Dear Readers,
I know you live in every state. You are parents, grandparents, educators, and concerned citizens. Can you respond to this request that I received? Please respond here and I will forward your suggestions to Mr. Casteel.
“Dr. Ravitch,
“Greetings.
“I work for the Danville Regional Foundation (DRF), a place-based, hospital conversion foundation located in Southern Virginia. We focus on the transformation of a region that has a population of about 125,000 in a geographic area on the Virginia/North Carolina border about the size of Rhode Island. Generations ago this region made their economic bets on textile manufacturing and tobacco, and for a few generations that worked out really well. Now the median household income in Danville Virginia is about half that of the state average. And many realize we’re not simply coming out of a recession where things will get back to normal, but we’re struggling to find a new normal in a transformed economy. Our foundation is one of the partners trying to help the region find new competitive advantages. We focus most of our efforts on education, workforce development, economic development, and health and wellness.
“Every other year DRF takes our board of directors on a trip to places which are farther along the developmental curve in certain areas than this region. In the past we’ve been to Greenville SC (downtown revitalization), Lewiston-Auburn Maine (regionalism), and Dubuque Iowa (economic development platforms). We do this not to find silver bullets, or buy models off the shelf and try to plug them in here, but to try and understand the issues more deeply and to “see the possible” of what’s out there and working in other places.
“We want to go to places that look like this region as much as possible, rather than significantly larger and wealthier cities with lots of resources. This year, the board is interested in a trip that would highlight a place that is doing innovative work in education.
“We’ve made some significant investments (for us) in education, including over $9 Million in the region for the creation of a local program focused on early childhood education. With those efforts we realize measuring impact is a long-term prospect. We’re looking for a place being thoughtful about various innovations that are focused not on “failed fads and foolish ideas” and not models built only to improve the test scores, which I fear is what many think success looks like. Ideally, perhaps, would be a school district where the community and the schools have a shared vision about what success looks like for them and agreed upon strategy to get there.
“I very much appreciate your work and ideas in the field and I write today to see if you have any suggestions of places we should consider, or other guidance you can offer.
“Sincerely,
“Clark Casteel”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I hear great things about the Community Learning Center model in the Cincinnati Public Schools. The focus seems to be on the school as a community hub. I followed Councilman PG Sittenfeld’s work there, and now it looks like Julie Doppler is the Director. Her e-mail is dopplej@cps-k12.org.
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Sorry for the posting mistake. My full reply is down below.
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The silence is deafening.
“ideally, perhaps, would be a school district where the community and the schools have a shared vision about what success looks like for them and agreed upon strategy to get there.”
Wonder why???
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The program has grown to the two adjacent high schools and has 1400 students involved. We have four Gates Scholars and this past weekend we had a student accepted at Stanford. ( that goes with having students accepted at Harvard, Amherst, University of Chicago, Northwestern, Georgetown and others. The educational and community success we have had is unprecedented. Bill Gray 7348120545 Sent from my iPad
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Wow!
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This post gives me hope for the generation after my own children who have suffered through the dark ages of public education. I look forward to readers’ comments so that I can see which districts are left, post-NCLB, that fit this description. My only concern is that someone like John King will read about these districts and act swiftly to “reform” them.
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Go to Finland, where teachers are lauded and well protected, and children are nature explorers, not tech consumers. Be weary of corporately misunderstood buzzwords and phrases like ‘innovation’ and “challenge the status quo”. Think local. Never outsource. Appreciate and build upon the natural and human resources you have been generously granted. Elect leaders who will do the same. Read literature. Be thankful.
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If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need. — Marcus Tullius Cicero
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I hear good things about the Community Learning Center Institute connected with the Cincinnati Public Schools. I believe Councilman PG Sittenfeld was initially connected with the program and now Julie Doppler (dopplej@cps-k12.org) is the Director.
From their Mission page, “The Community Learning Center Institute leads the ongoing engagement of the Greater Cincinnati community in the development of all schools as community learning centers, each with a set of financially self-sustaining, co-located community partnerships responsive to the vision and needs of each school and its neighborhood.”
I was at a community forum in Youngstown when State Rep Debbie Driehaus shared specifics on the program. There are many who would like the concept to spread throughout Ohio, but the Institute aims to strengthen public schools… which is contrary to the goals of the privatizing legislature and governor here in the Buckeye state.
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Just that you would ask this is a testament to intelligent thinking… and genuine concern for children in public education. Maybe start on a smaller scale like at a particularly forward thinking school first? Whole districts might be hard to find these days! I might suggest emailing Deborah Meier. There is a school she helped found called the Mission Hill School (I think it is now in Jamaica Plain, MA) that is thriving in spite of recent issues in MA. She also founded Central Park East.She might be able to help you with what you are asking for – although not specific to early childhood. This is the email she lists on her blog:
deborahmeier@me.com
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I suggest avoiding Chicago, we R&E under siege. Illinois is the antithesis of progressive and child centered. Good luk.
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R&E = are. Sorry. iPad spells weird.
