You have never seen the name Whitney Tilson on my blog
before now. Tilson is a hedge fund manager who is a major supporter
of KIPP, Teach for America, and Democrats for Education Reform. I
have heard that he has written unpleasant things about me, like
calling me a union shill. I avoid mentioning him as I see no value
in personalizing issues and I try not to become engaged in ad
hominem exchanges.
To my surprise, Tilson reached out to let me
know that he had written
a devastating critique of the online charter corporation
called K12. As a financier, he knows more about the business than I
could ever fathom. He wanted to let me know that we are in accord
that K12 delivers a poor quality of education.
I was glad to see a leader of this movement trying to clean out the Augean stables.
Also, I was gratified by his conciliatory action in writing me.
We have exchanged a few emails. At some point, we may meet. I have
never called him any names. Perhaps he will now stop questioning my
motives and recognize that I write with as much sincerity as he
does. He knows–perhaps he always knew–that I am financially
independent and had no reason to sell myself to the unions or
anyone else.
I support teachers’ unions, because I believe that
teachers need a collective voice, just as other groups
in society do (think: Chamber of Commerce,
AMA, ABA, DFER, Etc) I support unions, although I have never
belonged to one, because they protect the rights of working people
and help poor people enter the middle class. I believe the attacks
on unions—and their diminishing numbers— have contributed to
the growing income inequality in this country and the shrinking
middle class.
It is good to tone down the rhetoric. But I will not
waver in my belief that public education, democratically
controlled, is a pillar of a democratic society.
Nor will I compromise my conviction that those entering the education
profession must be well prepared for the hard work of their chosen
profession.
Nor will I abandon my opposition to the widespread
assumption that test scores are the best and only way–or even an
accurate way–to measure students, teachers, or schools.
Nor will I be persuaded that schools alone can end poverty, no matter what
their scores. Schools are part of the solution, but much more is
needed, meaning social and economic change. We will see where this
goes. I appreciate Tilson’s offer to reason together. I am all for
that. What he wrote about K12 is devastating. Everyone should read
it.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Any truth to the suggestion that Tilson plans on short selling K-12 stock and the worse he can make K-12 look the more he stands to profit? I hear he did ok shorting Netflix.
Exactly. Tilson is shorting K12 so it is to his benefit that the stock tanks. That was his recommendation at the Value Investing Conference.
http://www.marketfolly.com/2013/09/whitney-tilson-short-k12-value.html
So, wait..let me understand.
In short selling one wants the price of the stock to be “shorted” to drop, right?
Then, if this guy is publicly suggesting K12 stock be shorted, he seems to be using Diane to help drop the price of the stock so he or his investors can make money.
Have I got that right?
But it is all about the kids, right?
Talk about “a smash and grab disaster capitalist”.
Tilson published a stream of commentary over the weekend, as former allies still affiliated with K12 struck back against his move. You can see some of them here, without opening his execrable blog:
http://www.valuewalk.com/2013/09/whitney-tilson-k12-short-3/
Here are a couple of typical paragraphs.
“But what about my other friend’s comment that I “lost the moral high ground” when I shorted the stock and that I should have “stuck to [my] role as a reformer”? To answer this question, allow me to give you the timeline. I first shorted K12’s stock more than 16 months ago in May 2012, periodically added to the position over the next year, and haven’t traded in it at all since May of this year. As with most of my short positions, I didn’t disclose or discuss my K12 short position until two weeks ago.”
So, he started secretly shorting the stock, but held his piece in public. He says it was a sudden breakthrough in his own investigations that caused his public meltdown. Coincidentally, though, Reign of Error was released during the interval, and it became apparent that the jig was truly up. Tilson explains his “sudden” discovery:
“I struggle for words to describe my feelings about what I’ve found. Horrified doesn’t begin to express it. I already believed that K12 was doing some bad things – that’s why I was short the stock – but when I really started digging, I discovered that things were far worse than I’d realized: the student churn, the way the company increasingly targets the most at-risk kids even though it knows that nearly every one of them is sure to fail, the likely bilking of states via enrollment fraud, the way it effectively controls many of the nonprofits that have been granted charters and siphons all of the profits out of them, the buying of politicians, etc.”
