Nearly half the superintendents in the state of Tennessee took the unusual step of signing a letter in opposition to State Commissioner Kevin Huffman. They were clearly frustrated by Huffman’s arrogant style of leadership. Huffman was chosen to be state commissioner even though he has only three years of experience as a teacher in Teach for America and no administrative experience. When he was hired, he was in charge of communications for TFA.
Superintendents felt that Huffman was rushing his changes without bothering to consult them. Teachers, they said, felt “voiceless and powerless.” Governor Haslam defended Huffman.
The letter says Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman’s office “has no interest in a dialogue” with local school leaders, and adds that superintendents’ efforts to improve their schools are being thwarted by low teacher morale because of policy changes on the state level.
“It has become obvious to the signees that our efforts to acquire a voice within this administration is futile,” according to the petition. The author of the letter said “his concerns were sparked when Huffman and the Haslam administration last decided to withhold $3.4 million in state education funding from Nashville over its school board’s refusal to authorize a charter school.”
To say the least, it is unusual for local superintendents to speak out against the state commissioner. Huffman’s autocratic, dictatorial decision-making is causing unrest among not only superintendents and teachers, but parents as well, who created a Facebook page calling for Huffman’s ouster.
If the rebellion grows, Huffman may make Haslam a one-term governor.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
From one of the articles: “Haslam on Wednesday reaffirmed his confidence in Huffman and pointed to test scores that indicate Tennessee students are achieving more than they ever have.”
HA HA HEH HEH HEH HEH HA HA AH HA HA HA HA AD INFINITUM.
Shows just how little Haslam knows about the teaching and learning process. What a joke, unfortunately the joke is ultimately on the children of TN.
Well, you know, when I read Jimmy Carter’s White House Diaries I was stunned to read that he wanted to establish the DOE so long as teachers were not involved.
I think this sentiment goes way back. Somehow we are an inconvenience to broad measures in education, and yet we are the ones expected to make them happen.
Is it because teachers were largely women in the 70s? Was Carter being sorta discriminatory? Is this like the doctor I babysat for growing up who wanted his wife home and then had expectations of when dinner would be on the table, etc? It seems to be the mindset that teachers are like the stay at home mom who is told what to wear, how to operate the home, what to prepare for meals, etc and she should be thankful for that opportunity and be quiet and do her work. Is the “Yessir. . .Yessir I’ll go fetch your slippers now. Here’s your brandy. here’s your cigar. What else can I do for ya sir?” mentality at play?
“Is it because teachers were largely women in the 70s?”
Not really because in the 70s the percent of female k-12 teachers was around 61% and now that figure stands around 75%.
OK, so it wasn’t a Mars Venus thing for Carter. So what was it?
Why have teachers been considered a nuisance since the establishment of the DOE (in the 70s) ?
For those who did not already know…
Huffman is the ex-husband of fellow TFA alum
and fellow corporate reformist Michelle Rhee,
with whom she has two children…
… though strangely, Huffman has full custody of
the children, and they live with him in Tennessee,
and not with Rhee and her husband, Kevin
Johnson, in Sacramento where Johnson is the
mayor.
Since Rhee is married to pedophile, it’s fortunate the children are living with the father.
Students in Tennessee are not so fortunate, however.
I am delighted and surprised to see that there really are TN Directors of Schools out there who are standing up for what is right. As I said in a previous post, I was disgusted by the rollover that occurred upon Mr. Huffman’s arrival by our state’s district leaders. I noticed in the Nashville Scene article that the TOSS organization still gives support to Huffman (Of course they would. This is not a real organization of superintendents at all – just another arm of DOE that siphons money from school districts for dues). As Director of the Clarksville Montgomery County School System, I wish I had been more vocal before my retirement, but sensed the danger of retaliation that might hurt my district, and, yes, my career. I regret that. I openly and fully support this group of superintendents, and stand beside them in any way I can, though I am late in this effort.
