This scintillating article by Alex Leary in the Tampa Bay Times explores the curious but close alliance between Jeb Bush and the Obama administration. Jeb, Arne, and Barack are on the same page. They all believe in testing, high-stakes, charter schools, closing schools, and the Common Core.
He tells the story of the day in March 2011 when the three pals met at Miami Central High School to celebrate its successful “turnaround” after the firing of most of the staff. Leary doesn’t mention that while the President and Duncan were in Miami, thousands of protestors were demonstrating at the Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin, where Governor Scott Walker and the legislature were stripping away the rights of public sector unions.
He also doesn’t mention, probably doesn’t know, that one month after the Bush-Obama-Duncan photo op at Miami Central, the state notified the school that it was on the list to be closed because of its low scores.
Strange buddies, indeed. Allies in promoting truly terrible education policies.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Not unlikely at all when you look at how much of George Bush’s agenda Obama has continued. I’m sure they get along quite well on a whole host of issues besides education.
“Brothers from another mother”
Brothers from another mother,
Duncan, Bush, Obama
Got the back of one another
Despite their different momma
From the article: “By 2010, the Common Core education standards had emerged, developed by stakeholders at the state level.”
Just the facts, maam! Oops, meant “Just the lies, maam”
Not lies, when you define “stakeholders” as folks who can make bank!
So a month after the photo-op, “the state notified the school that it was on the list to be closed because of its low scores.”
In rheephormish that spells success.
Rheeally! For those counting up their $tudent $ucce$$.
But for those interested in genuine teaching and learning and a “better education for all”—
Not really.
Delusion is their game, and Jeb/Arne/Barack is their name.
The name of determinedly self-delusion.
What a sorry bunch.
😎
It is not unusual that the data for schools that have been touted as miracle turnarounds does not support the miracle claims. In some cases, the schools are doing good work for kids but can’t cure everything that the students are coping with. In other cases where lots of veteran teachers have been replaced, the students are still struggling. In other words, there is no miracle cure. There is no substitute for hard work, dedication, and best instructional practices.
I would love a Network for Public Education 0 to 10 rating score (almost made the scale 1 to 10) for all presidential candidates.
We could start with Jeb.
Ohio Algebra Teacher, we will work on that.
Excellent, Diane. Thank you.
And–if you haven’t, as yet, please do read Carl Bernstein’s, A Woman in Charge: the Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton–the part about the Arkansas Teachers, whereby there had to be “a villain”–before you rate her.
(I continue to write, here, asking Arkansas teachers to weigh in on this–? Please do!) Anyway, I say, “Run, Bernie, run!”
would we then be guilty of the same grouping fallacies that they graded schools with?
Not being a fan of reformers in the least, I’d just want to know the difference so we are not being hypocritical.
Of course you could start with the Jebster, he’s a zero.
I’m wondering, out loud, if Barack, Arne, and Jeb had relied on their test scores being revealed and published, “Would they be in the position of ‘power’ they are now?” To go further, would any of their educators/professors/instructors have been fired for any of their failures (I’m sure that they’ve had a few)?
Just curious and thinking out loud!!!
When will this reformy madness ever end?
That answer is simple.
When it stops paying to do so.
They are all owned by business interests. It’s that simple. It is going to take a long-haul political effort by many people to change anything.