Oh, dear. That really was a typo. I meant to write he held his peace, but instead I wrote “he held his piece in public”.
Sorry if the image disturbed anyone.
Maybe that Freudian slip occurred because “chemists only do it on the table periodically”.
One of the best summations of the need for unions (although in some cases internally reformed to be more of the solution) and for PUBLIC education, not business opportunity education. I am a community activist living in DC and have seen the negative effects of the Rhee regime.
Dear Diane, please watch your back with this guy. I’m very suspicious of his motives. Have some backup and ready access to the nearest exit in case his corporate fangs are bared.
Echoed. If this guy tells you he loves his mother, get verification.
If you follow the ongoing dialogue between Michael Petrilli and Deborah Meijer on “Building Bridges,” it’s probably clear that some folks with their feet squarely planted in the privatization world are not averse to making some conciliatory noises towards progressives. It should likely also be clear from that dialogue that there are few Diane Ravitches in this world. I don’t think Mr. Petrilli is a likely candidate for having a Road to Damascus moment, and I would be even more skeptical of that happening with Mr. Tilson, based on his track record.
Of course, it’s always wise to keep an open mind. My ability to suspend disbelief is generally a function of my sense of someone as a human being more than anything else. What is the emotional/ethical core of the person who is expressing views I may find objectionable? If my sense is that there is a person with heart and integrity who may simply be sincere, well-meaning, but mistaken, rather than cynical, mean-spirited, self-serving, and avaricious, it’s much easier for me to be open to finding common ground with someone or even finding a great deal of agreement in time.
It may be difficult for you, Diane, to stand outside your own recent history to compare what may (or may not) be happening with a Mike Petrilli or a Whit Tilson, and it’s certainly too soon to draw any definitive conclusions about the latter (I think Petrilli’s most recent entry on “Building Bridges” is, as Paul Thomas and some others have suggested, so egregiously insensitive and wrong-headed as to pretty much slam the door on his undergoing some sort of transformation as a thinker). It will be interesting to see if things are different with Mr. Tilson. I know of people who would express even greater skepticism about him (from what they’ve been writing for at least a couple of years) but I have no personal reason to rule out his being sincerely open. I will certainly be following the situation with interest.
TIlson stands to make big money on K-12 stock tanking by shorting it. He said he was doing so at the recent Value Investing Conference. http://www.marketfolly.com/2013/09/whitney-tilson-short-k12-value.html
So excuse me, but I AM questioning his motives for reaching out.
This Big Important Guy & his bffs at DFER have gotten really good at blaming the little guys (teachers, public schools) for failures in schools. DFER has defined all things ‘public’ experienced teacher, & ‘union teacher’ as inferior, lazy, greedy, old & tired. Research based arguments, as those made by Diane, that counters & questions their notions of school reform means ‘stale’, ‘the status-quo’ ‘low expectations’, ‘making excuses for failure’.
Seriously, it takes one HUGE ego to use Diane’s influence to bash a corporate reform entity that his group enabled into existence by setting up our entire public school system for failure and privatization.
Michael and JC, check out this exchange between Tilson and K12 backer Center for Education Reform.
http://scholasticadministrator.typepad.com/thisweekineducation/2013/10/update-charter-supporters-debate-online-behemoth-k12-inc.html
There’s a long exchange of acrimonious emails and articles going back and forth. The online charter forces are prepared to strike back, apparently. Tilson has been trying to keep doors open while the bridges burn.
Here’s Tilson’s intro to the exchange:
“I want to be clear that I think Jeanne and the Center for Education Reform do important and valuable work. As best I can tell, we’re allies on everything except online charters – which is why I’ve supported CER in the past! In fact, Jeanne reminded me that I haven’t donated in a couple of years, so I just donated $1,000 on CER’s web site. I wish I could make the gala next week – I’m sure it’ll be a lot of fun and many of my friends will be there.”
“My quarrel with Jeanne, beyond online charters, is the mocking and obnoxious tone of her articles and, most importantly, how she questioned my integrity. My reputation is my most valuable asset and when it’s wrongly questioned, I will forcefully correct the misinformation.”
