Professor Stephen Danley of Rutgers has been attending the school board meetings in Camden. Camden has been under state control for many years. Its new, young, inexperienced Superintendent Paymon Rouhanifard wants to turn Camden’s public schools into charter schools. There is no evidence that the people of Camden want him to give their children and schools to charter corporations, but no one can stop him because he was appointed by Governor Chris Christie.
Paymon is under the delusion that he represents the people of Camden, but in reality he represents the Governor and does his bidding.
Why is it that these fake reformers never pay attention to niceties like democracy or evidence? They are blinded by their arrogance.
Do they believe their own press releases?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
January 21, 2014 Psychology Today – Dr. Louisa Moats one of the contributing writers of the CCSS critiques them!!
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/child-development-central/201401/when-will-we-ever-learn
Marianne: all viewers of this blog should read this piece—from January of this year!
Just one series of money quotes:
[start quote]
Dr. Bertin: What has actually happened in its implementation?
Dr. Moats: I never imagined when we were drafting standards in 2010 that major financial support would be funneled immediately into the development of standards-related tests. How naïve I was. The CCSS represent lofty aspirational goals for students aiming for four year, highly selective colleges. Realistically, at least half, if not the majority, of students are not going to meet those standards as written, although the students deserve to be well prepared for career and work through meaningful and rigorous education.
Our lofty standards are appropriate for the most academically able, but what are we going to do for the huge numbers of kids that are going to “fail” the PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) test? We need to create a wide range of educational choices and pathways to high school graduation, employment, and citizenship. The Europeans got this right a long time ago.
If I could take all the money going to the testing companies and reinvest it, I’d focus on the teaching profession – recruitment, pay, work conditions, rigorous and on-going training. Many of our teachers are not qualified or prepared to teach the standards we have written. It doesn’t make sense to ask kids to achieve standards that their teachers have not achieved!
[end quote]
Pair this with a posting by Dr. Mercedes Schneider highlighting the well-informed comments (December 2013) of a very knowledgeable “education reform” insider, Dr. Frederick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute:
[start quote]
In truth, the idea that the Common Core might be a “game-changer” has little to do with the Common Core standards themselves, and everything to do with stuff attached to them, especially the adoption of common tests that make it possible to readily compare schools, programs, districts, and states (of course, the announcement that one state after another is opting out of the two testing consortia is hollowing out this promise).
But the Common Core will only make a dramatic difference if those test results are used to evaluate schools or hire, pay, or fire teachers; or if the effort serves to alter teacher preparation, revamp instructional materials, or compel teachers to change what students read and do. And, of course, advocates have made clear that this is exactly what they have in mind. When they refer to the “Common Core,” they don’t just mean the words on paper–what they really have in mind is this whole complex of changes.
[end quote]
Link: http://deutsch29.wordpress.com/2013/12/28/the-american-enterprise-institute-common-core-and-good-cop/
As the owner of this blog might say: see the pattern here?
Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
😎
I’m sure Paymon is under no delusions – he knows where his bread is buttered. He just wants other people to be deluded.
And their own wallets.
This guy has a BA in economics and has never held a job for more than 2.5 years…and Christie appointed him Superintendent in Camden?????
That poor community.
Just another example of how people outside of the realm of education have not one iota of understanding.
Sadly, the state of affairs in our country are looking more and more bleak and corrupt. No city is exempt. No matter what direction you look in, our politicians lie, our police lie, court officials turn a blind eye… Our way of life has been on a downward trend for a long time. This is bigger than “We, The People!” I wish I had answers but the only one I have is probably one many people would scoff at ~ PRAY HARD!
Sadly, as I’ve written elsewhere in this ‘blog, many superintendents and staff have this attitude even when they’re not some politician’s lap dog. Too many board don’t understand their roles and powers, and are too afraid to stand up to the technocrats who have taken over our schools. Conversely, the superintendents feel free to arrogate to themselves all of the rights and powers of the boards, in the name of the “children” and “community”.
The public ends up angry and confused—and ripe for those who are reforming the schools.
You are right that school boards need to understand their roles and powers. unfortunately, the board in Camden is appointed since Camden School district is now under state control and Governor Christie. that fact right there should tell you who these members feel they are responsible to.
As the agenda items were discussed through the meeting, there were no votes for or against. the agenda ended with Paymon saying something that included “By the power vested in me by the state of New Jersey…”
These citizens have lost there democratic rights and are being lead like sleep to a slaughter.
Paymon is no different from Cami Anderson of Newark. He is just not as abrupt as she is.
He has been dubbed ‘the wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
I assume your question is rhetorical, but for the record, let me answer: yes, I think people like Paymon Ruhanifard do believe their own press releases.
…and how much does this Super make? Cami makes $250,000 with a $50,000 bonus (for what I don’t know)….but I believe I read (somewhere) that his majesty The Guvner Chris Crispie put a ceiling on Super salaries of $175,000….or does that cap only fly in cities that the state of NJ hasn’t been running/ruining for years? Where did Cami Anderson study – at the Broad Super’s school? I hate how these reformers make their own rules and get away with it. It is mind boggling how certified credited teachers, principals and supers had to go through the ranks and get their degrees, but these TFA scum give each other masters degrees and super and principal appointments, at salaries above the people who actually went the correct route and put in their time. What is the median age of principals and supers of the reformer type – 28? How do we stop the madness? I would be so angry if they didn’t get preferential treatment and my tax dollars, oh, and if they didn’t try to privatize and monetize everything for their own gain.
…and how much does this Super make? Cami makes $250,000 with a $50,000 bonus (for what I don’t know)….but I believe I read (somewhere) that his majesty The Guvner Chris Crispie put a ceiling on Super salaries of $175,000….or does that cap only fly in cities that the state of NJ hasn’t been running/ruining for years? Where did Cami Anderson study – at the Broad Super’s school? I hate how these reformers make their own rules and get away with it. It is mind boggling how certified credited teachers, principals and supers had to go through the ranks and get their degrees, but these TFA scum give each other masters degrees and super and principal appointments, at salaries above the people who actually went the correct route and put in their time. What is the median age of principals and supers of the reformer type – 28? How do we stop the madness? I would not be so angry if they didn’t get preferential treatment and my tax dollars, oh, and if they didn’t try to privatize and monetize everything for their own gain.
Mr. Rouhanifard makes $218,000. I try to explain to the parents with whom I have contact in Camden the meaning of the word ‘transparency’. If it seems too good to be true…? You are being sold a bill of goods because you want to believe charter/Renaissance schools are blessed–but you have no idea why, how, who? The top level, handsome authority, tells you… believe…non-public schools know how to educated your child–the school isn’t built yet…but they know and will do what public schools have not provided in Camden. Mr. Christie, why not offer the perks to all public school students? Why not invest in the public school system…oops, I forgot…this is business…look at the dollars saved when Renaissance Schools come in: no pensions, no unions, no State employee benefits…and the Waltons and the Gates…and…we have no data supporting the superior academic gains of the Camden charters. I have seen vendors sell their substandard products to Camden. I have seen Camden hierarchy buy in! I don’t have to hint at why.