Wendy Lecker is senior attorney for the Campaign for Fiscal
Equity at the Education Law Center. She writes frequently in
Connecticut newspapers about education issues and advocates on
behalf of students. Here
she reviews Reign of Error. She
notes, quoting the Nobelist Niels Bohr, that true experts are
willing to acknowledge their mistakes and learn from them. She then
goes on to write: Another Nobel Prize winner, Albert
Einstein, defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over
again and expecting different results. This definition
characterizes the past decade or more of educational “reform”
efforts. Despite the failure of test-based accountability,
charter schools, Teach for America, school closures and other
schemes, policy-makers keep expanding these reforms, to the
detriment of public schools and America’s neediest
children. Dr. Ravitch has just published,
“Reign of Error,” a readable and well-researched book that examines
this (my term) insanity. The strengths of this book are its
simultaneous breadth and accessibility. Ravitch covers quite a bit
of terrain: the recent history of school reform, the major players
in the reform movement, the claims used to criticize American
public education, the “fixes” championed by reformers and Ravitch’s
suggestions for a more sane and productive education policy. The
book is meticulously researched. Yet, it is also easy-to-read and
engaging. For those who are unfamiliar with the current
landscape of education policy and its historical context, this
volume is a useful primer. For those steeped in all things
education, the book brings new insights. Her overarching
message, that American public education is the bedrock of a healthy
society and democracy, is a theme that cannot be repeated
enough.
Gary Rubinstein’s analysis of the charter schools founded by Congressman Jared Polis showed that the schools posted low test score growth. Congressman Polis responded in a comment (posted below) that this was understandable because his charter schools enroll very low-performing students, many of whom barely speak or read English, and many of whom are overage for their grade and far behind. It is understandable, he says, that these kids are not posting big score gains. He also notes that the teachers at his schools are not judged by value-added assessment, given the students they serve.
Congressman Polis is making my case for me but he doesn’t realize it. He should read my book.
He would discover that I support charter schools that enroll the kids who didn’t make it in public schools. They should exist to do what the public schools can’t do. They should exist to help kids who were left behind, not to skim the brightest kids from the poorest communities. Schools should not be closed because of their low scores, and their teachers should not be judged by test scores. Charter schools and public schools should collaborate, not compete. Charter schools should fill a need, as Polis’ schools seem to do, not fight public schools for market share.
If Congressman Polis would read my book, he would see that his are the kinds of charters I endorse.
If he would take the time to familiarize himself with the research on test-based accountability, he would join me in opposing it. He would withdraw his support for Colorado’s SB 191, which bases 50% of a teacher’s evaluation on student test scores. This is one of the nation’s worst, most punitive, and most ignorant teacher evaluation law, based on no research or evidence, just the whim of young State Senator Michael Johnston, ex-TFA. There are good ways to evaluate teachers, and test-based accountability is not one of them. That is why Jared Polis’ charter schools don’t do it.
Since we have now found common ground, despite the fact that Polis called me “an evil woman,” and despite the fact that he stubbornly refuses to apologize for his outburst, I invite him to meet with me in Brooklyn to discuss whether he can overcome his irrational contempt for traditional public schools. Even though he is a billionaire, I will pick up the check for breakfast, lunch, or dinner on one condition: read my book. If you don’t like it, Jared, I will give you your money back. Just promise not to throw it at me.
Here is his comment on the blog in response to Gary’s post:
“Thank you for your post defending the efforts of New America School. New America School (NAS) serves almost entirely NEP (non-English-proficient) and LEP (limited English proficiency) students, many of whom are several grade levels behind when they enter NAS. Nearly all of their students are drop-outs or have major gaps in their education.
“Given that the tests are only available in English, the NAS students have a significant disadvantage.
“A primary metric the school uses to demonstrate success is measuring the acquisition of the English language. Many NAS students are 19 or 20 years old, and only have a 6th grade or 8th grade education prior to entering NAS. Sadly in Colorado students “age out” of public education at age 21, and few students can accomplish 4 or 5 years of learning in 1 or 2 years. But even if they don’t earn a diploma, the students gain functional English language literacy.
“This analysis is a good example of why test scores should not be the only criteria used to evaluate schools or teachers. NAS teachers are hard working and dedicated and have literally transformed lives. To be clear, I support transparency on aggregate test scores, and Mr. Rubinstein is welcome to use that information to make whatever charts he wishes to show that a school is good, bad, or otherwise but it is important to educate the reform community about the importance of alternative education and serving all kids.
“Rubinstein mentions that “Colorado is one of the states that has been most aggressive about tying standardized test scores to teacher evaluations and to school rankings. ” but NAS does not use standardized test scores to evaluate teachers, nor has any kind of “ranking” hurt the school’s effort to fulfill its mission “to empower new immigrants, English language learners, and academically under-served students with the educational tools and support they need to maximize their potential, succeed and live the American dream.”
Reader Gordon Wilder wonders why we lost sight of the
purpose of education: “My view: People have forgotten what real
education is about, the search for ultimate values: good, truth,
beauty. To value integrity, love etc. It is searching out the best
ideas of humanities greatest minds, greatest teachers. It is NOT
about passing test scores. When this first came out – the “nation
at risk” era, we laughed. Pretty soon they will be having classes
on how to pass tests. That is not funny anymore. It is reality. Has
the era of corporate leadership which took us to the brink of
worldwide financial collapse, within hours, the panacea for our
problems. Is it that we are not producing enough scientists and
mathematicians or that 50% of marriages – when they occur – are
collapsing, that 23% of our children live in poverty, that our
health care is amongst the worst in the world, ad nauseum. How do
we view our children, as objects, widgets, into which we pour
government – corporate – approved facts or as human beings to reach
their highest potential as human beings? How do we define
education? Who defines it, scholars and educators or politicians?
