Anthony Cody <a href=”http://www.livingindialogue.com/pillars-reform-collapsing-reformers-contemplate-defeat that the so-called “reform movement” is collapsing. None of its strategies work.
1. TFA is having recruitment problems. Applications are down 25%. Criticism is coming from ex-corps members who realize they were ill-prepared.
2. Charter schools are no panacea, and many are struggling, even failing.
“But now charter proponents admit they have no secret sauce beyond excluding students who are difficult or expensive to educate. Their plan is to “serve the strivers,” and let the rest flounder in an ever-more-burdened public system. The states where regulations are weakest, like Ohio, have charters that perform worse than the public schools, and even the self-described fan of free-markets, Margaret Raymond, lead researcher at CREDO, recently concluded that using market choice to improve schools has failed. In the state of Washington, where Bill Gates and other reform titans spent millions to pass a law allowing charter schools there, the first charter school to open is struggling to stay afloat, having suffered massive staff turnover in its first year. How ironic that 13 years after the corporate reformers labeled their flagship of reform “No Child Left Behind,” that now their leaders are left defending leaving behind the very children they claimed their project would save.”
3. The new and improved tests the reformers promised are not working well and are creating massive parental resistance.
4. VAM is not working anywhere.
5. Constant disruption may not be such a good strategy after all.
Cody sagely writes:
“It is perhaps a basic truth that it is easier to tear something down than to build something new. This may explain some of the trouble reformers are facing. Our schools are flawed in many ways, and do not deliver the sorts of opportunities we want all children to have access to. Racial and economic segregation, inequitable funding, and the replication of privilege are endemic — though truly addressing these issues will require change that goes far beyond the walls of our classrooms.
“Corporate-sponsored reformers have blamed the very institution of public education for these problems, and have set forth a set of alternatives and strategies to overcome social inequities. Here we are a decade into this project, and the alternative structures are collapsing, one by one.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
“Where anything is growing, one former is worth a thousand re-formers.” — John Dewey
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(Or actually, John Dewey quoting Horace Mann, as a quick Google to check my memory shows.)
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“Castles made of sand slip into the sea, eventually”
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Could it be that corporate (education) reform doesn’t work because few corporations work that well.
Think about it. The corporate model has become about shareholder value – return on investment – and far less about the product or services. It’s now about short term gains. Think of drug companies, many tech companies, media, energy.
So how can we expect corporations to act any differently toward education?
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I bought a hardwood door the other day to install. It looked great on the outside with a veneer of oak, but at its core was trash and garbage obviously swept up from the lumber mill, glued together. That is what corporate America has become. The “free market” produces low cost junk that appears good to the customer, but hides a reality rotten to the core. Of course, if you are a 1%er, you can afford a REAL solid oak door.
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“Hardly-wood Doors”
Wall Street sells
The hardlywood doors
No more than shells
With rotten cores
They’re hardly glued
And hardly wood
And sometimes screwed
But never good
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Good point Peter…and corporations are built on quarterly reports. So the focus is short term profits (to placate profit driven investors).
Public schools have always looked to long term results of producing informed citizens who support society (where every taxpayer is an investor).
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Precisely!
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“3. The new and improved tests the reformers promised are not working well and are creating massive parental resistance.”
4. VAM is not working anywhere.”
Because they can’t “work well”. Those “new and improved” suffer all the same epistemological and ontological errors that plague the concepts of standards and standardized testing. Wilson has shown the COMPLETE INVALIDITY of those educational malpractices that render any results “VAIN AND ILLUSORY”.
To learn why they can’t ever “work well” read and understand Wilson’s never refuted nor rebutted “Educational Standards and the Problem of Error” found at: http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/article/view/577/700
Brief outline of Wilson’s “Educational Standards and the Problem of Error” and some comments of mine. (updated 6/24/13 per Wilson email)
1. A description of a quality can only be partially quantified. Quantity is almost always a very small aspect of quality. It is illogical to judge/assess a whole category only by a part of the whole. The assessment is, by definition, lacking in the sense that “assessments are always of multidimensional qualities. To quantify them as unidimensional quantities (numbers or grades) is to perpetuate a fundamental logical error” (per Wilson). The teaching and learning process falls in the logical realm of aesthetics/qualities of human interactions. In attempting to quantify educational standards and standardized testing the descriptive information about said interactions is inadequate, insufficient and inferior to the point of invalidity and unacceptability.