I still believe that TSBA must change its tune as well. If you speak for School Boards, you can’t possibly support what is happening to Tennessee by the state DOE. That organization better wake up and decide what side of the bread is buttered for them. All organizations in Tennessee must work to insure large, corporate interests do not continue to make profits more important than real reform that enhances quality education. Michael Harris
Retired TN Supt: thank you for speaking up.
Some may criticize your previous inaction—and rightly so—but “better late than never” is a lot better than “never.”
Who knows? Someone on the fence might read your posting and decide that s/he can no longer remain silent and compliant.
And that person might make all the difference.
Keep posting.
🙂
Well to atone for your sins I hope that you are actively contacting any and all politicians, superintendents and whoever else will listen to counteract the deformers narrative. Your voice as a retired superintendent carries much more weight than we peon teachers and you now don’t have to worry about repercussions.
Duane
I am making those contacts you suggest. Thanks. Teachers are not peons in this effort, but have the power of voting bloc and respect of family and friends. They can make a difference without a union, which here in TN is not viewed well at all anyway. Teachers and principals: use your connections to change TN direction in education. People will listen to you.
And I say thanks to you for doing so!!!
Huffman forced me to retire from the DOE as I didn’t see things his way and was vocal (probably) to the wrong person. I was in special education for 34 years–18 in 2 school districts and the last 16 at the DOE–and I was very proud of all the work we did in the DOE. It’s like Huffman came in was a wrecking ball and he is still swinging. It is so sad–most of my colleagues from the Division of Special Ed have either been ‘RIFFED’ (Reduction in Force) or have chosen to retire or moved on to a school district. I know of numerous teachers, school psychologists, and supervisors in the LEAs who have retired earlier than they had planned. I am fearful for our teachers and students. Education should not be privatized! Thanks for speaking up. That seems to be all I do these days.
Ann Sanders-Eakes
This is sort of a replay from what happened in Virginia after George “Macaca” Allen was elected governor in 1993. Allen promptly appointed Bill Bosher as state superintendent, and the state got “new” Virginia Standards of Learning – which were in large part crafted by a conservative panel appointed by Allen called the Champion Schools Commission – and a rash of testing for the express purpose of “accountability.”
To see just what a tool Allen was even then, here are his remarks to an American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) “leadership summit” held in Richmond in 1995:
Click to access George_Allen_10th_Amendment.pdf
This was the head of the Virginia Board of Education at the time of the “new” standards testing adoption, appointed by Allen (she started the conservative Clare Booth Luce Policy Institute):
http://www.cblpi.org/about/bio.cfm?ID=9&Type=staff
And this was one of the major operators on the Champion Schools Commission, who was promoted to the Board of Education by Allen, and who is also at the Clare Boot Luce Institute:
http://www.cblpi.org/about/bio.cfm?ID=7&Type=staff
This was also one of Allen’s Champion Schools Commission members:
http://marriottschool.byu.edu/advisoryboard/detail.cfm?mem=1652&group=4
And there’s this (“Value-Added Accountability”), written by a Champions Schools Commission member who now passes himself off as a “systems analyst” professor:
Click to access value_add_ex_sum.pdf
All of this was occurring in the early 1990s. There were people who cried foul, who said there was no research to back up any of it, who were opposed to conservative ideology being foisted onto the public school system. Those who did so inside of the Department of Education were purged.
Because it wasn’t really about education at all.
And still isn’t. Now those who inject conservative thought are purged, eh?
It’s time for all of the Districts to come together and fight. The “reform” movement has lost credibility on the national level and the people of TN can defeat the movement in the state. If the Superintendents of each district came together they could easily win the fight.
Let’s hear it for these Tenn. Supts. who have not been infected with the Huffman/Rhee/Broad virus.
Are there educators anywhere who do not live in the culture of fear from retaliation?
“If the rebellion grows, Huffman may make Haslam a one-term governor.”
Excellent point. May one reformer’s idiocy take another down!
I won’t be voting for Haslam because of Huffman.
May Huffman do for Haslam what Rhee did for Fenty….countdown starts now…both of you….your days are numbered!
These superintendents need the support of Tennessee parents!!
