In a comment sent to the blog, Terry Abbott, the communications director for Michigan’s Education Achievement Authority, vigorously denies the charges leveled against the EAA by the blogger Eclectablog. In another comment, he said that since I had not visited the EAA, I was in no position to judge the truth or falsity of the claims. This is true. I have never visited the EAA schools. Since I write about schools nationwide, it is true that I often write about cities, districts, and schools that I have not personally visited. In this instance, the reader will have to sit in judgment: Do you believe the teachers who spoke off-the-record to Eclectablog for fear of losing their jobs, or do you believe the official communications director for Governor Rick Snyder’s Education Achievement Authority? Or, then again, you might want to make no judgment until there is more evidence available about the progress of the EAA. I note that Eclectablog previously wrote that Terry Abbott’s response to earlier criticism was to “attack the messenger” rather than respond to the substance of the criticism. Here he does respond to the substance. I welcome Eclectablog’s comments.

Let’s be fair-minded and give Terry Abbott and the EAA a hearing:

Dr. Ravitch, because you used the false claims in the Eclectablog as the basis for your own blog, I am posting here, and requesting that you publish, this response:

Response from the Education Achievement Authority to largely false allegations published in the Eclectablog on January 22, 2014

On January 22, 2014 a political blog with a history of vehement opposition to education reform and the Education Achievement Authority of Michigan published a more than 4,500-word attack on the educators who make up the historic school turnaround effort in Michigan that is the Education Achievement Authority.

This political attack on Michigan’s effort to save failing schools was comprised entirely of anonymous statements allegedly made to a blogger by educators. No names, dates or locations were provided to readers of the blog to support the allegations.

Educators throughout the Education Achievement Authority’s 15 schools in Detroit have thoroughly reviewed the anonymous allegations allegedly reported to this political blog and have determined almost all of them are false.

Here is the truth from real educators in Detroit about the anonymous allegations contained in the political blog posting:

Special needs education:

The anonymous accusation: The political blog used anonymous alleged sources to claim that special needs students are neglected and that teachers are not provided with Individualized Education Plans for students.

The truth: Educators in EAA schools report these anonymous allegations are false. All teachers have access to the Individualized Education Plans every day. Every EAA school provides quality support and services for special needs students. The blog’s anonymous allegations to the contrary are patently false.

In fact, Education Achievement Authority schools are serving a higher percentage of special needs students than are other state schools:

Special needs students
State Reporting Data for 2012-2013 School Year:
EAA: 17.6%
State: 13.0%

Students identified as cognitively Impaired
EAA: 17.4%
State: 9.8%

Special education students are served and the enrollment is increasing as shown below for an additional 126 students since the start of the school year. Here are the numbers and percentages of EAA students with special needs being served each month during the 2013-14 school year

September – 343 Elementary, 728 Secondary 1071 total
Elem 32.0% Secondary 68.0%

October – 367 Elementary, 762 Secondary 1129 total
Elem 32.5% Secondary 67.5%

November – 376 Elementary, 788 Secondary 1164 total
Elem 32.3% Secondary 67.7%

December – 382 Elementary, 784 Secondary 1176 total
Elem 32.5% Secondary 67.5%

Discipline of school employees or students who are physically abusive:

The anonymous accusation: The political blog used anonymous alleged sources to claim that school employees who “have been seen physically abusing” students and “violent students” who endanger teachers are not punished or suspended.

The truth: Educators in EAA schools report these anonymous allegations are false. On the rare occasions when students have made physical contact with educators, they have been punished appropriately. And on the even rarer occasions when an employee has made inappropriate physical contact with a student, the employee has dealt with appropriately. The anonymous allegations that no action was taken are false.

