EduShyster attended a school board meeting in Brockton, Massachusetts. That town is home to Brickton High School, which has received national attention for its dramatic, teacher-led turnaround.
State officials came to the board meeting, and EduShyster briefly dreamed that they were there to learn how Brockton High achieved success.
But no, they were there to announce that the state was opening a charter high school to compete with the much acclaimed community high school.
She notes that charters in Massachusetts have shown no innovation, no breakthroughs. And she wonders: What’s the point?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Reblogged this on David R. Taylor-Thoughts on Education.
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They can forget any focus on or interest in public schools from here on out.
When ed reformers take over it’s all charters, all the time.
Ed reform lawmakers periodically check in on the public schools to deliver threats or scolding lectures on standardized testing, but only during “testing season”.
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Looks like Congress will have no debate on or questions about John King.
We’re sticking with the Bush/Obama agenda for another decade or two:
“He noted that with King’s positions on charter schools, rigorous teacher evaluations and student testing, King may actually make a few committee Democrats more uncomfortable than Republicans.”
Both Democrats and Republicans agree on the DC agenda for schools: testing for public school kids and opening charter schools. That’s the sum total of this “movement”, when you strip out all the slogans and marketing.
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With all the disruption and the poor to mediocre results, it is hard to find the silver lining in “reform.” Nothing useful or innovative has come from this movement. The fact that “choice” has resulted in increased segregation is concerning. Widespread privatization starves public schools of funds and resources while leaving the most expensive behind. Some law makers have systematically and deliberately starved public education. As in the example above, charters are springing up when there is no need. Our policymakers have shown charter schools partiality and have ignored needs of most of our students. Such allegiance to charter schools is unfounded as research does not support this.
Since the public has been removed from the process, and our leaders have been influenced by corporate and billionaire wealth. The public needs to answer our leaders with our vote or lack thereof in coming elections. The NPE should issue a rating or ranking system for legislators showing who will support public education. This and opt-out are the only ways for citizens to show their disdain and stop the bleeding. If policymakers are concerned about their futures, they will be less likely to jump on the corporate bandwagon.
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So to answer Edushyster… “What are Charters For?”… Why of course the obvious answer is… they are for the profit of the “corporate ed” industry. No need to applaud Brickton High School and to have an exchange of ideas with other public high schools that might bring beneficial change. No need because an “anointed corporate ed” entity does not profit by this! Instead, open a parasitic charter that will drain the life from the public school (as well as the coffers). Then Gates can berate, come up with an absurd plan and drop money.
Retired teacher… there is no “silver lining” …nothing “innovative” about “corporate ed reform” because it was never intended for the benefit of students. Corporate profit off of “public education” was there for the taking. Taking public money from education and redistributing it in the coffers of anointed private companies and individuals is exactly the intention and result of “corporate ed reform”.
Lawmakers will not be held accountable until we restore balance to government and make our politicians BEHOLDEN TO THE PEOPLE and not to PACS funding political campaigns… Citizens United is the biggest threat all around to implementing policies with goals to really and truly help students in public schools (among other facets of our national policy). Currently, if these goals are not profitable to corporations, they are not “worthy”. And those in charge of policy are beholden to those who fund their campaigns and positions.
This “taking” and redistributing” has been orchestrated and has powerfully enabled a small class of “megabillionaires” who would never be megabillionaires without specific policy catered to this amassing of wealth. Laws enacted which specifically enable these billionaires or millionaires to keep amassing wealth at the expense of society-at-large should infuriate the general public. Instead, people buy into the Koolaid and vote against their own best interests.
The public-at-large should be voting on how money is used for the good of society – not single individuals like Gates or Broad. But the public is shut out thanks to Citizens United. Every time Gates singlehandedly gets applause and praise for funding his megalomaniac notions, my blood boils! Some politician who benefitted by Gates money is publicly applauding Gates! Gates, Broad, Bloomberg… how can so few individuals be allowed to completely control national policy – one major example (among many) being … the education of our youth???? When, when, when and WHEN is the national WAKE UP CALL?
