Archives for category: Philadelphia
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Privatization, Profits, and Politicians

By dianeravitch
August 3, 2012 //
8

A reader noted the similarity between Governor Chris Christie’s plan to privatize low-performing public schools, and Governor Rick Snyder’s reform plan in Michigan. Other readers have commented on the irony of conservative Republican governors–allegedly committed to small government–aggressively using the powers of government to undermine local control and privatize schools.

The similarity goes beyond Christie and Snyder. The same ideas–privatize low-performng schools, close low-performing schools–are embedded in Race to the Top, also in the Boston Consulting Group’s plan for Philadelphia, the Mind Trust plan for Indianapolis, the Bloomberg reforms in New York City, Mayor Frank Jackson’s plan for Cleveland. None of these plans ever works, other than by pushing out the low-performing kids and sending them to other struggling schools. It makes you wish that these guys would take a peek at evidence or actually care about the kids. And it also makes you wonder why none of them ever has an original idea. They just copy one another ad infinitum. And the more they copy stale, failed ideas, the more they praise themselves as “innovators.”

When you see how popular these ideas are among conservative Republicans, it shows how far to the right the Republican party has gone, when the principle of profit trumps the principle of local control and respect for tradition:

This sounds very eerily the same as what Gov Rick Snyder has already done here in Michigan. The Educational Achievement Authority (EAA) is set to operate the lowest performing 5% of Michigan schools starting in the 12-13 school year. Here is a quote from the michigan.gov website explaining the EAA ” It (EAA) will first apply to underperforming schools in Detroit in the 2012-2013 school year and then be expanded to cover the entire state.” Is this not a state takeover?
Categories Boston Consulting Group, Michigan, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Privatization

How Can We Cure Very, Very Sick Public Policy?

By dianeravitch
August 1, 2012 //
3

A teacher in Philadelphia wrote a terrific article explaining why her school is “incredible.”

The state labeled it “low-performing.”

Now her students will be allowed to “escape” to another school.

But, she points out,

A staggering 95 percent of our students come from poor families, nearly 30 percent are learning English, and at least 16 percent have special needs. You will never hear me use those numbers as excuses, though. I tell anyone who will listen that my students are some of the most intelligent, engaging, enthusiastic, and resilient children in Pennsylvania.

She describes the many successes of her students, each of whom has achieved a personal triumph this year and concludes:

 Each and every child in my classroom had his or her own successes. Will those successes be reflected in their test scores? I hope so. But even if they are not, that doesn’t diminish their triumphs.

Yet when these students come back to school in September, they will hear that they go to an underachieving school, and that they can go to a “good” school. What message will they take away?

It would never cross my mind to call a student “bad.” But now the state is labeling entire schools — and, in turn, communities — “bad.” That is distressing not only because I know my colleagues and I are committed to excellence, but also because it will be one more way society is telling our students they are unworthy.

 

 

 

Categories Accountability, NCLB (No Child Left Behind), Philadelphia, Poverty

Are Charter Schools Public Schools?

By dianeravitch
August 1, 2012 //
11

A school district review in Philadelphia determined that many of the charters set up significant obstacles to students who want to enroll.

In one school, applications are available only one day in the year. “Another unnamed charter required applicants to complete an 11-page application, write an essay, respond to 20 short-answer questions, provide three recommendations, be interviewed, and provide records related to their disciplinary history, citizenship and disability status.”

When the School Reform Commission imposes its massive privatization scheme, there will be many more hoops and hurdles, leaving the public schools with the students who couldn’t figure out how to get into a charter school. A system of haves and have-nots. Winners and losers.

Categories Charter Schools, Philadelphia, Privatization

Prosecutor Pledges to Pursue Charter School Scams

By dianeravitch
July 25, 2012 //
1

After a federal grand jury returned a 62-count indictment against a charter school founder and her associates, claiming that $6.5 million in public funds was misused, the U.S. Attorney declared that he would pursue any charter school operators who abused the public trust. The attorney for the defendant said she was innocent and would offer a strong defense against the charges.

“This indictment in this case alleges that June Brown and her four co-conspirators used the charter school system to engage in rampant fraud and obstruction,” Memeger said during an afternoon news conference. “My office will continue to vigorously investigate and pursue those charter school operators who defraud the taxpayers and deprive our children of funds for their education.”

