"Race to the Top has ignited an outburst of meanness"

[madfloridian]

In a recent interview in Milwaukee, Diane Ravitch made these comments.

From the On Milwaukee.com website:

Ravitch's book has lessons for Milwaukee schools

OMC: Is this a kind of game that states are forced to play in order to get that money?

DR: Yes, Race to the Top is encouraging state legislators to take punitive steps towards schools and teachers that will lead nowhere.

OMC: What's the administration's theory about how withholding this money from districts in need affects the children in that district?

DR: This is simply a threat. It should never become reality. No child will benefit if the funding to his or her school is withheld. Race to the Top has ignited an outburst of meanness, not a race to help kids and teachers and schools.

One thing for sure. Arne Duncan's Race to the Top philosophy and the billions that he has at his discretion have caused huge divisions among parents, teachers, students, and brought havoc to communities.

He is paying money to states and districts to do more testing, make more testing databases, and allow more and more charter schools....schools that are funded with public money but are free from most regulation. Schools run by private companies and groups.

Since this administration took power there appears to be far more criticism toward and condemnation of public schools teachers. That is because of the very nature of competition.

There is much profit at stake in the field of education, and the "reformers" are going for broke.

Ravitch in her interview also hits on the topic of mayoral control. It is a highly divisive topic, and it takes power from a school system to give to a mayor who may or may not be connected to the reformer movement. Consider Bloomberg's mayoral power, for example. Much tension there.

OMC: Last year, the discussion of mayoral control of MPS was extremely divisive. What have the results of mayoral control been in other cities?

DR: Mayoral control solves no problems. Of the cities that take the national test administered by the federal government, the highest performing do not have mayoral control, while some of the lowest performing -- Cleveland and Chicago -- do have mayoral control. Since New York City adopted mayoral control in 2002, it has seen very meager improvement on its national scores, less than other cities that are tested.

She also pointed out that majoral control "leaves parents feeling angry and disaffected because decisions are made about their children without their participation. Taking the public out of public education is not a school improvement strategy."

This is one of the main strategies that Arne is pushing. He wants mayors in charge of schools. He worked to get that control for Bloomberg.

Duncan demands mayoral control

Arne Duncan, the U.S. Secretary of Education, has become a laughing stock here in New York City. He has rashly inserted himself into local politics by repeatedly urging the New York state legislature to renew unlimited mayoral control, with no checks and balances and no parent input allowed.

In June, at the behest of Mayor Bloomberg, Duncan wrote a letter to the Citizens Union, a local good government group, stating that fixed terms for school board members whom the mayor could not fire at will would have "profoundly negative consequences for New York City's students."

The Milwaukee interviewer asks Ravitch why it has become so easy to scapegoat teachers. I like her answer.

DR: Teachers are being blamed for all the ills of society. They are being blamed for the achievement gap. We can't fire poverty; we can't fire families; we can't fire students; so we fire teachers. This mindset will discourage good people from becoming teachers. It will destroy the teaching profession. Whenever we meet a teacher, we should say two simple words, "Thank you."

[msongs]

1. continuation of the bush era now in progress (and NOT progressive) nt

[madfloridian]

3. Yes, the Bush plans are still in play.

.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. So very true

Thank god we have Ravitch to speak the truth!

[madfloridian]

4. One of the few with the power to make a difference.

Our party leaders are not speaking out, and they are letting the divisions and anger continue.

[madfloridian]

5. More on Milwaukee school "reforms"

http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/93208824.html

"• The launch by PAVE of a program to work with 11 schools to improve their quality or expand their size or both. PAVE - a long-standing support organization for private and charter schools in Milwaukee - seeks to help schools strengthen such things as governance structures and use of student performance data, as well as to help them raise money for building needs, says its president, Dan McKinley.

• Creation of a charter school advocacy committee, made up of many of the leading charter school figures in the city and chaired by former legislator Dennis Conta. The group has been meeting monthly, with the goal of increasing the quality of charter schools in the city, including closing low performing schools.

• The formation of an organization of voucher school leaders focused on improving educational quality. Leaders of about 50 voucher schools - a bit less than half of the schools involved in the voucher program - have joined, said Henry Tyson, principal of St. Marcus and president of the group.