The island of Elba called, unfilled opening for arrogant leader. Huffman? Bennett?
The lessons of Bloomberg and Fenty should be clear. The public does not want to participate in the destruction of their public schools and the monetizing of their children.
Over 1700 signatures of TN residents to get rid of Huffman: http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-hurting-our-schools-remove-kevin-huffman-as-the-appointed-tn-commissioner-of-education
change.org…hmmm–not sure if they aren’t still counting petition-signers as members of StudentsFirst (including Diane!). Wouldn’t that be ironic?
(I still don’t trust them!)
& to Retired Tn Supt.–good for you! I think it behooves retired educators to speak out & take action–we can do that, as we’re not tied up in any system whereby we might suffer some severe punishment. As I’ve mentioned here before, a wonderful group of retirees in Rockford, IL were instrumental in getting rid of that district’s Broad superintendent. We have the knowledge & the experience to do what must be done, and what many active teachers cannot do. Prior to the CTU strike, retired teachers came forward to help with the newer teachers as to what striking entails, best choices for them, etc.
Every educator who’s retired out there–this is by far the most important, meaningful volunteer work you can do.
Help actives help their students by speaking out–loud & often.
Yes, WE can. And we WILL.
As much as these petitions are a good thing, a better thing is to organize and protest. Speak with your legislators and tell them you cannot support this. PAA-Florida defeated Jeb’s takeover of public education by rallying. Signatures are nice, but faces are better.
How far off are gubernatorial elections? You know, even though Huffman can’t be recalled/impeached (appointed), Haslam can be–and SHOULD be, on the grounds that he has allowed the children (& adult educators) in the state to be abused repeatedly. How about making this the first state in the nation to have DCFS file charges against the governor and his education commissioner?
In IL schools (according to IL School Code), personnel are mandated to report child abuse within 24 hours. (In fact–gives me an idea…)
Don’t take orders from Huffman, TAKE OVER like our Mexican brothers and sisters!
http://news.yahoo.com/thousands-teachers-protest-mexico-education-law-051009845.html
Communist teacher you love that video.
Fenty’s replacement was not any better and I am hoping a de Blasio win will not be a blindside the way Obama did when he had Duncan waiting in the wings.
It took me a while to realize this but Arne Duncan is a huge blemish on the Obama administration. The award of $500,000,000 to TN for Race to the Top has been an albatross. The requirements for receipt of this award fit the Republicans’ agenda towards privatizing our public schools (charter schools.) Arne has actually praised TN for what is going on here.
Of course he has…that is his sole purpose…although we all know his government title…he is the Manchurian candidate selected by Gates and Broad and he is the Privatizer in Chief.
Good for the Tennessee Superintendents! I hope that they get all the support that they need for parents and anyone else who can help them.
Alabamians need to wake up and pay attention to what is going on with the newly formed BEA (Business and Education Alliance of Alabama) reform group headed by former Representative Jay Love and former State Superintendent Joe Morton. The article that I read in today’s (9/13/13) printed edition of the Press Register states that they plan to work to get approval to open charter schools in Alabama. It Is sad that the State Superintendent would do something to cause harm to the schools that he once supported. The article is titled “Business, Education Must Work Together, Not Apart” and is on the Opinion page. It is a Guest Opinion, written by Joe Morton and Jay Love.
I’m sure it can be found on the on-line news… AL.com
Part 1
Tennessee’s Republican governor Bill Haslam said, in hiring Kevin Huffman, that “I put a special effort into finding the right fit for Education Commissioner.” Given what Haslam and the Republican-controlled legislature intend to do, Haslam made sure he got a flack that supports corporate-style “reform.” Indeed, Huffman’s support for charter schools, vouchers, longer school days and years, more testing, merit pay, and his penchant for twisting and distorting the truth, offer some clues as to why Haslam hired him.
