The New York State Education Department is governed by the New York Board of Regents, which oversees education and professional certification in every field.
The Regents have recently come to rely on a small group called the Regents Research Fellows to develop policy and curriculum. This group is privately funded.
Reporter James M. Odato at the Albany Times-Union described this shadow operation:
Odato writes:
A team of two dozen well-paid analysts embedded in the State Education Department is having a dramatic impact on a reform agenda that’s causing controversy throughout New York.
None are public servants.
Supported with $19 million in donations from some of the nation’s wealthiest philanthropists, the Regents Research Fund team makes up a little-known think tank within the education agency. It is helping drive reforms that affect the state’s 3.1 million public school students and employees of almost 700 school districts.
The three-year-old operation, which now comprises 27 full-time staffers and a half-time intern, is unique in public education systems nationwide.
The group is an institute charged with helping the state Board of Regents and Education Commissioner John B. King Jr. find ways to improve student performance and ensure graduates are ready for college or careers.
Barely heard of outside education circles and a mystery even within them, the “Regent fellows” are paid from entities such as the Gates Foundation and some salaries approach $200,000 a year. The arrangement is stirring concern in some quarters that deep-pocketed pedagogues are forcing their reform philosophies on an unwitting populace, and making an end run around government officers.
“We’re a public education system,” said Carol Burris, principal of South Side High School in Long Island’s Rockville Centre. “Having the wealthy pay for it, you’re seeing an agenda that is being pushed … at a rapid pace, and outside the system of public accountability.”
Their responsibilities are extensive:
The fellows have been involved in mapping teacher and principal evaluations, redoing student exams and working through the state’s implementation of the Common Core standards — reforms that have moved with a speed that many parents and teachers across the state have protested as hasty and harsh.
Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan, D-Queens, chairwoman of the chamber’s Education Committee (which appoints the Regents), said she can’t explain what the RRF does. “I don’t know anything about it,” Nolan said.
Dennis Tompkins, King’s communications director, said the fellows offer unique skills and expertise. “They’re like rock stars,” he said, adding that without their help “we would be struggling.”
Burris, named the 2013 Principal of the year by the state School Administrators Association and the National Association of Secondary School Principals, calls the fellows agents of destructive policies. She and other question who they are serving — the Board of Regents, or the wealthy patricians who pay the fellows’ salaries.
Some educators have complained:
Many administrators say the fellows don’t listen to comments from the field, and act as de facto representatives of the state agency. “It is unsettling to watch the dismantling of public education by inexperienced employees hired from a special fund,” said Katie Zahedi, a middle school principal in Red Hook. “The fellows have taken the work out of the hands of appropriately hired, official NYSED employees and are acting as policy entrepreneurs.”
The Fellows are well compensated, with salaries near $200,000 each.
This is how it was reported when it began.
So many questions: In what way is this group transparent and accountable? Is it ethical to turn major public policy issues over to a group that operates outside the purview of government?
“Rock stars?” Seriously? Look into the “credentials” of these Fellows – if you can. Not one an educator in the true sense of the word. Lackeys for Tisch and company.
Here is a little more history on the RRF:
Regents Research fellows supplement a school reform agenda
http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/200173/regents-research-fellows-supplement-a-school-reform-agenda/
Regents Pay a Political Price for Their Free Advisers, Dissenters Warn
It’s called private government, paid for by private sources, in service of private interests.
All the more proof, as if it were needed, that so-called education reform is a literal racket. If we had a government that was not captive of these private interests, we’d be seeing racketeering indictments by this time.
Instead, it’s the blond leading the blond in the name of “The Civil Rights Issue of Our Time,” while the public sector and Commons are looted beyond repair.
First line of your post says it all. Not exactly democracy.
Yes, It’s called Fascism! Classic Case you all have in NY.
“College and careers” is too narrow a focus for education. It should be part of what is offered, but to limit the scope of schooling to that is short-sighted. To me it might instill the idea, for women who already know their goal is to stay home (I was just hearing about a group of Roma-type folks in South Carolina who betrothe their children very early) that they do not need school; or those who want to join the military might not see their intended career path as related. . .it is just far too specific a focus. I think the focus of schooling should encompass those attributes (of preparing students for college and career), but should also have an appeal to just having an educated citizenry (which should be the hallmark of any school mission).
My school lost a kindergartner a few weeks ago; she was hit by a car. Her school career lasted just shy of three months. Is it to be viewed that she gained nothing from school because her life was cut short before career and college were part of it? Certainly not. College and career should not be the mortar of the zeal for education (to quote a banker). In fact, those who have narrowed it down to that so that they can possibly cloak other actions in their “philanthropic” efforts might not realize that this limited scope is their tell. In fact, behind every person who espouses disingenuity, there is a tell (you play poker, you learn to recognize someone’s tell). In my opinion “career and college ready” is the tell.
Another revelation about what has been happening out of sight and out of public awareness and scrutiny and I am again struck by the similarities to what Naomi Klein has described in her book, The Shock Doctrine – The Rise of Disaster Capitalism.
“All these incarnations share a commitment to the policy trinity – the elimination of the public sphere, total liberation for corporations and skeletal social spending – but none of the various names for the ideology seem quite adequate. . . . In every country where Chicago School policies have been applied over the past three decades, what has emerged is a powerful ruling alliance between a few very large corporations and a class of mostly wealthy politicians – with hazy and ever-shifting lines between the two groups. . . . Far from freeing the market from the state, these political and corporate elites have simply merged, trading favors to secure the right to appropriate precious resources previously held in the public domain. . . . A more accurate term for a system that erases the boundaries between Big Government and Big Business in not liberal, conservative or capitalist but corporatist.” (p18)
“Wherever it has emerged over the past thirty-five years, from Santiago to Moscow to Beijing to Bush’s Washington, the alliance between a small corporate elite and a right-wing government has been written off as some sort of aberration – mafia capitalism, oligarchy capitalism and now, under Bush, “crony capitalism.” But it’s not an aberration; it is where the entire Chicago School crusade – with its triple obsessions – privitization, deregulation and union-busting – has been leading.” (p399)
I would contend that as it is now being applied to education, it is our most precious resource that is at risk – our children!