He was joined at the announcement by FBI Special l Agent in Charge George C. Venizelos and Steven Anderson, the special agent in charge of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General for the Mid-Atlantic region. Agents from both federal agencies were involved in the years-long investigation with Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Kyriakakis that led to the indictments.

“The bottom line is running a charter school does not give you a license to steal,” Venizelos said.

Every penny that was lost due to fraud was taken from the public schools of Philadelphia.

The School Reform Commission of Philadelphia hopes to expand the charter sector, adding dozens more deregulated and lightly supervised schools.

Categories Accountability, Charter Schools, Philadelphia, Privatization

Astonishing News from Philadelphia

By dianeravitch
July 24, 2012 //
11

As readers of this blog know, the School Reform Commission of Philadelphia has recommended a vast expansion of charter schools.

It is acting on the recommendation of the Boston Consulting Group, business management consultants with no deep knowledge of education but a deep love of privatization.

The business leaders of Philadelphia are pushing hard for the privatization plan.

But today, the U.S. Attorney for Philadelphia charged a major charter school leader in Philadelphia with multiple violations of the law:

A charter school mogul was charged today in a multimillion dollar fraud case by the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Dorothy June Hairston Brown, who received accolades for students’ test scores and gained notoriety for collecting large salaries and suing parents who questioned her actions was indicted on multiple counts of wire fraud, obstruction of justice and witness tampering.

Brown, a former Philadelphia school district principal, founded three small charter schools in Philadelphia: the Laboratory which has campuses in Northern Liberties, Overbrook and Wynnefield; Ad Prima in Overbrook and Planet Abacus in Tacony.

In addition, in 2005 she helped create the Agora Cyber Charter School, which provides online instruction to students from across the state in their homes.

An article in another paper says that $6.5 million was misappropriated.

Really, in light of the latest charter school scandal in Philadelphia, can the city’s leaders continue to demand the creation of even more unregulated, privately-managed schools? 

Categories Accountability, Boston Consulting Group, Philadelphia, Privatization

Who Is Paying to Privatize Public Schools in Philly?

By dianeravitch
July 24, 2012 //
2

The William Penn Foundation in Philadelphia paid for the services of the Boston Consulting Group (the group that spawned Bain).

BCG recommended privatization of a large number of schools in the city, allegedly to save money. But as we know, charters don’t save money and on average, they don’t get better results. But they do manage to compete with public schools for limited public funding.

Now we learn that the foundation was not content to bring in the hired guns of BCG, it also put $160,000-180,000 into PR to promote the recommendations to the citizens and legislators.

These guys will do whatever they can to make sure public education does not survive in Philadelphia.

To whom is the William Penn Foundation accountable? Who elected them to rearrange the lives of the people of their city?

Categories Boston Consulting Group, Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers, Philadelphia, Privatization

A Glimmer of Hope in Philadelphia?

By dianeravitch
July 23, 2012 //
7

Thanks to the reader who sent the link to this editorial in the Philadelpia Inquirer.

The editorial warns that charter schools are no panacea; that many of them are no better than the public schools they replace; that opening charters does nothing for the vast majority left behind in public schools for which there is no plan at all.

Opening escape hatches that skim off the most motivated kids solves no problems.

Most children will be left behind. Remember them?

And it will cost a bankrupt district $139 million to open new charters.

Where is this heading? Has anyone thought this through?

The Boston Consulting Group has not.

What’s the end game?

The editorial board of the Philadelphia Inquirer is asking good questions.

Does the School Reform Commission have any answers?

Categories Boston Consulting Group, Charter Schools, Philadelphia

Why Weren’t These Students Taking Tests? Update!

By dianeravitch
July 18, 2012 //
23

Last night, I watched the PBS Frontline program and saw “Fast Times at West Philly High.” It is a wonderful documentary about the teachers and students at this inner-city high school who entered an international competition to create a hybrid car. It follows them as they build their models, then take them to the competition. Theirs is the only team of high school students. All the others in the competition are adults, and many are professionals.