This puppy is very sly, or very sick, or both. The meltdown may well be genuine.
Sometimes when my children are acting like fools, I ask “are you done yet?” With regard to these reform-y schemes that fail to produce better results…”are we done yet?”
Also, I wonder why few people mention the possibility of abuse in virtual charter school homes? Apparently, kids can go for a long time without checking in and nothing is done. This seems like a perfect scenario for the parent or guardian who wants to control a child and keep them away from regular contact with mandated reporters. I certainly don’t mean to impugn the families who use virtual charters!!! However, brick and mortar school buildings provide an essential guardian function for children because mandated reporters will come into contact with them everyday. Child abuse is often very subtle and when victims speak do out, they will do so to a trusted adult. There is no way a virtual charter can replicate that kind of contact. From class teachers, to principals, to special education teachers, to coaches, to other parents, there are many people who could help a child experiencing abuse at home. It has to be harder to reach children enrolled in virtual charters and, of course, child abusers look for loopholes where their abuse is more likely to go undetected.
For those who followed a previous letter of mine: “Why the Obsession with Test Scores“, you will find a repetition of many ideas but upon which expanded thoughts are presented. The “Obsession” piece was written as a letter to the editor which allowed only 300 words. Blogs have no such restriction.
Much of the following was written in response to John Merrow’s denigration of Dr. Ravitch. Time has elapsed, got sidetracked, but am inserting this now as it is believed the opinions expressed on Merrow also have a validity on others with similar views.
I do not profess to be a great writer. However, the following are some of the thoughts admittedly in a rather disjointed succession of ideas but gleaned over many years of successful teaching and observing closely the “debate” on education in the United States .
First: admittedly my knowledge of John Merrow is nil. Until his blog appeared here he was unknown to me. Perhaps he has studied the history of education in depth as has the acknowledged expert, Dr. Ravitch, in this area. Perhaps he has worked as a teacher for years in the public school arena, has the backing of educators everywhere, has done extensive research in this subject as has Dr. Ravitch etc. I do not know. He criticizes. Critics abound. Experts, less prevalent.
Quite frankly I do not care he thinks. What Dr. Ravitch has written thus far coincides with my experience in our public schools and over a half century watching what has happened TO education and the public schools. Whether one identifies a school as charter or other designation other than the public school does not matter to me as much as what is accomplished or not accomplished within the walls of that school.
Some of my thoughts. Questions rarely asked in the “educational” debate. When one wishes to build a great educational system what is the very foundation, the philosophy upon which that system is to be built? Without a firm foundation one builds on sand. How is education to be defined? Is it the search for ultimate truth, good, and beauty? Should it incorporate the values of humankind’s greatest thinkers: virtue, integrity, et al? Or is it to be based solely or even predominately on written test scores of politically selected academic subjects? Indeed are written test scores true evaluators of educational success? What yardsticks truly measure educational success? Is academic prowess alone synonymous with education or are there other items of equal or perhaps even greater importance?
Is the well being, indeed happiness of our citizens a worthy goal? Is an important part of education the love of learning? Is the grinding focus, yes boredom of continual focus on academics, excluding or diminishing complementary areas of human development developing that love of learning? Are teachers at their best when they are treated as second class citizens, are manacled, put into a cage or rather when they are treated with respect as professionals and allowed freedom to develop, to experiment, to be creative on their own? Is what is happening now engendering or hampering that creativity? Are supervisors there to help teachers develop or to shackle them with political impositions? Does that constriction on teachers carry down to how students react to that constriction, to that lack of creativeness on the part of teachers? Quo Vadis, where are we headed?
Do people, schools, children exist for government, for corporations or perhaps does government et al exist for children and for the 99%, perhaps 100%? How does one perceive our children; as widgets into whom we stuff government approved “facts”, to be subjects of those corporate CEOs or as human beings to be raised to their highest potential as human beings?
Indeed should educational goals and objectives be to acquire knowledge or for some semblance of wisdom?