What yardstick do we use to measure success, test scores, or lives
lived to their fullest?”
This is one of the
funniest satires of current education thinking that I
have read in a long time. It was written by Russ Walsh of Rider
University. Russ describes the development of a new assessment
program for toddlers, to determine if they are career-and -college
ready The acronym for the new program is TIT for TAT. No experts in
early childhood education were involved in developing the new
assessments. They were annoying. They asked too many questions.
Read and enjoy!
Jersey Jazzman wonders why I have not been invited to appear on any of the national television shows, not only because I represent a challenge to the status quo but because my new book. Published September 17, will appear as #10 on the Néw Uork Times bestseller list next week.
The good news is that I received an invitation to appear on the Chris Hayes’ MSNBC show next Friday October 4.
Still hoping for an invitation to The Daily Show, as I love Jon Stewart.
Rachel Maddow is a puzzle.
The fact is that most Americans get their news from television.
I will keep hoping that the national media will give me a chance, not equal time, but a chance to refute the status quo that is harming our children and educators.
When the news gets out that the corporate reformers’
narrative and their signature line are false, their crusade to turn schooling
into a marketplace loses its rationale. Here is a review
of “Reign of Error” by columnist/editorial writer Robyn E. Blumner
of the Tampa Bay Times. What if our schools aren’t
failing? What if Jeb Bush and his minions are wrong?
What if the cause of low test scores really is poverty?
Then the reformers’ pursuit of the “bad teacher” is a great distraction from the biggest problems of our day.
What if we require new thinking by those who have
economic, social, and political power? What if blaming teachers
hurts kids?
The tiny sound you just heard was another card dropping
out of the House of Cards. Maybe it was a card holding up the whole phony
structure.
Jonathan Lovell noticed that several critics of “Reign of Error” have attacked me, instead of engaging the issues I raise in the book. Jonathan teaches writing at San Jose State. He sent me this couplet, written by Alexander Pope:
“Yes, I am proud; I must be proud to see
Men, not afraid of God, afraid of me.”
After I met him in Berkeley on Saturday night, he wrote as follows:
“The Alexander Pope couplet is from the verse epistles he wrote in 1738 towards the end of his life, in imitation of Horace, and in which he positions himself as a voice of public consciousness–a voice that he felt was utterly lacking in the political figures of his day. His voice and stance reminded me so much of you! Here’s a sample of the lines leading up to that couplet:
Ask you what provocation I have had?
The strong antipathy of good to bad. 370
When Truth or Virtue an affront endures,
Th’ affront is mine, my friend, and should be yours.
Mine, as a foe profess’d to false pretense,
Who think a coxcomb’s honour like his sense;
Mine, as a friend to ev’ry worthy mind; 375
And mine as man, who feel for all mankind.
F. You ’re strangely proud.
P. So proud, I am no slave;
So impudent, I own myself no knave;
So odd, my country’s ruin makes me grave.
Yes, I am proud; I must be proud to see 380
Men, not afraid of God, afraid of me.
“I especially like the lines “When Truth or Virtue an affront endures,/Th’ affront is mine, my friend, and should be yours.” Those lines, as they say, have your name written all over them.”
Jonathan Lovell has his own blog.
This is an excerpt from one of his most popular posts:
“My point is to demonstrate that we can all deliberately and systematically draw on the various ways we know our kids are smart. That is, we can draw on their various talents as readers, listeners, responders to and shapers of their world. In doing so, we can not only speak out but “teach out” against practices and policies that we know are damaging our students, preventing them from experiencing themselves as the diversely talented group of individuals that, in our heart of hearts, we know them to be.
And in light of what is sure to be a tidal wave of curriculum materials purporting to “raise students’ scores” on the 2015 CCS assessments, I propose the adoption of the following resolution:
WHEREAS every large scale study over the past 30 years of income level in relation to student achievement has shown a compelling correlation between the two, and
WHEREAS the percentage of students in poverty in our nation’s schools has grown steadily and persistently over the past 39 years, and
WHEREAS the present levels of income inequality in our nation can be related directly to conscious public policy,
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED
That the Common Core Standards; individual schools that “beat the odds”; Teach for America Interns whose students “outperform” those of traditionally credentialed teachers; and all such apparent instances of an anticipated “Revolution in American Education”
Be understood for what they are: seductive distractions from the ONE ISSUE we must face as a nation if “school improvement” is to be anything more than an instance of sentimental romanticism–the shameful growth in income disparity between our poorest and wealthiest citizens.”
After an internal investigation raised questions about the actions of Dallas Superintendent Mike Miles, the school board will have a closed meeting on September 30 to decide whether to discipline him. Miles is a graduate of the unaccredited Broad Superintendents Academy. Stay tuned.
This is a stirring, eloquent poem at a
slam in Boston, by a young man whose sister teaches new immigrant
children. After one year in a new country, they must take
standardized tests in English. If they fail, their teachers fail.
This is madness. Listen for three minutes and hear his vivid
imagery of cruel Federsl policy
Some governors and legislatures look on Teach for America
as a way to save money, because most leave after two or three years
at the bottom of the salary structure and never collect a pension.
This teacher has a suggestion for them:
“Governors who feel 1 and 2 year turnover of Teach for America teachers is the way to
excellence should resign after 2 years to let someone else take over.”