Unlike the political blog, which provided no school names nor any other information to back up its anonymous allegations, real EAA educators did provide school names and detailed facts in their review of the false anonymous allegations in the blog:

• Brenda Scott Elementary/Middle School: A security officer who allegedly pushed a student was terminated from employment at EAA. A five-year-old student bit a teacher and was suspended.
• Mumford High School: A teacher who made physical contact with a student left the district. The matter had been resolved in a meeting with a parent and administrators. Another student allegedly made physical contact with a security officer and was suspended. Another student was arrested for physical contact with an employee and making a threat. The student also was suspended.
• Denby High School: A food service worker who allegedly made physical contact with a student was terminated from employment at EAA. A student who made inappropriate contact with a teacher was suspended.
• Bethune Elementary/Middle School: Two teachers allegedly pushed a student. Both were placed on administrative leave during a formal investigation. One of the teachers was allowed to return to work with no conclusive evidence found of the action, but the teacher chose to resign. The other teacher was suspended and then left the school.
• Southeastern High School: Two students alleged two different incidents by two different employees of physical contact by the employees. A thorough investigation by EAA district officials and the school did not conclude inappropriate physical contact. Both employees remained on administrative leave during the investigation and both returned to their jobs following the investigation. During the 2012-13 school year, there were two incidents in which students pushed or grabbed a teacher. These students were suspended and then expelled. During the current school year, one teacher was hit in the nose while interceding in an altercation between two students. Both students were suspended and recommended for expulsion. A disciplinary hearing judge reviewed the case and allowed one student to return to school after serving a suspension. The judge ruled the other student would be suspended for 90 days and then removed to an alternative program.
• Pershing High School: During the 2012-13 school year staff members were disciplined for incidents. A student allegedly verbally abused a staff member and made inappropriate contact with the staff member. The investigation is ongoing. In another matter, a teacher allegedly grabbed a student. The teacher was placed on leave but an investigation cleared him to return to work. In another matter, a teacher had a verbal confrontation with a student. An investigation was conducted and the teacher no longer works at the school.
• Nolan Elementary School: This school year, one staff member was pulled on the arm by a 7-year-old student and was suspended. A second staff member was accidentally hit in the nose during an elementary student altercation on a school bus. Both students involved in the altercation were suspended.
• Phoenix Academy: A student bit a teacher and was suspended.
• Ford High School: Two students were alleged to have made inappropriate contact with a staff member. Both students were suspended. A third student is under investigation after a similar claim.
• Burns Elementary/Middle: A student allegedly made physical contact with a teacher and paraprofessional. The student was suspended.

Teaching model:

The anonymous accusation: The political blog used an anonymous alleged source to claim that a school has “changed our teaching model twice this year and we’re going to change again in February.”

The truth: Educators in EAA schools report this anonymous allegation is false. There is no change in teaching model during the course of the school year. However, with each administration of the district’s Performance Series tests, schools assess their students’ mastery and adjust instructional levels as needed. The teaching model does not change.

Metal detectors:

The anonymous accusation: The political blog used an anonymous alleged source to claim that an elementary school has a metal detector that does not work and that no one checks it.

The truth: Educators in EAA schools report this anonymous allegation is false. All metal detectors at all elementary schools are in working order and are monitored. One metal detector at Henry Ford High School is out of order, two at Mumford High are out of order, and one at Pershing High is out of order. Repairs have been ordered.

Class sizes:

The anonymous accusation: The political blog used an anonymous alleged source to claim that the number of students in school classrooms is too large, sometimes reaching almost 50 students.

The truth: Educators in EAA schools report this anonymous allegation is largely false. EAA schools have no regular classes that are larger than 49 students, as is alleged in the political blog.
• Nolan Elementary School uses a unique “Hub” design that involves pulling students into small groups throughout the day for English Language Arts instruction, social studies, math and science. One of these special Hub units at Nolan has 51 students and the other has 52. Paraprofessionals work in both Hubs to support the classroom teachers throughout the day. When the students are pulled back out of the Hubs, the classroom teacher is left with 37 students and a paraprofessional for assistance.
• Central High School has no core instructional classrooms that exceed 49 students. The only class that exceeds 49 is a physical education class which has a total of 64 students, which is below the state limit of 70.