Now, the Supreme Court has defined public schools, their very foundation, the reason for existing as promoting government agenda. I do not consider promoting government agenda, politics, as education. Promoting government, political, agenda which is what is happening now is not education in my book but about as fascist an idea as can be imagined. That along with being straight jacketed by political interference, debilitating creativity and I am very content that my retirement has gone into effect despite missing greatly the interaction with my students. The answer to whether education is to be placed in the hands of scholars and educators or politicians now has become obvious and for me a matter of grave concern.
What are the greatest problems of society now? Is it the lack of scientists and mathematicians or of honesty, integrity, virtue et at as pronounced by some of history’s best thinkers? That about 50% of marriages end in divorce? That 23% of our children live in poverty, that so many live in fear for their lives? Does, should, the school, education address these issues or just those items designated by those concerned with corporate ideals?
What and where should the focus of our schools be to build a superior society? Years ago when I was teaching well over a quarter of a century ago, a major problem, in an upper middle class community, it was believed that from 50% to 75% of our students cheated. With the emphasis primarily on passing tests it would seem that these percentages would not improve – to say the least. Is cheating something to promote?
Has our public school system helped build the U. S. into history’s great or even greatest country even without charter schools? And are people so much different now that we need to build a corporate ideal into the charter schools? Whether public or charter, what should be the best goals, objectives? There are so many unasked as well as unanswered questions in the turmoil surrounding education.
We in Indiana suffered from a state Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Bennett, who skewed the numbers to make charter schools, and his political career, look better. After leaving Indiana when he was ousted in Indiana elections, he went to Florida where he was compelled to resign after his shenanigans here became known. Only one of the political inanities endured by our educational system presently.
Insofar as I am aware charter schools, by whatever name, do no better overall, and oft times worse, than their public school counterparts. Societal problems confronting public schools also predominate in the charters.
For me, it is a matter of GREAT concern that the corporate mentality which led WITHIN HOURS of a worldwide cataclysmic financial breakdown is pushing its agenda within the “education” debate. Is that mentality so wise even in its own arena to evaluate our schools and to impose its will on our politicians? Whether it is the public schools or charters THIS SAME CORPORATE CEO mindset believes, in my judgment that IT has the answers, pushing for its agenda, supposing that there are some kind of magic bullets which if adopted will perpetuate the gains made by our indigenous school system. Sadly, in my view, if these corporate CEOs would get out of the way and let teachers teach and search as they, the teachers themselves have throughout our history for the best teaching techniques which work for the individual teacher and materials from scholars – not from groups with an agenda, corporations as well as society would benefit.
WHEN in the history of public education has there NOT been a push for new ideas, usually called fads, which sometimes work, oftentimes do not, and as Dr. Ravitch has so cogently pointed out, this latest is the worst fad of all in that this one has the potential of killing our public school system.
Public schools in my view have become the whipping boys for corporate and political agenda failure. Half a century ago when Sputnik went up, the schools were blamed for our failure to “keep up with the Russians”. When we put a man on the moon, with basically the same teachers and school systems, did schools get any credit? When Deming went to Detroit and tried to get them to put out a superior car, they sent him packing and he went to Japan, which listened. Japan made superior cars, Detroit faltered, went virtually bankrupt, our schools were again blamed. Obviously our schools were to blame for Detroit‘s failure. We absolutely must emulate the great Japanese schools. Children MUST be pushed academically throughout the day and evening. Forget about a childhood. Our economy demanded it. How long has Japan now suffered economic stagnation with their “superior” school system. How often now does one hear we must emulate their “superior” schools or that of the Russians. Indeed had we followed those people‘s advice to emulate these “great” schools where would we be now?
It has been said that the Japanese children who were pushed to their limit learned two things in these “superior” schools:
1. How to pass tests and 2. To hate school and learning. They had not learned the material, only how to put down on paper the answers to questions. It was, like now, ASSUMED that passing tests assured that they knew, understood the material. Educators understand that fallacy. CEOs and the general public do not. Passing written tests does not on its own guarantee an understanding of material, let alone developing thinking prowess.
When a “Nation at Risk” came out we, our administrators laughed; “pretty soon they will be having courses on how to pass tests“. No laughing matter now.
