Four new members joined the “Chiefs for Change,” which was established by Jeb Bush to promote school choice, charters, vouchers, online charter schools, the Common Core, and high-stakes testing. School choice has been shown to promote segregation, but that probably will not be a topic of discussion at the next meeting or any future meeting. Nor is there likely to be much attention to the many reports about the poor results obtained by virtual charters. Perhaps they might discuss the continuing lack of any evidence for the success of vouchers. Or the many charters that are low-performing and how they should be held accountable.
The new members include Carey Wright, state superintendent of Mississippi; Malika Anderson, Superintendent of the Achievement School District in Tennessee; Steve Canavero, Superintendent of Public Instruction in Nevada; and Lewis D. Ferebee, Superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
They should change the title of their organization from “Chiefs for Change” to “Brigands for Bucks.” The NPE could make a lot of money by designing and printing “reformer” playing cards and dart boards.
Ferebee got an “Innovation School Fellowship”, awarded by Mind Trust. Guess who funds Mind Trust. Nah, it’s too easy. $1,420,000 from Gates.
Gates needs to just GO AWAY! The harm Gates has caused is disgusting.
Media Matters made “Gates go away” in its education privatization reporting, as pointed out by Mercedes Schneider.
I really don’t see this decision any more as based on education policy, much less data. It’s an opportunity to make a broader ideological statement and connect w/a specific constituency. Basically, I believe they are selling out their immediate responsibilities and citizens to show/earn membership in a shadow government of right wing corporatist-elitists.
From what I’ve seen of the two Chiefs For Change who came from our district, there is little to suggest that either man (and yes, they are so often men) has any real educational interest. They both appear to simply love being at the top of a hierarchy and care little about instructional policy or pedagogy…only about the power and the money. They’ll ALWAYS do “what they’re told.”
Jeb Bush’s Chiefs for Churn
Delaware, Mark Murphy, Former Secretary Of Education
Nevada, Dale Erquiaga, Former Superintendent Of Public InstructionTexas, Mike Miles, Former Superintendent Of Dallas Independent School District
Tennessee, Kevin Huffman, Former Superintendent Of The Achievement School District
Utah, Brad Smith, Former State Superintendent Of Public Instruction
California, Antwan Wilson, Superintendent Of Oakland Unified School District
Colorado, Tom Boasberg, Superintendent Of Denver Public Schools
District Of Columbia Hanseul Kang State (Sic) Superintendent Of Education,
Florida, Barbara Jenkins Superintendent Of Orange County Public Schools
Florida, Desmond Blackburn, Superintendent Of Brevard County Schools
Florida, Robert Avossa Superintendent Of Palm Beach County
Indiana, Lewis Ferebee, Superintendent Of Indianapolis Public Schools
Louisiana, John White, State Superintendent Of Education
Michigan, Veronica Conforme, Chancellor Of The Education Achievement Authority,
Mississippi, Carey M. Wright, State Superintendent Of Education
Nevada, Steve Canavero, Superintendent Of Public Instruction
New Jersey, Christopher D. Cerf, Superintendent Of Newark Public Schools
New Mexico, Hanna Skandera, Secretary Of Education
Oklahoma, Deborah Gist, Superintendent Of Tulsa Public Schools
Tennessee, Malika Anderson, Superintendent Of The Achievement School District
Tennessee, Kevin Huffman Former Commissioner Of Education
Brad Smith of Utah resigned two months ago. I think he was so bad that even the charter supporters and other deformers in the state had to get rid of him.
They are never at a loss of knuckleheads to join these reform groups. Birds of a feather…
Is there not a conflict of interest for any of them?
Knuckleheads? You are way, way too nice.
On April 27, UnKochMyCampus.org released audio recordings from the annual Association of Private Enterprise Education. In the recording, participants “speak frankly about attempts to dodge transparency requests, from students…., cozy relationships with high-ranking university administrators,” etc. The transcript is at the UnKoch site.
Commissioner Mitchell Chester praises Jeb Bush’s group and Sir Michael Barber at the SREE conference for researchers. He wants the other Commissioners to get involved with the group that Jeb Bush promoted/initiated and he wants commissioners to use the “Implementation protocols” of Sir Michael Barber. He goes on to say there is a paucity of research but he also states that “constituencies ” are impervious to facts (specifically here he was attacking the teachers/parents etc who dare to stand up to him) and he said the department is “Neutral” on charter schools yet he went on to give his own favorites (citing specific urban charters) and he said they often do “boot-strapping” advocacy where they don’t have hard evidence (I presume here he means DESE). Because Governor Baker and Ed Secretary Peyser are famous for their bias towards charter schools — Chester has to name the ones he likes and he also says the New Orleans charter schools have been “praised.” At one point he makes a remark about Barbara Forman (that I couldn’t interpret) when he says “Does learning disability really exist? and in another political statement he complains that Auditor Suzanne Bump in MA has been providing information about charter schools (he names her specifically when he talks about constituencies in the state who are impervious to facts. He doesn’t like any facts that come out of the auditor’s office I guess).
SREE Conference Spring panel with David Steiner and Mitchell Chester.
https://www.sree.org/video/index.php?fullScreen=Yes&item=2016SBall3 Listen to the whole thing if you have the stomach for it. Spring conference SREE.
McRel Changing Schools (newsletter) I gave them a positive comment at McRel… “I was pleased to see this article referenced when my latest McRel newsletter came in the mail today. The McRel article is by Bess Scott and Kristin Rouleau: “Professional Learning from the inside Out. … The relevance of the work of Gene Glass, David Berliner (as cited in your reference section) is quite significant to me especially when the Commissioner of Ed in MA says he is “bootstrapping” and doing things without evidence because there is a paucity of research. Keep up the articles and publications through MCREL and I was pleased to see the EPAA article cited. … … I called McRel to thank the authors… there is a lot of “marketing hype ” out there and the governors are falling into that trap (especially when they get poor advice from Commissioners who are pushing the Jeb Bush goals…