Anthony Cody read the post about the collaboration between the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and the Center for American Progress, which are sponsoring a low-budget “moon shot for kids.”
Not many (or any) of those who work at TBF or CAP have been career teachers.
Anthony Cody offers his advice:
I worked in the public schools of Oakland, CA, for 24 years, 18 of them as a middle school teacher of science and Math. I have witnessed firsthand the destructive effect of previous philanthropic efforts in education. There must be a radical change in approach.
The key to successful investment in this arena is leveraging a relatively small amount of money to create a ripple effect that delivers further deeper investment — and not just of funds, but of public trust and engagement.
A coalition of philanthropists would heed the convincing evidence from Anand Giridharadas that their prior efforts have had the effect of suppressing investment and engagement in common public schools. They would reverse course, and instead of seeking to undermine public schools under control of democratically elected school boards, create a campaign to support such schools. They would create a process to empower a democratically elected leadership team composed of students, teachers and parents.
The project would work to:
1. Support efforts to reduce income inequality, since there is a direct connection between educational and economic well-being.
2. Overturn Citizen’s United, since this absurd notion has allowed for legalized bribery.
3. Recognize the destructive effects of high stakes tests and work to end them at all levels.
4. Reaffirm the value of racial and economic desegregation, so all children have equal access to high quality schools, and the chance to learn together.
5. Significantly reduce class sizes across the nation, setting a cap of 20 on grades k to 3, and 25 on grades 4 to 12. This would allow for genuine personalization of education.
6. Make “virtual schools” ineligible for public funds.
7. Minimize screen time and eliminate farcical descriptions of this as “personalization.”
8. Create democratically elected teams of teachers, parents and students to participate in decision-making at every level of the education system.
This is a significant departure from previous philanthropic efforts in education. But given that prior work has been so devastating to our schools, it is time for such a correction.
THIS SHOULD BE THE PLATFORM OF THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Amen, Anthony Cody. Thank you.
But as Anthony is well aware, the billionaires are intent on reducing the cost of educating the middle and lower classes. As long as they have there huge spending advantage, they will never truly help the people’s schools. They will continue to push personal profit making agendas while working through ALEC to undermine education spending. We need a real wealth tax that eliminates billionaires.
Do any democrats have the courage to challenge the media to start going beyond what the billionaires guide them into reporting? That would involve taking a hard look at how Obama allowed Bill Gates and Arne Duncan did. And facing nauseating sermons about not fighting each other or Trump will be re-elected. Stand for something beyond the superficial lip service.
Two candidates have already released very good public education plans.
We could bash Bernie and Elizabeth Warren for not “challenging the media” more, or bash them for some other way that their proposals did not go far enough.
Other Democrats still have the same view that both those candidates had less than a year ago.
Not sure why this involves fighting one another or standing for “superficial lip service”. Are you suggesting that Bernie and Warren are just giving lip service because neither of them had good K-12 policies 8 months ago?
DFER’s poor Shavar Jeffries (except for the money thing) opposes the education plans of the two Democratic progressive candidates ( Sanders and Warren) who actually care about the poor, labor and, people of coior.
Just a guess-Jeffries loves Buttieg’s education plan just like the corporations and tech tyrants who fund him.
That would involve taking a hard look at how Obama allowed Bill Gates and Arne Duncan to guide us. (wish we had an edit feature)
I would add #9: creation of an US ED Office of Sustainability to sustain Green Ribbon Schools, promote local & state level adoption of standards for sustainability education, fund career & technical education for green careers, and incentivize public works for building/retrofitting green schools that conserve energy and water.
Cody is the right track for public education. Our schools need our support and our investment. Each one of Cody’s priorities is an important goal for public education.
Billionaires with their phony think tanks are clueless. They simply impose unrealistic metrics on students and teachers. Test and punish has failed to improve outcomes for students. As Cody points out, we need a new perspective that requires investment, engagement and collaboration.
I would prefer to see the wealthy and their foundations get completely out of the public education business because that’s how most see it: as a business opportunity.
I strongly agree with your last point: we need MORE democracy not less in education.
When principals and district administrators are mostly teachers who got tired of teaching and promoted themselves out of the classroom with a few night classes, you end up with authoritarian personalities and conformists who go along with the garbage the wealthy bribe legislators to push on schools.
If admin was done on an elected or even random basis (like a jury) we would be a lot better off.
I would prefer to see the wealthy and their foundations get completely out of the public education business because that’s how most see it: as a business opportunity.
I strongly agree with your last point: we need MORE democracy not less in education.
When principals and district administrators are mostly teachers who got tired of teaching and promoted themselves out of the classroom with a few night classes, you end up with authoritarian personalities and conformists who go along with the garbage the wealthy bribe legislators to push on schools.
If admin was done on an elected or even random basis (like a jury) we would be a lot better off.
Amen, Anthony. My brother from another mother!!!
I’d lower class sizes by at least 5 more. I find 20 too much even in the university setting if I want students to get personal attention every day.
Also, lowering teaching hours for 4 hours a day should also be high priority.
Students shouldn’t have more than 5 classes a day, 45 min long, 15 min breaks—have them 4 classses in low grades. If kids need to be taken care of longer, then name what’s needed and hence provide free after care. Don’t make kids learn extra just so that parents can work 8 hours a day.
ADD: Eliminate lead poisoning by working with Mayors, city councils, school officials to update and enforce building codes to eliminate hazardous lead from housing, water and soil.