Dr. Bennett when he appeared here pushed a book by a Chinese immigrant which decried our “poor” school system. He seemingly had never read, let alone understood Dr. Ravitch’s book when I confronted him with its contents. How many Nobel prizes in any field, how many patents have the Chinese made in contrast to the U. S.? Important, even to our economy?
My view: there are instructors, teachers, and educators. Way too many educators as well as superior teachers and perhaps even the instructors are it seems to me leaving the field, or at the very least, disgruntled, worn out by the political machinations of people who have never been there, done that, but think that they have the answers, impose their will, cage teachers in with their impositions on time on task, demolishing individual creativity, and other impositions.
For me the matter goes beyond this even. Am now in the process of reading “Why Nations Fail”, an expose’ of nations and tribes from earliest history to the present throughout the world and the reasons for their failure. It is an in depth, scholarly approach to the causes leading to the demise of nations. Would highly recommend it to get perspective on what happens to a nation and its people when a select few accumulate wealth and power disproportionately and to the exclusion of the rest of that nation. Couple that understanding with the power that is being brought to bear on our public education system and admittedly, for me it is frightening.
Reiterating, education throughout the centuries was the SEARCH FOR ultimate values: good, truth, beauty. At the forefront too was HUMAN development: virtue, integrity, love etc etc. Education was studying, understanding humankinds greatest minds, thoughts, attempting to emulate humankinds greatest teachers.
Corporate CEOs have accumulated wealth and power, ergo, they must be superior and they have the answers. Answers, in my view on how to further accumulate and keep their vast wealth and keep the rest of us, in my view subservient. Five corporations now control 80% of the “news” – the other educative force – upon which Americans depend. If corporate idealized charter schools supplant the public schools? If “Why Nations Fail” is accurate – TRAGIC.
“Now, the Supreme Court has defined public schools, their very foundation, the reason for existing as promoting government agenda.”
Citation and quote please!
Thanks in advance!
My problem with it is that they knew or should have known about the huge problems with cybercharters for years.
Ohio cybercharters have always had a terrible reputation. Always. For more than a decade now. Nothing was done. In fact, they moved briskly to “blended learning” which they are now ALL pushing.
A cybercharter operator in Pennsylvania was indicted, and all of a sudden there’s broad agreement that we need more regulation. I mean, come on. These folks are selling this stuff. Do they not know what they’re selling?
I have an 11 year old. I cannot trust reckless people to run public education. Why the rush? Why is there never an evaluation of these “innovations” on a small scale? Is there some reason we have to find out there are huge problems only when the Justice Department indicts? Where was the Department of Education? They have an inspector general.
Given what they now know about cybercharters, would they agree that they may want to go slowly on “blended learning”? Can they resist the urge to over-hype these products and regain some trust and credibility?
They haven’t earned my trust. I’ll continue to turn to local people for straight analysis on what are proven methods and processes for public schools.
Do they know no one has any faith in these teacher evaluation systems? Again, why not start small, with one state, before pushing them as a national policy?
Honestly, I think it’s such a red flag for bad management when there’s no attempt at “buy in” on the local level. I cannot get over the fact that this is how poor managers behave, with directives and bullying. Why would they put in a teacher evaluation system over the objections of teachers? That will fail.
“I have an 11 year old. I cannot trust reckless people to run public education.”
Exactly. By the time they get their acts together, a whole generation of students will have moved through the system. If we are lucky! Policy change works at a glacial place while childhood is so short.
I would just re-iterate my objection to the hard sell of blended learning. Given that cybercharters were sold hard and expanded for more than a decade before anyone at the elite levels of “reform” noticed what was going on in these “flyover” states (like mine) can I trust reformers to use “blended learning” responsibly and carefully?
Why would I? Have they done anything to earn trust?
Because my fear is that it’s cheaper, and people in places like where I live are going to have 60 to 1 student-teacher ratios sold to us as “innovation”, with absolutely no small-scale trials or study. I read the account of the teacher in the newest for-profit “blended learning” facility in NJ and she knew she was doing those kids a disservice. Does that give ANYONE pause, or is it just full speed ahead towards my 11 year old?
I also read the statements of what sound like industry-captured lawmakers in PA pushing “blended learning” and their rationale is ridiculous. Sixth graders need “practice” in online learning so they can take online college courses in 6 years? What? That’s a crazy thing to say.
