The Memphis NAACP called for an end to the state’s educational experimentation.
The Memphis branch opposed vouchers, which have been under discussion in the legislature, and called for a freeze on the Achievement School District.
“We respectfully request that there be a statewide moratorium on the addition of schools to the ASD model until sufficient improvement can be demonstrated by the existing schools,” [Memphis Branch NAACP Executive Director Madeleine] Taylor said.
State officials, including the director of the ASD, defended the ASD, and said that the experimentation should continue even though Vanderbilt released a study recently showing that the charter schools in the ASD have made no significant progress since the ASD started in 2012. In effect, they defended the status quo even though it has shown no results.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Can’t interrupt the flow of brown paper envelopes.
I was wondering when the NAACP, who has drunk at the fountain of the “reformers” far too long, would finally wake up and realize that minority children are not just being used a guinea pigs, they are part of an exploitative experiment that offers a cheap, militaristic program with a narrow curriculum. Once education is in the hands of corporations, they will ever lower the bottom line for all students. Their primary consideration is profit for investors, not what is in the best interest for students. They won’t stop lower the bottom line until all children are staring at computer screens all day. This model maximizes the corporate profits. The main problem is that the research has shown that cyber education is a disaster for most students. If corporations get a foothold in charters, they will be expanding to middle class schools as well because ever expanding markets will result in more profit. We cannot afford to lose a generation of students to failed experiments that have no basis in research.
Here’s an example of charter choice in Missouri that works against minority students. This is shameful as these schools use public money to discriminate. https://www.change.org/p/dese-don-t-let-race-determine-my-son-s-enrollment
I think they’re making an important point that never gets discussed and shouldn’t be lost.
They’re not opposing “reform”. They’re opposing further investment in a charter/voucher model when they have a public model they’re pleased with.
Tennessee is choosing to invest in an ed reform model instead of what they could be investing in because it’s not true that it’s “plus/and”. That’s just simply not true. Every penny that goes into the ASD could be going somewhere else. Obviously.
Ed reformers continuing to deny that budgets mean choices have to be made is no longer credible, if it ever was. There is a possible downside to experiments- always. No exceptions to that rule.
Chiara,
“Ed reformers continuing to deny that budgets mean choices have to be made …” Hey, in Newark, the choices are going in favor of the charters. Read Bob Braun’s Ledger The BIG SELLOUT: The extra state aid is going to charters, NOT public schools Feb 25, 2016. See also his posts Feb 24, 21.
Plus, in NJ charters can keep unlimited amount of surplus $ while public districts may not have surplus more than 2% of budget.
Meanwhile, politico reports that The Council of the Great City Schools has written to the Senate HELP Committee in support of King’s nomination, noting that he has “unique experience leading urban public schools that are closing achievement gaps and preparing college and career-ready students.” The letter: http://bit.ly/24q10ib.
and this scary observation
– Those were the days: Sen. Lamar Alexander has said he will help move King’s nomination through the Senate, but there is little hope that King’s confirmation hearing could be the lovefest that Arne Duncan’s was seven years ago.”I think you’re the best,” Alexander told Duncan in January 2009.
”I think you’re the best,”
Good Lord. That’s the kind of rigorous, exhaustive review ed reform gets in Congress.
It’s embarrassing how lock-step it is. Complete and utter capture.
I listened to the last Senate debate on ed reform but I turned it off when Al Franken started in on the wonders of online assessments.
They quibble over details – should the feds or the states put the agenda in, should it be block grants or designated funds- but there is no substantive debate of any kind on the basic agenda bullet points. All the decisions have been made.