shared WITHOUT parental consent.
In the name of Education Reform and accountability, every state is creating a longitudinal database.
“To receive government funds, a state must provide an assurance that it will establish a longitudinal data system that includes the 12 elements described in the America COMPETES Act, and any data system developed with Statewide longitudinal data system funds must include at least these 12 elements.”
The elements are:
1)An unique identifier for every student that does not permit a student to be individually identified (except as permitted by federal and state law);
2)The school enrollment history, demographic characteristics, and program participation record of every student;
3)Information on when a student enrolls, transfers, drops out, or graduates from a school;
4) Students scores on tests required by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act;
5)Information on students who are not tested, by grade and subject;
6)Students scores on tests measuring whether they’re ready for college;
7)A way to identify teachers and to match teachers to their students;
8)Information from students’ transcripts, specifically courses taken and grades earned;
9)Data on students’ success in college, including whether they enrolled in remedial courses;
10) Data on whether K-12 students are prepared to succeed in college;
11)A system of auditing data for quality, validity, and reliability; and
12)The ability to share data from preschool through postsecondary education data systems.
KEY THINGS TO NOTE:
In #1 students will not be individually identified EXCEPT as permitted by federal and state law. Well, guess what? The federal law that protects privacy of student information (FERPA) was quietly changed effective Jan. 2012 and this data can be released to 3rd party “educational” organizations WITHOUT parental consent.
#2 demographic characteristics will include personal and family information.
#7 brings in teacher matching data.
#10 In my district, web-based surveys, learning and personality tests with extensive questions are being given starting in 6th grade to prepare students to be “college and career ready.” Might this data be included? Who wants to be held to something they wrote at 11 years old? Where does this data live?
The major problem here is that this data is PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE. Besides the obvious fraud and identity theft this can lead to if data is not secured properly, what impact might this have on our children once a historical database by name is compiled on them from pre-kindergarten? This data (through the new FERPA rules) can be shared with 3rd party organizations (i.e. similar to the Shared Learning Collaborative case in NY State in which the State contracted with an organization to create “personalized learning” for children.)
Parents really need to talk to their PTA’s and with their teachers. Ask that the school provide information on what the new FERPA rules mean – in plain language – about our childrens’ personal information, what is contained in their “educational record,” exactly what leaves the district in the form of data, who receives it, and how do we know it is secure and anonymous. Do we have assurances that our data is safe and secure? How do we opt-out of sharing our children’s personal data?
Thank you Diane!
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After reading the following post, I emailed contact person at Gates Foundation – Stacey.Childress@gatesfoundation.org. Her reply follows link.
Parents beware! NY and eight other states plan to share your child’s confidential school records with private corporations without your consent! http://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2013/01/parents-beware-ny-and-eight-other.html
“The federal law on education data privacy (FERPA) places responsibility on school districts and state education departments for policies regarding student data, including managing and responding to parent questions and requests. It’s likely that your school and district already collect and use data for a variety of instructional purposes, so it might be best to ask your principal how they handle parent inquiries on these issues.”
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Very interesting
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“For these reformers the solution is the adoption of the free enterprise system because they believe free market choices always results in the survival of the best products, in this case the best schools, while the inferior ones whither away. Theirs is a universe devoid of snake oil salesmen or Chinese handcuffs.”
Define best? The best might be the schools with the LOWEST bar. An easier school will attract students. Many immature youth may avoid harder schools. In college, I remember one elective class in criminology that tripled in size because the teacher was entertaining and the test was based on only 2 pages in the book. During the Great Depression, the standard for graduation was paying tuition. How many working principals pick up an advanced degree while working all those hours so they may be called doctor. In my day, it required a year of residency on campus. In this case, the free market does not determine my definition of “best.” It will only determine who has the best snake oil.
These are for profit institutions. When a school turns into a business, it is subject to the same economic forces. Have we all forgotten Enron, AIG, Goldman Sachs, etc.
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Also, students and parents may choose schools with high graduation rates. The graduation rate can be phony and inflated. The parents may choose a charter school where teachers are intimidated to pass undeserving students.
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Delighted to finally have a response from Diane about this As you wrote, “As long as the decision to create magnets is made by a democratically chosen board, I don’t object.
What I strenuously oppose is the transfer of public funds to private entities that may exclude students with disabilities and students who don’t speak English, that may kick out kids who have low test scores.”
So it’s ok for a local district to create a number of schools do not have to admit students with disabilities prevent them passing the tests you constantly criticized, or students whose lack of English speaking skills prevent them from passing the tests you constantly criticize.
As you may know, after experiencing considerable frustration with district public schools, some Minneapolis/ST. Paul parents created a charter to serve students who are deaf. Other parents, after experiencing considerable frustration, some area parents created a school designed primarily for students who are autistic. Both open to all – but both specializing in working with these kids.
The situation you refer to in Minneapolis is far more complex that you describe. I’ll say more in the coming week.
Thanks again for clarifying that it is ok with you that elected school boards may create schools that exclude students on the basis of test scores. Do you see any conflict in criticizing such tests while saying it is ok for schools to use them to decide who can attend?
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Joe Nathan, I oppose privatization of public education. I oppose for-profit charters. I oppose racial segregation in public schools or anywhere else. I oppose charters with self-aggrandizing leaders who are paid outrageous salaries even though they are not educators. I like charters that recruit the students with the highest needs. There are too few of them. I support well-prepared teachers who choose teaching as their profession, not a pastime. I support public education.
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This story from today’s Minneapolis paper highlights another vital reform that I hope many of us agree on (and that some of us are working on)…high quality early childhood programs for students from low income and limited English speaking families. The story, linked below, describes a program to introduce suburban young children to “hands on” science. Sounds like a valuable program….something I’d hope all families could have access to. Of course, reactions welcome. http://newsle.com/article/0/57246252/
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Sorry, posted wrong link to the story about a suburban district creating a hands-on science program for 4 and 5 year olds. Here it is:
http://www.startribune.com/local/west/188615271.html
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Thank you Diane! I think there are very few charters who serve or will tolerate being inconvenienced by anyone who falls outside the scope of a certain criteria. If those students are accepted, and then they begin to show additional needs and require more resources, they are asked to leave.
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That was an interesting twisting of words Joe. I don’t believe that Diane agreeed with what you stated. However, it does deflate your argument when you use such a mechanism. In my experience with magnets, some have acedemic standards and some don’t. But all students have an equal opportunity to go and not be put out on a whim. Can charters say the same thing?
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