Behind the new efforts lie two dominating facts: After more than a decade of rapid growth, the voucher and charter movements have not demonstrated they are getting any better results overall than MPS. At the same time, a small group of those schools are demonstrably high performing.

McKinley said the goal of the charter and voucher movement was to raise citywide quality.

"We confront the idea that it hasn't," he said"

[lostnfound]

6. Kick & Recommend nt

[madfloridian]

7. ...

Thanks. School stuff now just drops very fast because it is annoying and boring to most.

[madfloridian]

8. People are far more critical of teachers since Arne pushed his agenda

to the forefront, offering money if states would give public money to more charter schools.

There is almost an anger toward anyone who defends public education.

It never used to be that way at Democratic forums.

[madfloridian]

9. Ravitch hits nail on head again.

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/05/education_reform_a_race_to_the.html

"Ravitch observes that quick-fix advocates tend not to be actual educators: "In choosing his education agenda, Obama sided with the economists and the corporate-style reformers."

Amen.

Good article, read it all.

[2Design]

10. As a teacher, I only want the A students so I can keep my job will be the mind set

no will want to work with special needs kids or slow learners - end of public education

[wolfgangmo]

11. Mad Flo - I admire you and follow your posts.

You are right most of the time and very passionate about this subject.


But.


Don't you think it is time to admit that the SS America:education ship has sailed, never to return to shore? I used to be a teacher and I am convinced that we are watching the end of decent public education. This is not teachers fault, but neither are they able to help much as their life and careers are swirling around the drain.


I think this fight is over. I hope I'm wrong.

[madfloridian]

12. The fight may be over, but I am still going to call attention...

to the shambles our party will be leaving in education.

I think it will be privatized, it's all over but the shouting.

I might still do some of that.

[erodriguez]

13. Fighting is the only choice we have

Just look at other industries to see what happens when the public rolls over.

Wall Street only works for the benefit of the rich, instead of the tens of millions of poor and middle class Americans whose savings are tied up into the system.
Big Oil holds so much sway over the regulatory agencies, they were able to circumvent oversight. The resulting catastrophe is threatening the eco-system and the livelihood
tens of thousands of working Americans.

Greed is the issue. Our elected officials collect fat donations to enable corporations.

The reason why private companies are so interested in education is because there is so much money to be made.

Don't give up! We can't entrust the care of out most precious resource, our kids, to these gluttons.

[bonnieS]

14. More mayors! Less teachers!

All discussions of teachers should begin with the fact that 90 per cent of the populace hates teachers. They start out hating and fearing their mothers, who tell them what they can't do, realize they want to love their mothers, and transfer all that resentment at being told what to do and having to stop playing all day to the teachers. Later in life they send their kids to school, as they are supposed to, so that they can get a job, "knowing" they never learned anything in school anyway, nor did they want to, and still hate and fear teachers, remembering the "bad" ones who told them what to do. If at all possible, they will stand up for their kid against any teacher who might remind them of their latent hatred of teachers.

Then when their kid is not doing as well in school as they would like, it is all the teacher's fault, even if the parents are crackheads living in a car.

Mayors, on the other hand, are relatively ineffectual people you never have to deal with on a personal basis. They in no way remind you of your mother. So Mayors are more well liked than teachers, and we should have more of them in the schools, to replace some of the teachers we are firing.

The ten per cent of children who enjoy learning and like school and even have crushes on their teachers grow up to become teachers or professors, or marry teachers and professors, learn a lot of stuff they don't need to know after getting out of school, and don't tend to like Mayors as much, especially if their salary depends upon the actions of the Mayor. They prefer to have more teachers in schools, rather than less, and are often considered failures by most of the other 90 per cent for their low salaries (compared to business salaries) and lack of business experience, and are especially despised for having two months "off."

Always begin: Teachers are hated. Here's the latest:

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. +1

[redqueen]

15. Wish I could rec this.

What a terrible situation. Out of all of the issues where I disagree with this administration, this is the most distressing.

[redqueen]

16. kick