Training of Teacher for America teachers:

The anonymous accusation: The political blog used an anonymous alleged source to claim that Teach For America program graduates at EAA schools “had a scant five weeks of training before they were assigned to a classroom full of kids.”

The truth: Educators at EAA report this anonymous allegation is completely false. The truth is that teachers from the Teach For America program participate in a five-week summer training institute with Teach for America prior to beginning their teaching assignment. As part of this assignment they teach in an urban classroom. They must also pass the state test in their area of certification prior to the start of the school year. Then, the Teach for America teachers receive two more weeks of professional development training from the EAA prior to the start of school and they receive coaching from both Teach for America and the Education Achievement Authority. These teachers also are assigned a mentor to help them, and they participate in regular professional development training through both the EAA and Teach for America.

Teacher turnover

The anonymous accusation: The political blog used anonymous alleged sources to claim that EAA’s teacher turnover rate this year is 20 percent, and that “last fall, they had to hire around 40 new teachers after the school year was already underway.”

The truth: Educators at EAA report these anonymous allegations are false.
The teacher turnover rate in EAA schools this year is 6.83 percent, not the 20 percent claimed in the uncredited, unsourced political blog. EAA schools replaced 29 teachers this year, which is 28 percent below the replacement rate claimed in the political blog.

Loss of special education teachers

The anonymous accusation: The political blog used an anonymous alleged source to claim that a school “lost our entire special ed department.”

The truth: Educators at EAA schools report this anonymous allegation is false.
Educators report that no school in the Education Achievement Authority lost its entire special education department.

Training and support for teachers

The anonymous accusation: The political blog used an anonymous alleged source to claim that the Education Achievement Authority provides no instructional coaches to help teachers and no support for new teachers.

The truth: Educators at EAA schools report this anonymous allegation is false.
All new teachers at Education Achievement Authority schools receive two weeks of professional development prior to the start of school. In addition, they are assigned a mentor and have access to on-demand professional development, virtual and face to face, and instructional coaches who are able to model best teaching practices and provide additional support. Schools have a full schedule of professional development to support the needs of teachers. Teachers also have the opportunity to participate in district level workshops and new teacher professional development twice a month after school.

Performance bonuses for teachers

The anonymous accusation: The political blog used an anonymous alleged source to claim that pay-for-performance bonuses should have been made to teachers in October but have been withheld until spring.

The truth: Educators at EAA report this anonymous allegation is false.
The pay-for-performance bonuses obviously cannot be awarded until the performance reports are released by the state of Michigan, when MEAP results are published. This fact was communicated to teachers during the 2012-13 school year and again through meetings at the schools in December of 2013.

Technology resources for students

The anonymous accusation: The political blog claimed that schools do not have enough technology for every student in every classroom.

The truth: This is the only allegation in the blog posting that is partially true. EAA schools have thousands of computers but needs new ones to replace older model computers that require continued maintenance. EAA sought and received bids in January for new mobile devices for students, and will be receiving about 3,000 new notebook computers to make sure the needs of students are met.

Included among the educators who provided this information to set the record straight are:

Marquis Stewart, Scott Elementary/Middle; Dwayne Richardson, Burns Elementary/Middle; Ronnie Belle, Law Academy; Antoinette Pearson, Bethune Elementary/Middle; Malon Harris, Murphy Elementary/Middle; Angela Underwood, Nolan Elementary/Middle; Alex Cintron, Phoenix Academy; Stephen McGhee, Central Collegiate Academy; Tracie McKissic, Denby High; Mark Mayberry, Ford High; Kenyetta Wilbourn, Mumford High; Gregory King, Pershing High; Jeffrey Maxwell, Southeastern High; Mary Esselman, EAA Central Office; MiUndrae Prince, EAA Central Office; Kevin Magin, EAA Central Office.