2. A major epistemological mistake is that we attach, with great importance, the “score” of the student, not only onto the student but also, by extension, the teacher, school and district. Any description of a testing event is only a description of an interaction, that of the student and the testing device at a given time and place. The only correct logical thing that we can attempt to do is to describe that interaction (how accurately or not is a whole other story). That description cannot, by logical thought, be “assigned/attached” to the student as it cannot be a description of the student but the interaction. And this error is probably one of the most egregious “errors” that occur with standardized testing (and even the “grading” of students by a teacher).
3. Wilson identifies four “frames of reference” each with distinct assumptions (epistemological basis) about the assessment process from which the “assessor” views the interactions of the teaching and learning process: the Judge (think college professor who “knows” the students capabilities and grades them accordingly), the General Frame-think standardized testing that claims to have a “scientific” basis, the Specific Frame-think of learning by objective like computer based learning, getting a correct answer before moving on to the next screen, and the Responsive Frame-think of an apprenticeship in a trade or a medical residency program where the learner interacts with the “teacher” with constant feedback. Each category has its own sources of error and more error in the process is caused when the assessor confuses and conflates the categories.
4. Wilson elucidates the notion of “error”: “Error is predicated on a notion of perfection; to allocate error is to imply what is without error; to know error it is necessary to determine what is true. And what is true is determined by what we define as true, theoretically by the assumptions of our epistemology, practically by the events and non-events, the discourses and silences, the world of surfaces and their interactions and interpretations; in short, the practices that permeate the field. . . Error is the uncertainty dimension of the statement; error is the band within which chaos reigns, in which anything can happen. Error comprises all of those eventful circumstances which make the assessment statement less than perfectly precise, the measure less than perfectly accurate, the rank order less than perfectly stable, the standard and its measurement less than absolute, and the communication of its truth less than impeccable.”
In other word all the logical errors involved in the process render any conclusions invalid.
5. The test makers/psychometricians, through all sorts of mathematical machinations attempt to “prove” that these tests (based on standards) are valid-errorless or supposedly at least with minimal error [they aren’t]. Wilson turns the concept of validity on its head and focuses on just how invalid the machinations and the test and results are. He is an advocate for the test taker not the test maker. In doing so he identifies thirteen sources of “error”, any one of which renders the test making/giving/disseminating of results invalid. And a basic logical premise is that once something is shown to be invalid it is just that, invalid, and no amount of “fudging” by the psychometricians/test makers can alleviate that invalidity.
6. Having shown the invalidity, and therefore the unreliability, of the whole process Wilson concludes, rightly so, that any result/information gleaned from the process is “vain and illusory”. In other words start with an invalidity, end with an invalidity (except by sheer chance every once in a while, like a blind and anosmic squirrel who finds the occasional acorn, a result may be “true”) or to put in more mundane terms crap in-crap out.
7. And so what does this all mean? I’ll let Wilson have the second to last word: “So what does a test measure in our world? It measures what the person with the power to pay for the test says it measures. And the person who sets the test will name the test what the person who pays for the test wants the test to be named.”
In other words it attempts to measure “’something’ and we can specify some of the ‘errors’ in that ‘something’ but still don’t know [precisely] what the ‘something’ is.” The whole process harms many students as the social rewards for some are not available to others who “don’t make the grade (sic)” Should American public education have the function of sorting and separating students so that some may receive greater benefits than others, especially considering that the sorting and separating devices, educational standards and standardized testing, are so flawed not only in concept but in execution?
My answer is NO!!!!!
One final note with Wilson channeling Foucault and his concept of subjectivization:
“So the mark [grade/test score] becomes part of the story about yourself and with sufficient repetitions becomes true: true because those who know, those in authority, say it is true; true because the society in which you live legitimates this authority; true because your cultural habitus makes it difficult for you to perceive, conceive and integrate those aspects of your experience that contradict the story; true because in acting out your story, which now includes the mark and its meaning, the social truth that created it is confirmed; true because if your mark is high you are consistently rewarded, so that your voice becomes a voice of authority in the power-knowledge discourses that reproduce the structure that helped to produce you; true because if your mark is low your voice becomes muted and confirms your lower position in the social hierarchy; true finally because that success or failure confirms that mark that implicitly predicted the now self evident consequences. And so the circle is complete.”
In other words students “internalize” what those “marks” (grades/test scores) mean, and since the vast majority of the students have not developed the mental skills to counteract what the “authorities” say, they accept as “natural and normal” that “story/description” of them. Although paradoxical in a sense, the “I’m an “A” student” is almost as harmful as “I’m an ‘F’ student” in hindering students becoming independent, critical and free thinkers. And having independent, critical and free thinkers is a threat to the current socio-economic structure of society.
