Dr. Michael Haynes, the bold and fearless leader of the Patchigue-Medford school district on Long Island in New York State, has called on his fellow superintendents to join him in fighting misguided and harmful “reforms.’
New York School Superintendents: What Side Are You On?
Michael Hynes
Patchogue-Medford School District
“The school reform debate is reaching a super crescendo. The latest wake-up call from the U.S. Department of Education highlights the fact that we are running out of time to the stop the imprudent attempts of reformers to make the case that public schools need to be fixed by them. By them… I mean both educators and businessmen and women who believe they know the answer(s).
“U.S. Secretary of Education’s John King’s latest unchildfriendly (that’s a new word) doubling down on the importance of standardized tests tells me he is unfit for this office. Secretary King is not only bad for students, he is terrible for teachers and principals as well. The man has zero business leading the nation’s public schools. To think the U.S. Department of Education will now look to hold teacher preparation programs (TPPs) accountable for how their teacher graduates perform as teachers merely based on their students’ success on standardized tests… it begs the question, when will the insanity end?
“There is no better time to finally draw a line in the sand and come together as the educational leaders of our school communities and say enough is enough. We are done with the scare tactics. We are done with the threats and we are done with the reformers holding our children and educators hostage.
“Make no mistake: this will trickle down to all 50 State Education Departments and impact our newest and brightest teachers. Sadly, it reinforces the reformers’ notion that standardized test scores are what’s most important because children and adults are merely widgets and numbers. The real numbers reformers care about is the $621 billion (with a b!) per year endeavor they stand to make.
“I challenge our school superintendents to publicly denounce this latest atrocity to our school system by Secretary King. We must stand together and declare enough is enough. Now is time to choose sides.
“Are you on the side of reformers who at every turn want to increase charter schools (at the public schools expense) and myopically over emphasize tests scores and weaken unions? Or are you on the side of public school advocates who fight for equity and opportunities for all students?
“New York Superintendents, let us collectively create a thunderclap response. The Council of School Superintendents should finally do something provocative and proactive by making a public service announcement asking King to step down. Tell our NY U.S. Senators we have a vote of no confidence for John King. That would be a first.
“Let me make this crystal clear to all school reformers out there…socio-economic status is the most relevant determinant of student success in school. The problem is you already know that.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Well stated.
Congress is complicit. The writing of ESSA is serves as an open invitation for King to rewrite it through “regulatory guidance.”
The take-down of public education and of teacher education has been the aim, with absurdities such as federal agenda to install pay-for-performance going back to the days of Margaret Spellings and now with the evaluation of teacher education programs by the test scores of students who receive instruction by their graduates.
LikeLike
The new ESSA gives a wink and a nod to CBE or “personalized learning” which we know is embedded testing all the time. I can think of nothing worse than this false “reform” masquerading as authentic education. Administrators should resist this attempt to turn our schools over to robot culture at all costs. There is no evidence to support adoption of CBE, and it would be deadly to our students. All school districts should embrace support for Opt Out unless our policymakers come to their senses and stop trying to turn our young people over to corporations.
LikeLike
John King must go, and both Hilary and the NY Times need to read some real research on charter vs public school performances, and then reconsider their advocacy of Charter programs. JVK (training public secondary English teacher-trainees for almost 50 years).
LikeLike
Please celebrate these leaders by publishing the names and school districts of the wonderful superintendents who have come forward to join Superintendent Hynes in his fight for public education.
LikeLike
Support for Common Core at all-time low nationwide:
http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/support-common-core-drops-all-time-low
LikeLike
Seems Senator Alexander and Senator Murray were most responsible for crafting the final bill. Does anyone else remember it that way?
LikeLike
JB2, agreed
LikeLike
“New York Superintendents, let us collectively create a thunderclap response. The Council of School Superintendents should finally do something provocative and proactive by INSTRUCTING THEIR STAFF TO RETURN ANY AND ALL TESTING MATERIALS TO THE STATE AND IN INSTRUCTING THEIR STAFF TO TEACH AS IS CONGRUENT WITH THE PURPOSE OF PUBLIC EDUCATION: TO PROMOTE THE WELFARE OF THE INDIVIDUAL SO THAT EACH PERSON MAY SAVOR THE RIGHT TO LIFE, LIBERTY, THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS, AND THE FRUITS OF THEIR OWN INDUSTRY.”
Simple correction, huge consequences.
LikeLike