This is real reform, unlike the phony schemes to privatize public schools and hand them over to for-profit entrepreneurs. This is real curriculum, instruction, teaching and learning, where students are eagerly learning and applying what they learn. This is real teaching, where the teachers are fully invested in what they are teaching and respect their students as partners in the learning.

When people ask why it is so hard to motivate high school students to care about their work, tell them to watch this documentary. These students are highly motivated. They are learning the “soft skills” that employers say they want. They are learning self-discipline, teamwork, cooperation, initiative, responsibility, and hard work. They show up on time. They care. They are using computers. They are learning and practicing reading, math, science, technology and engineering.

The title of this post is ironic. I bet these same students would be turned off if the same amount of time was devoted to test prep for the next state exams.

Yet in this endeavor, they are all super stars.

And so are their teachers.

PS: A reader points out that the Chicago Board of Education recently killed the automotive tech program at Lane High School. Perhaps Mayor Rahm Emanuel or Board member Penny Pritzker might arrange a showing of “Fast Times at West Philly High” for the members of the Board.

Categories Curriculum, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Solution: Go Broke

By dianeravitch
July 15, 2012 //
1

Philadelphia’s School Reform Commission has decided that the best way to address its looming deficit is to increase it. With each new charter approved by the SRC, the public schools lose $7,000. The latest estimate is that the public schools will transfer over $139 million in the next five years to new charters. With the plan drafted by the Boston Consulting Group, the SRC is well on its way to putting public education out of business in Philadelphia by transferring public assets to private hands.

Categories Charter Schools, Philadelphia

Do You Want to See Camika’s Great Speech?

By dianeravitch
July 13, 2012 //
8

If you are following the saga of Dr. Camika Royal, you will remember that Gary Rubinstein posted a video of her addressing the Philadelphia summer institute of TFA, some 700 young people who will work in the Philadelphia public schools (which is laying off teachers).

Gary sent the video to me, and I wrote a post, but before I could put it online, the video mysteriously disappeared. There was some pushback, as both Gary and I get an email from someone warning us that Camika was not going  to be used by “the anti-reform movement” and that she was a loyal servant of the reform movement.

Yesterday evening, I got a tweet from Camika, addressed to both me and Gary, with a new statement by Camika published on Huffington Post and including a transcript of her speech. I was mentally cheering. I posted how pleased I was and how impressed I was by her courage.

Now apparently the video is back up again. I don’t know who took it down and I don’t know who put it back.

Here is a comment that includes the video.

Some people think that TFA acts like a cult. It programs people and it expects everyone to follow the party line or be ostracized.

My advice to TFA is this: Let Camika be Camika. She’s smart, she’s articulate, she thinks for herself. Don’t muzzle her. Hear her.

Good morning, Diane ~Every day when I open my email, I see your new blogs and a daily email from Ken Derstine, Save Our Schools Information Coordinator in Pennsylvania, He, like many of us work tirelessly and yes, I am sure the hope by the reformies is that we will ALL become reform weary, like Camika Royal talked about in her speech.Ken’s “Pennsylvania Education Crisis Updates” can be read about DAILY on his blog: Pennsylvania SOS [Save Our Schools] on this link:http://www.pa-sos.org/ . Ken does a great job keeping this updated and provides readers a model we can all follow.

He and Helen Gym, Parents United PA are dedicated to saving public schools, along with Philly Acts. The students in PA are very organized as well.

They are folks to follow on Twitter: @KenDerstine @ParentsUnitedPA @PhillyActs

Now, back to the topic, Camika Royal.

We’re not going to play into the reformy’s hands. We’re just getting this party started and like Camika, we’re going to speak out. And when Camika was speaking out, her revolution was being televised.

When I opened Ken’s email this morning, there she was on You Tube. I thought to myself, “Wait, that video was taken down! It probably won’t work. Well, give it a try. What can be hurt?”

Well, low and behold: “It works!” In this modern world, “the revolution will be televised.” Here is Camika saying every word we needed to hear — in Pennsylvania where the reformies are trying to kill public education and Camika stands up and says NO!

Thanks, Diane. I thought your readers would like to hear Camika’s outstanding speech!
Categories Education Reform, Philadelphia, Teach for America TFA
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