By Duane E. Swacker
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Doesn’t the Bible say something about a house built on shifting sands? Isn’t that what rephorm is?
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I love how Cody highlights the irony that the flagship product of the reform movement, charters, is powered by….leaving children behind. Leaving children behind is how we can fulfill No Child Left Behind! I
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The further irony is that charter schools are increasing segregation despite the fact that we passed integration legislation in the sixties, and they undermine the very principles of democracy, the foundation of our nation. Using taxpayer monies to fund segregation should be illegal. It is a betrayal of the public trust, which includes our responsibility to all of our citizens. We are charged to educate ALL our future voters to the best of our ability, without using public money to fund “islands of exclusivity.”
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I think this letter is powerful satire:
http://qz.com/313639/an-open-letter-to-america-from-a-public-school-teacher/
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That is a wonderful letter Ponderosa. Thanks for sharing. They are getting ready to eliminate the library in my school too in favor of a computer lab.
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The next new investment scheme in education, social impact bonds, uses preschoolers as their guinea pigs, and now my state has also jumped on that bandwagon.
“I think it’s distressing the degree to which a new industry has been built around social impact bonds before it’s ever been proven viable…” This typifies corporate education “reform.”
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/06/12/goldman-to-invest-in-utah-preschool-program/?_r=0
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Notice this originated in Utah. Utah has been slipping for years in funding for education, and it was never very good funding to begin with. When the state shifted to a flat income tax and allowed higher education to also take money from the Uniform School Fund, K-12 education really lost out. It is estimated that K-12 education has lost ONE BILLION dollars in ten years because of these changes. Education is so underfunded in the state that we are willing to try anything, even something this bad. Utah’s governor has actually advocated for a small tax increase this year for education. Of course, the VERY hard right Legislature and businesses are howling at the moon about this, so it won’t pass.
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Peter Smyth & Ponderosa: what y’all said.
And I remind the viewers of this blog that are for a “better education for all” that as a general rule—
Whatever criticisms the leaders and promoters of the self-proclaimed “education reform” movement direct at themselves and their projects are spoken gently in whispers; the loud gnashing of teeth and histrionic wailing are for demeaning public schools and staffs.
Regardless of superficial attempts to appear self-reflective and balanced, on the ground the heavy hitters of the “new civil rights movement of our time” haven’t toned down the fierce urgency of their selling pitches to prospective customers aka parents & students et al. Why? Because that’s not how you build brand loyalty and meet the metrics demanded by ROI/MC [ReturnOnInvestment/MonetizingChildren].
Note that Anthony Cody takes an entirely different tack.
To wit: “Our schools are flawed in many ways, and do not deliver the sorts of opportunities we want all children to have access to. Racial and economic segregation, inequitable funding, and the replication of privilege are endemic — though truly addressing these issues will require change that goes far beyond the walls of our classrooms.”
The Gates Foundation [see THE EDUCATOR AND THE OLIGARCH] self-servingly views this POV as excusing teachers from making their best efforts. Twisted logic, twisted hearts. Let me provide an English-to-English translation:
Regardless of who comes in the front door, in general public schools take on all comers. No excuses. No subtle and not-so-subtle skimming and creaming like application forms & required “volunteer” hours & waiting lists & counseling out & midyear dump & pushing out & the like, including massaging and torturing the numbers & stats involved in order to push eudproducts like charters that specialize in $tudent $ucce$$. Example? See just below.
“The Blueberry Story” by Jamie Volmer: http://www.jamievollmer.com/blueberries
The moral of the story?
The critical importance of blogs like this and all the different forms of activism by those trying to ensure a “better education for all.”
Precisely because the attempted massive re-education of the American public by the self-styled “education reformers” needs to be countered. With what? Not the same self-serving and preposterous claims of the rheephormistas but by honest, self-reflective and self-critical comments.
No excuses. The real deal, as against the Rheeal deal—even when the latter is done in a Johnsonally sort of way…
But can education be that important? Isn’t it obvious what is happening? Especially if it’s happening to so many people in so many places with increasing frequency?
Ponder what a genuine American hero said:
“I didn’t know I was a slave until I found out I couldn’t do the things I wanted.”
Updated version: like have the “choice” of a well-resourced neighborhood public school.
So what difference does it make if more people know what’s going on?
“Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave.”
But once folks become unfit, can’t we just appeal to the likes of Bush & Obama & Duncan & Christie & Rhee & Deasy & company and their bosses like Gates to straighten up and fly right? They’re reasonable people, right?