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Not only has the test-based reform movement FAILED at every turn, they have also suffocated any new and innovative ideas that lie outside the boundaries of standards and standardized tests as some sort of magical solution.
For example, my school district has developed a radical new approach to middle level grade promotion that is free, ridiculously easy to implement, and has been wildly successful. Now in our 5th year, we have been unable to get any traction with other districts because the sole focus has been on FAILED testing policies.
If anyone is interested, let me know.
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But what does “support” mean? Does that just mean more money? If so, then where does it go once allocated? That’s an important point. Is it kept within the state? Or is sent to TFA? Or companies like Pearson and Achieve?
I don’t even know what “support” for public schools means anymore when potential leadership and candidates say it. Are they visiting schools? Are they pushing for caps on charters or at least for a good hard look at the situation? Or do they just have photo opps with the local teacher organization and call that support? Isn’t it duplicitous to say they stand up for public schools but at the same time they take no action against testing or standardizing everything and slowing the lowest common denominator (ironically highest test scores on standardized tests are lowest common denominator, in my opinion).
I think leadership and potential leadership need to describe what they mean when they say they “support” public schools. Is there a “but” in there somewhere? I think the “I support public schools but we need more accountability” of the late 80s and 90s got is where we are. What’s the “but” now? Or if there is no “but,” what does the statement of support look like in terms of action?
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I have yet to see a progressive education leader in NC who has not either totally bought into the “gimmick industry” that is wrapped up in Ed innovation or else who has become so fed up with the impact of those notions that they prefer charters to escape the submission to purchased education in a box (CCSS, tests etc).
Is there such a thing as pure public education leadership? No gimmicks. No privatizing. Looking to state talent and minds for design of curriculum, informed by associations but not tainted by philanthropy or corporate drive? Has there ever been? Do we simply have to choose one trade off over another? Or can we truly get to this notion of complete and true support for public schools uncompromised by big money or Ed industry trends?
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I agree with everyone here. The fact is we don’t need a set of mediocre to poor parallel, inefficient schools draining resources from public schools for no purpose other than to enrich a few at the expense of many.
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The privatizers have increased segregation because — like Duncan, Emanuel, Rhee, and others whose own children attend a private school — families with means are avoiding de-funded public schools with their over-accelerated Common Core curriculum and concomitant insane over-testing. And families who can afford to are avoiding the harsh discipline of charters.
Privatizers’ errors fall hardest upon minorities.
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Masschusetts’ State Board of Education is appointed and so the members are unaccountable to the taxpayers. The most egregious remark came from member Penny Noyce that Board’s role does not involve considering financial or other impact on district schools. Last year alone, $420 million was directed from public schools to charters.
Time to issue an Amber Alert for democratic governance in the Commonwealth.
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I know where this language in EdShyster’s report comes from: *Recombinant Education: Regenerating the Learning Ecosystem.*
This comes from KnowledgeWorks.org, based in Cincinnati, where on-line learning is marketed, only personalized learning exists as viable, new roles are invented (learning sherpas) and so on. The new CEO was deeply engaged with the open University in Great Britain. The old CEO was a banker.
See http://www.knowledgeworks.org/cultivating-interconnections-vibrant-and-equitable-learning-ecosystems
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But how many supposed supporters of public schools would think this is wonderful? Especially if there are grants that go along with it?
To my point: when I look at NEA magazine and websites about teacher leaders and all this, it is this type thing that is being celebrated.
I see a huge disconnect between the notion of supporting public schools for the reasons of democracy and the future and what is really happening and what the “supporters of public education” are celebrating.
Achievement gap has nothing on the gaps in the dialogue of public Ed support. I see shiny websites and data walls being celebrated by the very people who are the supposed leaders in public Ed. Is that the way it should be? If voters vote for candidates who tout their support of public Ed in their campaigning, can they expect those leaders to consider corporate and philanthropic influence in public schools something to be celebrated?
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