Kevin Huffman’s “keys to a successful education system” are eerily similar to
those advocated by the editorial nimrods at The Washington Post: more charter schools, better standardized test scores, and performance pay for teachers. These kinds of reform are touted also by corporate groups like the Chamber of
Commerce and the Business Roundtable, who claim that American economic
competitiveness is inextricably tied to student achievement. But research shows that charter schools are no better – and often worse – than traditional public schools. Standardized test scores typically measure family income and too often assess low-level cognition. And performance pay has a long track record that is anything but enviable.
Despite what critics claim, American public education is pretty darned good. The Sandia report (Journal of Educational Research, May/June, 1993) showed that much of the hysteria spread by A Nation at Risk, the Reagan-era polemic that spawned decades of education “reform” by claiming a “rising tide of mediocrity”
threatened the country, was simply unfounded. However, Huffman believes the
hype (“our test scores trail those of other industrialized nations,” he
says) and relies almost exclusively on PISA (Programme for International
Student Assessment) test scores to make his case. So does Eric Hanushek – a conservative economist Huffman likes to cite – who calls PISA scores “early-warning signals for later economic welfare” (Education Week, Feb. 2005).
PISA tests 15-year-olds. There is argument about what PISA really
measures. There are criticisms of its methodology. Stefan Hopmann and
Gertrude Brinek of the University of Vienna observe that much of PISA’s
methodology remains secret and they “question if some basic elements of
PISA are done well enough to carry the weight of, e.g., comparative league
tables or of in-depth analyses of weaknesses of educational systems.”
Part 2
What does seem clear is that PISA seems to assess poverty and other
socioeconomic factors that influence education. According to UNICEF, the
U.S. has a child poverty rate of more than 22 percent, much higher (in some cases more than double) than the rate in other developed nations.
See: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/04/15/map-how-35-countries-compare-on-child-poverty-the-u-s-is-ranked-34th/
Public education critics whine about declining “economic competitiveness.” But the United States is consistently ranked as the most (or one of the
most) economically competitive nations in the world. In its latest
rankings, the World Economic Forum placed Switzerland first, and “the
United States falls one place to second position, with weakening in its
financial markets and macroeconomic stability.” No one can legitimately
lay the Great Recession on the schools and student test scores. Nor have
school leaders and teachers been responsible for the shipment of millions
of manufacturing jobs offshore. Nor did American 15-year-old students vote
for unfunded tax cuts –directed primarily at corporations and the
already-wealthy – that helped to cause massive federal deficits.
Huffman and his brethren argue for performance pay that is
tied to test scores. Huffman seems to think that a lack of such connection
will “inhibit innovation.” But that’s not true. A good place to start on
performance pay is Jeffrey Pfeffer’s March 8, 2007 testimony to Congress on
performance pay (in short: it doesn’t work). Does anyone following the
reports on the bonuses soon to be paid to bankers in the wake of the
financial meltdown really believe that they deserve them? That their
performance – tied to taxpayer bailouts and nearly-free money from the
Federal Reserve – warrants it? There are some who might claim that
derivatives and credit default swaps – complex instruments pioneered by
Wall Street were” innovative.” No doubt they were created by “smart,”
well-educated people. But the economic harm they inflicted has done more
to undermine American stability and competitiveness than anything the cooks
can be saddled with. Want innovation in schools? Perhaps a replication of
the Eight-Year Study, published in 1942, is in order. Breaking away from
the corporate, behavioral model can (and did in that study) lead to
improved results. The students in the thirty nontraditional schools the
Eight-Year Study followed performed, overall, better than those in
traditional college-prep schools and “proved that many different forms of
secondary curricular design can ensure college success and that the high
school need not be chained to a college preparatory curriculum.”
Most of the jobs in the near future (the next decade) are predicted to be
in the service sector. They do not require college educations. It’s clear
that our nation – and the nations of the world – face serious problems. We
need to educate for responsible democratic citizenship, for moral and
ethical development and growth, and we need to teach students to think
critically and reflectively. Test scores are diagnostic barometers, not
end results and certainly not measures of a nation’s economic future.
Can public education be improved? Certainly. But let us focus on programs and policies and practices are well-grounded in research, that promote personal, social, and moral growth and development, and that emphasize civic commitment and responsibility.