Archives for category: Philadelphia
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Paul Vallas’ “Nixon-to-China” Moment

By dianeravitch
May 12, 2013 //
38

I posted a few days ago about a panel discussion in New York City where Paul Vallas made this startling statement: “We’re losing the communications game because we don’t have a good message to communicate.”

He spoke bluntly of the “testing industrial complex.”

Here Valerie Strauss briefly reviews Vallas’ role in Chicago, Philadelphia, and New Orleans, where testing and privatization were key elements of his reforms. It is difficult to see any of those districts today as a template for reform of the nation’s schools. Chicago is in dire straits, As is Philadelphia, and the only thing sustaining the myth of New Orleans is a massive disinformation campaign by the funders of privatization.

I know Paul Vallas and there was a time about a decade ago when I thought he was the most promising leader of school reform in the nation. I was impressed by his energy and his quick intellect.

Because he is so smart, I hold out hope that he might be the first of the “reform” A-team to see the light, as I did around 2005.

By his remarks at the forum cited in the links, he recognizes that teacher evaluation by formula is a mess. From his Philadelphia experience he may have learned that privatization is no solution. He inaugurated the nation’s most extensive experiment in privatization a decade ago, and it failed.

Now Vallas has another chance to get it right, this time in Bridgeport, Connecticut, a small district compared to his previous assignments.

Will he lead the way away from the failed status quo? Will he be first to renounce the failed status quo?

Categories Chicago, Corporate Reformers, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Privatization, Vallas, Paul

Parent in Philly to Governor Corbett, No More Cuts

By dianeravitch
May 10, 2013 //
2

Rebecca Poyourow, parent activist, wrote a terrific op-ed calling on Governor Corbett to stop the cuts that are devastating the schools.

In 2011-12, the governor cut $1 billion from the schools, and the cuts hurry Philadelphia the most. Class sizes soared, parents chipped in to replace staff, after-school programs were eliminated, even basic supplies had to given to the school.

While parents and teachers are pinching pennies, the state-appointed school reform commission continues throwing away money, she says. “We know that our actions, while laudable, will amount to very little if our schools are persistently and pervasively underfunded. We also know that our efforts to support our kids’ schools are undermined every time the School District and the School Reform Commission make spending decisions that squander what resources Philadelphia does have on charter expansion ($139 million last year), a questionable new cyber charter venture ($15 million proposed), and new contracts with testing companies ($11 million), as well as other contracts and programs that add little benefit to our children’s education.”

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/inquirer/20130510_Education_cuts_taking_a_toll.html#K57glBaz413ITu3S.99

Categories Budget Cuts, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

New Housing for TFA, Subsidized by Your Tax Dollars

By dianeravitch
May 5, 2013 //
74

The New York Times reports today about construction of new apartments in Philadelphia, meant specifically for teachers. The development is made possible by state and federal tax credits.

But not for any teacher. Not for the teachers who live in the community. Not for veteran teachers who have put their hearts into the community schools for 10-20 years. They already have a place to live.

No, these are below-market apartments built for Teach for America recruits, those great kids with five weeks of training who plan to leave after two years.

The project will set aside office space for TFA along with a gym and coffee shop. That way, the kids may not burn out so fast.

There is a similar project for TFA in Baltimore and Newark.

Categories Philadelphia, Teach for America TFA

Can You Answer a Question about Boston Consulting Group?

By dianeravitch
April 21, 2013 //
7

This reader has a question.

I am aware that BCG recommended mass school closings in Philadelphia and handover of students to private organizations.

Can you help?

“Which cities has the BCG done this work in so far: Memphis, New Orleans, Cleveland, Philadelphia… what about chicago/DC/Detroit??? Was that BCG work too? The BCG never released their criteria for evaluating which schools to close- nor did they do site visits…. I want to piece together their decision-making process in order to reveal it for what it is… but I do not have a complete list of cities where they have made recommendations- can you provide that, Diane?”

Categories Boston Consulting Group, Closing schools, Education Industry, For-Profit, Philadelphia, Privatization

Why Cities Should Not Close Schools

By dianeravitch
April 1, 2013 //
4

Jack Hassard explains here that public schools are part of the fabric of their communities. Closing them tears apart the fabric of their lives. It harms children, families, and communities. It does not save money.

He cites the advocacy of Edward Johnson in Atlanta, a follower of W. Edwards Deming, who has diligently explained the folly of closing schools based on some arbitrary goal set by people who are not educators.

As Hassard writes, “As Deming (1994a) points out, beware of common sense when we think about such issues as ranking children by grades, ranking schools and teachers by test scores, and rewards and punishments. Deming believes that grades should be abolished, and that the ranking of people and schools should not occur. And significant to the issue of school closure, Deming suggests that taking action (such as closing a school today) may produce more problems in the future, and that a better remedy would be investigate why children in poor neighborhoods are not doing well on state mandated tests, and then do something about it.”

Categories Chicago, Closing schools, Education Industry, New York City, Parents, Philadelphia, Privatization

A Long Hot Summer in 2013?