“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.”
Frederick Douglass was right in the 19th century. He’s right in the 21st. If you take out the words “education reform” from the phrase “education reform establishment” you get—
“Establishment.” One that, whatever its political hue and tint, is seeking to not only create, but get general acceptance of, a two-tiered education system.
But, but, but, can’t we just wait for this storm to blow over? You know, just ride it out and hope for the best?
“Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them.”
Right again, Mr. Douglass.
Just my dos centavitos worth…
😎
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Insightful as always, KTA.
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In the near term, I think it unlikely that policies from this administration will go away soon, primarily because so many policies overlap those favored by Republicans who control Congress and state houses and state legislatures. Many who have political power endorse the “kill-public-education” policies of the current administration.
Reversals will require federal and state legislative action. My guess is that Republicans will favor the continued use of VAM and SLOs to rate teachers, and funding for charter expansion. Many state legislatures are in the midst of re-branding the common core or reverting to prior state standards, but standards and testing for hard-nosed “accountability” are not likely to vanish soon.
Many Republicans rely on ALEC-designed free-market legislation. Many foundations active in education support those views and have created a huge network of subsidized communications. In these networks, experts refine the arguments for private and for-profit education and hammer on the major themes of “getting the most bang for the taxpayer’s buck” and “parent choice.”
An example of this effort to control policy (in addition to ALEC) can be seen at the National Council of State Legislatures website where the agenda for policy on “education” includes a discussion of funding options for charter school facilities. The Walton Foundation paid for the report, which takes a swipe at public school districts for not “sharing” facilities, especially with out-of-district charters.
The Walton Foundation is among many others paying the cost for professionals in the media to deliver the “surround sound” for the public and policy-makers–with the failures of public schools providing the justification for alternatives. EdWeek journalism has been co-opted by 17 foundations who pay for coverage of topics they wish to forward as legitimate and newsworthy.
Republicans do not all think alike, including the common core and associated tests, but so far, the indications are that many current policies will just be rebranded and tweaked, with more block grants to states, and more tricks of the trade to cut spending for education.
An example of using the ruse of cutting costs is the promotion of “social impact bonds” (also known as “pay-for-success bonds”). These “innovative finance tools” for privatizing education have been given credibility by a $100 million kitty from the Obama administration. If you liked the “innovative financing tools” that tanked the economy, you will love these bonds–high profits if you invest in techniques of reducing the cost of public services, including education.
http://www.ncsl.org/research/education/school-choice-and-charters.aspx
Click to access fact-sheet-pdf.pdf
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This is sickening news! What do you call someone that does not learn from experience? Answer: A hedge fund manager!
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Another right answer: A school administrator
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Think social media at its best. From Twitter to FB to bloggers sharing their concern and outrage not only with like-minded audience, but with those uninformed and reformers who “got it wrong!”
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“Here we are a decade into this project, and the alternative structures are collapsing, one by one.”
“This Project” called education reform is much older than a decade.
The reforms started in many school districts soon after 1983 with A Nation at Risk and every attempt at reform starting with those school districts, and then moving to the state level through some state legislatures—for instance, California spent a decade developing state standards and a testing culture—and eventually out of Washington DC with NCLB and then a national set of standards called the Common Core have all failed, and teachers’ unions and teachers have been blamed for all of the failures forced on the public schools by the fake reformers.
The reform movement started building steam in 1983 and is based on the total FRAUD of A Nation at Risk that was revealed in 1990 by the all but ignored Sandia report.
What we see now is the reform train moving at full speed but like the railroads in America, the infrastructure needs to be rebuilt on a solid foundation and that won’t happen until the country admits that the reform movement was built on FRAUD from the start and we return to sporting the nation’s public schools and not support8ing the fraudsters in charge.
Until the country wakes up to this FRAUD, the reformers will keep moving full speed ahead across faulty rails and bridges that will keep causing derailments and accidents.
The Sandia report proves that the public schools were working and on a steady course of nothing but building improvements on top of improvements until the fraudulent reform movement stepped in and slowed/stopped the momentum. Imagine where the public schools would be today if the FRAUD called A Nation at Risk had never been published.
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Ms. Ravitch, I was a Delegate at Charleston2012 and saw you speak at Bloomberg’s location. I’m in SEO now and I want to alert you that Sharing this post into Facebook brought over no photo, just a blank box. You or your social media person may want to fix that, to maximize the likelihood of reSharing
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T Burke, I did not go to Charleston 2012, I was not at Bloomberg’s, and the post you refer to has no photo.
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