Tilson summarized many things but failed to come out and say the most important one, though it was intimated in statements like “K12’s founder, Knowledge Universe” and in footnotes, which is that junk bonds and securities fraud felon Mike Milken is the founder of Knowledge Universe and behind the K12 scheme. Little wonder there would be unethical and fraudulent practices going on at K12. Anyone notice the graph documenting insider selling?
Footnote: “Source: Education According to Mike Milken, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, 6/2/11,”
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_24/b4232076996440.htm
Where are the feds? (This guy is a Republican, so don’t say the current administration doesn’t protect corporations on both sides of the aisle.)
I don’t know where the feds are either. It’s tens of millions in federal funds. It’s a great question. The one and only reason they went after the PA cybercharter operator was because they had no choice. One of his criminal associates actually became a whistleblower. Had they NOT gone after him at that point, THAT would raise eyebrows, just the omission.
“junk bonds and securities fraud felon Mike Milken is the founder of Knowledge Universe”
wow.
http://citypaper.net/article.php?Wealthy-donors-move-schools-decision-making-behind-closed-doors-16332
I think it’s refreshing they’re now admitting they intend to completely replace public schools with “chartering”.
Incredible. Parents and the public will have absolutely no input into the privatization of Philadelphia’s public schools. Just wealthy donors and selected, paid “reform” group employees.
They’ve even barred the media, which I suppose they can do, although that might be problematic if they’ve actually invited an elected official. We won’t know because none of us donated 50,000 dollars, which is the price of a ticket.
As the “miracles” of the so-called reformers are exposed as lies, as the premises of their project crumble, they need to pretend they are not the greed and will-to-power driven ideologues the are.
Diane, my guess is that this is a tactical move on his part, to try and get some of your reflected respect, and appear to be something other than a smash and grab disaster capitalist.
Yes it is that, Michael. And something more. Quoting Tilson here:
“I’m embarrassed by my own ignorance and silence on this issue, so I’m determined to make up for this by using my bully pulpit to get the word out to my fellow reformers that we need to immediately end our collective silence for two reasons:”
“1) It is morally unconscionable and rank hypocrisy to say we care about kids and fight for every child to get a high-quality education – yet fail to recognize and act when bad actors in our movement lure more and more kids into schools to which they are completely ill-suited, where students are almost certain to fail and suffer a major educational setback; and”
“2) K12 and its ilk are giving the entire reform movement a bad name. They have cleverly positioned themselves as champions of charter schools, parental choice, and blended learning, with the result that their terrible schools and various bad acts give our enemies endless fodder to attack us and drag us all down.”
Tilson represents a more disciplined and PR-attuned strain of so-called education reform. He has a long term, systemic view of capital accumulation in “the education space.” K-12, co-founded by convicted felon Michael Milken, seems to be much more about grabbing everything it can all at once.
Tilson is an intelligent man, and his (questionable, in my opinion) mea culpa (“I’m embrarassed by my own ignorance…”) combined with a clarion call to the ostensibly legit members of his “movement,” tries to deflect attention from what the so-called reformers fundamentally are: usurpers of democratic rights and plunderers of public goods.
Once he saw the jig is up, he went public to “cut the cancer” out of his own movement. The cancer is richly vascularized, though, throughout the whole power apparatus, and there is gonna be a lot of figurative bloodshed from both DFER and the Jeb Bush axis. The bipartisan consensus is over.
Tilson’s six reasons why he fell into supporting K12 all this time are all chock-full of pitiful anti-union ranting and self-justification, indicating a distressing level of emotional vulnerability. All your points are true, Michael, but keep your eyes wide. You don’t see this kind of drama often.
I agree, and if nothing else it’s a pleasure to watch the hyenas turn on each other.
People should not fall for this new corporate “reform” tactic of discrediting for-profit charters, when there is so much graft going on at the non-profits as well, such as at Options in DC and UNO in Chicago…
To me, it is amazing how these people think! Tilson speaks how basically k12 sucks and that he would not invest but nowhere does he mention how k12 is ruining students lives with a wasted education. These young lives only get to go through it once
I have no idea how you could have read that presentation and come away with the conclusion that Tilson doesn’t think K-12 is harming its students. And taking what I imagine is a very large short position in K-12 is the quicket and most efficient way to get it to change, restructure, or go out of business.
