Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant says he is considering a third option for the public schools of Jackson, other than leaving them to the elected school board or state takeover. He is thinking of bringing in a bunch of private-sector organizations to turn around the district, just the way they “turned around” Newark, New Jersey, and Battle Creek, Michigan.
I am not so sure about the turnaround in Newark, except that Mark Zuckerberg dropped $100 million, which most observers think was wasted, Governor Christie and Senator Corey Booker wanted it to be the all-charter New Orleans of the North, and there are still unresolved issues having to do with charter cherrypicking. Is there a reader who can inform us of the turnaround in Battle Creek, Michigan?
Gov. Phil Bryant confirmed this morning that he is working with several organizations as well as the Mississippi Department of Education to find a third option to revitalize the state’s second-largest school district beyond leaving it under Jackson Public Schools’ control or allowing the State to run it.
Jackson Public Schools received its second “F” rating in a row last week and seemed prime for a state takeover, but Bryant hesitated to sign the resolution that would send the district into State control. Today, Bryant said he is working with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Barksdale Reading Institute and the Education Commission of the States. Bryant serves as the chairman of the Education Commission’s board.
The governor didn’t rule out a state takeover, but he is leaving everyone to guess what the third option might be.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I always say the Chicago public education system is the canary in the coal mine. Mississippi is the bird that is roadkill and each subsequent driver aims to hit it too. You are going to let corporations suck what little money is left out of the system, Governor?
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I doubt these private organizations have much motivation to connect with the community apart from extracting money. Thus their plans will have a high likelihood of failure.
And the executives would likely never enroll their own kids in these schools. As usual, a good marker that the quality will be inferior to alternatives.
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Oh the harm caused by arms-length do-gooders — right or left.
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Don’t you just want to scream when governors emulate each other’s failed ideas! It is time to get off the privatization merry go round and take responsibility for your state’s education and your young people. Time and time again businesses provide a great marketing pitch, but are clueless about education.
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It makes you wonder if they ever read anything other than the marketing pitches of the privatizers. Just as likely they have received an investment pitch telling them how they can personally “benefit” from such a takeover.
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Smells like another St. Louis, where the installation of new corporate management of the district in 2001 paved the way to a complete state takeover five years later. The district is still under state takeover:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/09/07/the-sad-story-of-public-education-in-st-louis/?utm_term=.9a8e0f28482c
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Way back in the early 90’s, Edison Schools took over some “failing” Hartford Public Schools. Edison failed. The private sector has shown time and again that it is no better at raising up the hard-to-educate than public schools. When will we learn this?
My prescription for “failing” public schools:
1. Implement a knowledge-rich curriculum, instead of the current skill-focused fare. Knowledge deficit is what makes poor kids lag, not lack of vague skills.
2. Empower teachers to run a tight ship in the classroom rather than punishing teachers for doing so, as is the current vogue. Chaos in urban schools continues to drive teachers out to the suburbs or out of the profession.
3. Shrink class sizes and double teachers’ prep time.
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Not now able to research the Battle Creek transformation. It is a small district with major budget problems caused in significant measure by “parental choice.” I did not fund information on private parties stepping in.
http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/story/news/2017/07/19/shes-charge-transforming-battle-creek-schools/419333001/
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We can’t even get teachers to apply to teach in Jackson. This month, the 200+ teacher vacancy posts on the JPS HR page disappeared. Now instead of posting the individual positions, there is just a request for teacher applicants. If the district is taken over, I expect that a sizable number of the teachers who are eligible to retire will do just that. Our vacancy rate could easily double and could possibly triple. Then what?
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The “State turnaround” in Newark took 22 years… if there is an urgency to fixing a problem district the State Takeover might not be the optimal approach…
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Everytime I read the names “Zuckermann” and “Gates” I CRINGE … they are both ridiculous and greedy. How much $$$$$ does one really need? Oh, forgot, they are both bottom-less pits of EGO.
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