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Scale and history matter, and schools may not be the best place to begin what sounds like a regional development project. Your community lost Dan River Fabrics, but innovations in creating fabrics are making news..can anything of that industry be revitalized? You have a river running through this region, a major asset. I think you need bring in some fresh eyes and experts in new urban/regional planning, including the transformation of abandoned industrial buildings. Instead of traveling all over the country, see if you can get experts in urban and regional planning from VCU to tour the greater metro region and offer suggestions. They have a lot of talent and experience there, including work in post-Katrina New Orleans. http://www.murp.vcu.edu/full
Cincinnati many not be the right scale for the insights you are looking for. It is a river city, and the riverfront is where most recent economic development is happening, along with adjacent properties being “gentrified” for the millennial entrepreneurs and for active retirees retreating from suburban mansions. Major league baseball and football are here. Major employers are Procter and Gamble, GE (aircraft engines), Kroger, three universities, and an ever-expanding health care industry.
The Community Learning Centers were first developed to serve people living in pockets of poverty and in ethnic or racial enclaves. Now, all Cincinnati Public schools (over 50) are elibile to become Community Learning Centers (CLC’s). We have 34 CLC’s. They offer a regular school program, health services, counseling, after-school programs, nutrition classes, parent and family engagement programs, early childhood education, career and college access services, youth development activities, mentoring, and arts and recreational programming. Not all schools have all of these services all of the time.
These schools are not really catalysis for economic development. However, when economic development occurs, these centers are viewed as assets to keep up any momentum. Like many schools, the CLC’s have a mixed history of success depending on the savvy of the principal, support from the school board, and larger patterns of development in housing, jobs, transportation.
The contracting arrangements for CLC’s are handled through a dedicated non-profit funded by two other foundations and United Way. The dedicated non-profit pays for “Resource Coordinators” in CLC’s at no cost to the district. Your local contact for details is Julie Doppler, Community Learning Centers Coordinator Email: dopplej@cps-k12.or (513) 363-0685
Cincinnati has many “choice” schools. Some of these are legacy magnet school programs now located is diverse neighborhoods (some well integrated by race and income, some not). We have Montessori schools, in high demand, and a Montessori teacher ed program. We have a German language emersion school, a selective admission high school where Greek and Latin are still taught, a school for the Visual and Performing Arts and so on.
Although I have not talked with P.G. Sittenfeld, I know that multiple groups have initiatives seeking a liason with Cincinnati Public Schools, some in competition with existing programs ( e.g. preschool). See for example this school board report: http://www.cps-k12.org/sites/www.cps-k12.org/files/files/pdfs/boardminutes/Minutes%20Special%20and%20Regular%20Brd%20Mtng%2005-18-15.pdf
My sense is that the school board is open to more educational programming within the community and in real collaborations (not symbolic partnerships)….but they are also overwhelmed by the changing federal and state policy landscape, including pressure to expand charter schools. They have authorized one. The newly appointed State Director of Public Education is a fan of online education and charters. He is not an educator. That really is bad news. Please let me know if you think I can be of help.
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Mr Casteel,
You may want to research Union City, NJ (66,000 population/22,000 households). David L Kirp, UC Berkeley, wrote about the school district in his book Improbable Scholars c1913. Poverty rate ~32% but the high school graduation rate is 89%.
Unlike other districts, Union City did not pursue senseless firing/churning of staff in their schools. They devoted energy to early childhood ed for 3&4 year olds; stressed language; mentored teachers; and worked with the community.
Silvia Abbato is Superintendent, having served as teacher, math supervisor, and Asst Supt Curriculum & Instruction. Even if you select another city to visit, phone or write her. She is smart and takes time with people. You may find common strands with Union City, once “The Embroidery Capital of the United States.”
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Improbable Scholars c2013
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Go to Vermont. They’ve enacted laws and policies that mandate pre-Kindergarten, define education quality standards that are not tied to a particular test, require students to develop personalized learning plans beginning in grade 7, and abandon Carnegie Units. I’ve worked with dozens of school districts in the state as a consultant (there are over 350 of them in the State!) and the Board members, administrators, and teachers all put students first. Oh… and they are the only State that decided NOT to Race to the Top. The Agency of Education could point you to the districts and Supervisory Unions that are moving fastest toward implementation of the State’s ambitious agenda for change that is NOT based on tests and rankings.
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Dear Mr. Casteel, In about three months time we will be releasing a parent-friendly diagnostic system suitable for measuring all the sub-skills for reading. It breaks new ground in calculating when whole word processing capacity will develop to minimal levels. It also compares reading subskills in successive tests so that you can target specific skills as well as monitoring progress in each sub-skill. The system also generates detailed reports. Background research at http://www.vasreadingecho.com I hope you find what you are looking for, Regards, Byron Harrison Chairman
> Diane Ravitchs blog > 15 May 2016 1:01 am > dianeravitch posted: “Dear Readers, I know you live in every state. > You are parents, grandparents, educators, and concerned citizens. Can > you respond to this request that I received? Please respond here and I > will forward your suggestions to Mr. Casteel. “Dr. Ravitch, &” >
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Kalamazoo Michigan has a miraculously wonderful program called The Kalamazoo Promise. Generous anonymous people provide college tuition to graduates of Kalamazoo Public Schools. This has been such a gift to the entire community. Community members and organizations have stepped up to provide some needed services that help families challenged by poverty and other issues. This has helped maintain stable public school attendance. After 10 years there are promising results and many stories of first in the family college students.
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