Yeah, he goes on about the 100,000 kids for a paragraph, before he gets to the real problem that it makes him look like the scum he’s been, for having contributed to it. He’ll be vulnerable to attack, he knows, so he has set out to deflect that. He explains the whole thing.
Remarkable.
He may be right about what K12 is doing but that’s not exactly rocket science. I can’t say that I trust this guy. I am worried that some of these ed reform people are going to want to cozy up now that that book is out. But I just don’t trust them. It seems like all they have wanted to do in the past is to crush us and now they suddenly want to talk??? Why do they all of a sudden want to find a middle ground? I hope he’s sincere, but he would have to do more than give a presentation and send Diane an e-mail for me to believe so. I liked the post, but don’t budge an inch Diane.
With this from Tilson, I see corporate “reformers” from KIPP and TFA as bringing out the big guns, proffering their version of middle ground. What is proposed is the contention that for-profit charters are the problem, while non-profits are supposed to be seen as middle ground. No surprise there, since Diane cogently stated in her book there should be no for-profit schools.
However, many non-profit charters have very serious issues as well, such as outrageously high six figure salaries for non-educator executives and siphoning off funds in no-bid contracts and jobs for family and friends, as well as to for-profit shells, including in states that don’t permit charters to be for-profit.
Most importantly, one of KIPP’s founders, Dave Levin, recently described what they do at KIPP and similar non-profit charters as the “messy middle,” and that is all about drill sergeant teachers who implement military style pedagogy and discipline for poor African American and Hispanic children, in highly segregated schools.
There is absolutely nothing middle of the road about boot camps for poor children of color –which are more like prisons and chain gangs for criminals than schools. No civil rights advocate should capitulate on this critical matter!
When “corporate reformers” begin to create boot camps for higher income kids in the suburbs, more people are likely to realize that publicly funding schools such as these is a serious human rights matter. Since charter expansion into the suburbs is part of the business plan to privatize public education, as seen right now in the testing ground of Douglas County, CO, we really need to start heading them off at the pass by vehemently rejecting this proposed “middle” ground.
Yes, that term “messy middle” has suddenly emerged as a buzz phrase, probably concocted by some PR/branding/political consulting firm.
Think of what the phrase connotes: first, that these people are in the “center” – midpoint between those kooky Tea Party and loony Left opponents of the CCSS – rather than the radical hijackers of a public resource they are.
Second, the “messy” part suggests that there are substantive differences among them, when in fact they move in coordinated lockstep to impose high stakes exams, teacher evaluations based on those exams, bust the unions, expand charter schools and (depending on the location) vouchers, with the endgame being the destruction of the locally controlled neighborhood public school, and its replacement by publicly-funded, privately-controlled fiefdoms.
While I am presuming, I would guess that the owner of this blog appreciates the cautions people are raising.
I am also guessing that she has anticipated any possible dangers of finding herself morally compromised by following her own advice—by not asking people to blindly trust her and by employing the very powerful weapon of transparency in a public forum to hold all parties responsible for their words and actions.
As a side note: Congressman Jared Polis and hedge fund manager Whitney Tilson reaching out to Diane Ravitch is an unmistakeable sign that the beginning of the end has started.
Lastly, I wouldn’t worry about Diane letting herself getting sidetracked and bamboozled by slick talking edupreneurs. She’s already proved invulnerable to what cagebusters think are irresistible blandishments. For example, she refused to be a prop in the $chmooze-fest called Education Nation. She got the invite in the first instance because they thought all she wanted (like most of the featured participants) was to push her latest ‘product’ or ‘big new initiative.’ They haven’t a clue that intrinsic motivations (like a “better education for all”) drive her, not extrinsic motivators like $tudent $ucce$$.
She is as much of an enigma to them as Mark Twain’s succinct adage:
“Be careless in your dress if you will, but keep a tidy soul.”
It’s all a question of priorities. She’s got the right ones…
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