Yikes! Profoundly troubling and disturbing. Next up for our court systems? Star chambers?
‘Those donors include Bill Gates ($892,000), who is leading the charge to evaluate teachers, principals and schools using students’ test scores; the National Association of Charter School Authorizers ($50,000) and the Robbins Foundation ($500,000), which finance charter expansion; and the Tortora Sillcox Family Foundation ($500,000), whose mission statement includes advancing “Mayor Bloomberg’s school reform agenda.”
Mr. Bloomberg and Mr. Gates are expert at using philanthropy in a way that pressures government to follow their public policy agendas.’
Once again, the kids in existing public schools are not represented at the table. It’s not hard to figure out how public schools keep getting hurt by “reform.” They have no advocate on these various commissions and boards.
Let’s not forget Merryl Tisch, Regents Chancellor was one of the first donors. Conflict of interest at the very least, bribery, educational malpractice?? She needs to go to jail in my opinion.
The willful blindness is just amazing to me.
People really believe these are “gifts”? That these wealthy donors don’t have an agenda?
Gates gave a million dollars to a public high school in Toledo in 2005. In return for that “donation”, they basically turned the school over to him.
A million dollars isn’t even a lot of money for a big public high school. It takes a lot more than that to run one. Why would political leaders sell out so cheap? If he pays their mortgage, would they give him their kids to raise? Why are they incapable of saying “no”?
Dennis Tompkins quote about these people being like “Rock Stars” tells this current education reform’s story in a nutshell. Teachers do not dedicate their heart and soul to this profession for fame or glory, and we certainly do not do it for the big bucks. Their agenda spells it out for the public time and time again that money and power trumps the best interest of our children. Furthermore, I do not compare what I do every day in my 4th grade classroom to what Bruce Springsteen does every night on stage (although some nights I feel just as exhausted as he probably does after a 35 song setlist).
I can’t take it. Does this onion ever get to its core? So, “Tisch wears a second hat: donor. A philanthropic fund named for Tisch and her husband, real estate developer James Tisch, has donated $1 million to the Regents Research Fund to sponsor Fellows.” http://www.nyssba.org/index.php?src=news&refno=1605&category=On. And “Six of the 11 have never taught. The five others have a total of 10 years in the classroom and one as a principal.” http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/15/nyregion/free-advisers-cost-ny-education-dept-critics-say.html?src=tp&_r=2&&. How do we out-snake these snakes?
Nope, can’t out-snake em. Have to cut their heads off. And then be careful about not sticking yourself with one of the fangs.
Perhaps there were many who sent this article, but I wonder why the sender was not identified. I sent it as soon as it was available on line knowing that it is a perfect example of one of the main themes of the blog. . Since I religiously read every post, I am aware that the usual custom is to identify source of the information. Richard Ognibene
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Dennis Tompkins, King’s communications director, said the fellows offer unique skills and expertise. “They’re like rock stars,” he said.
Yes, rock stars, that should put your mind at ease. If nothing else, as to the high IQ and verbal skills of the communication director.
Parasites are attacking and eating our young for every meal! OY VEY.
Do our elected officials understand how they are being undermined? Call your legislator. Forward this note from Diane Ravitch’s blog to your elected assembly person or state senator. Ask what is going on in NYSED.
I will!
“Areas of focus will be developing a K-12 statewide curriculum aligned to the common core state standards in ELA and math, then science and social studies; redesigning the state’s K-12 assessment system; implementing the state’s new teacher and principal evaluation systems, developing teacher performance assessments; building a virtual schools platform; and transforming the state’s General Education Development program.”
Building a virtual schools platform…..let’s see….who would benefit from that? Oh yeah, Merryl Tisch’s brother in law, Andrew, sits on the Board of K12, Inc., the largest virtual learning vendor in America. That is such a coincidence that Merryl donated $1 million to the Regents Fellows Fund and they are focusing on building a virtual schools platform and then her husband’s brother sells online learning programs, which have already been discredited for losing over 50% of their students each academic year, billing taxpayers for students that don’t even attend, and providing substandard education for all. Such a simple way to bilk the taxpayers. Merryl, Merryl, Merryl, how did NY ever get so lucky to have you?
New York has it’s very own ALEC!
Hi Diane,
I did some searching around the web and I believe I found the professional experience information on about 26 Regents Research Fund Fellows. I cannot verify that the information is accurate, as it was taken from various social media sites like linkedin. If you are interested, I can send you the file.
As you would expect. Many with very little teaching experience. Many associated with for-profit education services. Etc.
It is possible to track who is doing what with the Regents Research Fund by doing some research on Google. For example, this person claims to be at the center of the action, and his bio reveals what he is up to. And by the way, he got his fabulous start with Teach for America. http://www.linkedin.com/pub/matthew-gross/12/176/a3 If I had time and some help exposing the “shadow group” and key funder should not be too difficult.
I was privy to a “professional development” experience featuring Kate Gerson, Regents Fellow. I only remember 3 things about it. 1) She was wearing a sweater dress that looked like it was painted on. 2) She made a comment about how she had taught English for 8 years and had done it wrong. 3) She kept telling us we could use the Gettysburg Address as a document to help teaching without giving the context of when and why it was written and that it should be taught in 10th grade (the year students learn year 2 of Global History).