By dianeravitch
March 22, 2013 //
8

Philadelphia journalist Will Bunch connects lots of dots: school closings in Philadelphia, the senseless killing of a black teen in Brooklyn, obscene income inequality, a new high in the stock market.

When people are disrespected and unheard, they explode.

Categories Closing schools, New York City, Philadelphia

More Cheering from Wall Street for School Closures

By dianeravitch
March 19, 2013 //
11

Good news for Wall Street! More school closings!

Does Wall Street think it would be a good idea to close down all public schools? Think of the savings to municipalities if we just stopped offering free public education!

A reader writes:

And Bloomberg reports this about Philadelphia school closures:

Closing 12% of Philadelphia Schools Creates Winners: Muni Credit

from Bloomberg


“The nation’s fifth-largest city anticipates saving $24.5 million a year by shutting 29 of its 249 buildings in June. The average building is 64 years old, according to a financial audit. More than 82 percent of students are “economically disadvantaged,” meaning they receive free or reduced-price lunches, school data show.


“It’s very likely” more schools would be closed over the next five years, said Fernando Gallard, a district spokesman, who said he couldn’t estimate how many.
 “We are wasting money maintaining empty seats and empty space in our buildings,” Gallard said. “There is a better use for that money.”
 Bond buyers view officials as trying to get a handle on their finances, said John Donaldson, director of fixed income at Radnor, Pennsylvania-based Haverford Trust Co., who manages $750 million in munis.


http://tinyurl.com/cgynj3t

Categories Budget Cuts, Closing schools, Philadelphia

Wall Street Cheers Philly School Closures

By dianeravitch
March 19, 2013 //
10

Joy Resmovits reports on Huffington Post that Moody’s rating service is happy about the school closures in Philadelphia. She writes;0:

“School Closures: Good For Wall Street? Philadelphia recently voted to close 23 schools, and a Moody’s analyst thinks that the move, which frees up privately-run charter organizations to set up shop, is a good thing financially. Why? The analyst writes that it shows the district is willing to cut costs even when faced with tremendous opposition. “The SRC has introduced deep expenditure cuts over the past 18 months, reducing a fiscal 2012 deficit of $720 million to $20.5 million through a variety of revenue and expenditure measures that included a 16.7% staff reduction and salary and benefit cuts that generated a combined $466 million in savings,” the analyst writes in a report for bond investors.”

“But as a source notes, the closures and cuts don’t mean that these schools are driving the savings — the district says its plan would save $25 million, just a fraction of the $700 million deficit reduction. So why does the market care about closures?”

Here is a link to the Moody’s story.

What is remarkable is that the discussion is purely about cutting costs and privatization. Not a word about the impact of closings on children, education, families, communities.

Our nation is in deep trouble. All the talk about “reform ” is really about cutting costs while pretending it is “for the kids,” “children first.” At least Moody’s makes no pretense about caring about the kids. Their honesty is refreshing, if cynical.

Categories Budget Cuts, Charter Schools, Closing schools, Philadelphia, Students

School Leaders in Philadelphia Play Favorites–Against Public Schools

By dianeravitch
March 12, 2013 //
9

We read about the insulting contract offer to Philadelphia teachers: cut their pay and benefits, lengthen their work day, eliminate seniority, water fountains, supplies, teachers’ lounges, parking areas. No more bonuses for advanced degrees or national board certification. Did they leave anything out? The school leaders must have laughed their heads off dreaming up whatever they could think of to punish and humiliate and demean their teachers.

An educator in Philadelphia writes about the School Reform Commission’s determination to expand charter schools while starving public schools of resources:

“We keep reading stories of malfeasance by Charter CEO’s, yet the SRC and powers that be, claim that parents choose Charter Schools. Many students have addresses without a neighborhood school. If these families want to send their children to public school, they have to make an application at the School District Headquarters, which may be miles from home. The former neighborhood schools have been converted to Charters and if the Charter is at full enrollment the students are denied admission.

“The blatant disregard for the students in Philadelphia Public Schools is evidenced daily with the lay off of 100+ Certified School Nurses, School Police Officers and Librarians. The bare bones budgetary restrictions that principals must manipulate to run their buildings would be laughable if it was not so tragic. They are proposing “Community Partnerships” as one solution- so far this looks like student nurses coming to schools for their public health rotation. When student teachers are placed in schools to learn how to become effective teachers are they going to claim that this support is for the benefit of the classroom teachers? It is really heartbreaking to see the demise of public schools. There is no REAL choice for the students of Philadelphia.”

Categories Charter Schools, Philadelphia

Philly Will Close 23 Schools

By dianeravitch
March 11, 2013 //
3

The ax of privatization swings again, this time in Philadelphia, where 23 schools will close. More are on the chopping block.

Charter schools will continue to open, despite ongoing investigations and poor performance, as the city and state retreat from its responsibility for public education.

Categories Closing schools, Philadelphia
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