[regional_school] Critique on Duncan & Obama:Once again, education left behind
- From: Dan Drmacich <dandrmacich@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: Denise Bartalo <denisebartalo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Bill Bendschneider <bamboo789@xxxxxxx>, Carolyn Bennett <cwriter85@xxxxxxx>, Mary Berger <mpresber@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Wasa Bouphavong <daboupha@xxxxxxxxx>, G Brown <gjb0145@xxxxxxxxx>, Amy Brown <scottvbrown@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Pat Cavanaugh <cavanaughpat22@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Jason Charno <jasoncharno42@xxxxxxxxxxx>, A Colon <aacolon@xxxxxxxxxxxx>, Rochelle Corey <archer14611@xxxxxxx>, Deana Darling <jddarling@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Deana Darling <darlin3@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Brian Erway <brian_erway@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Karen Fisher <fishekh@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Dennis Francione <d.francione@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Shalanda Garfield <Shalonda_Garfield1@xxxxxxxxx>, Lynn Gatto <lynn.gatto@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Nancy Gersh <nancygersh@xxxxxxx>, RJ Glomboski <parallax@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Synthia Green <sng4979@xxxxxxxx>, Richard Greene <richard_greene@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Gretchen Haag <gretchenhaag@xxxxxxxxx>, Shawn Haarer <drhaarer@xxxxxxxxx>, Kate Hathaway <kaytea@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Kyra Hawn <khawn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Joseph Henderson <jhenderson11@xxxxxxxxx>, Sara Hughes <sara@xxxxxxxxxxxx>, Julia Kantor <julia.kantor@xxxxxxxxx>, Jack Langerack <jlanger0@xxxxxxx>, Barb Lemcke <b_lemcke@xxxxxxxxx>, Joan LoCurto <locurto135@xxxxxxxxx>, Tom Mackey <tmackey@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Jennifer Malinchak <jenjenfuller@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Katheryn McCullough <katmccullough@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Gena Merliss <merliss@xxxxxxxxx>, Jessica Metras <jessicametras@xxxxxxxxx>, Nancy Monachino <nmonachino@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Gwynne Mosch <Gwynne.mosch@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Barbara Moynihan <barbara.moynihan@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Kevin Murray <kmurray@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Jessie Nimeh <jgnimeh@xxxxxxxxx>, Maureen Nupp <Maureennupp@xxxxxxxxx>, Anne-Pat Nuzback <Anne-Pat_Nuzback@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Rich Ognibene <richard_ognibene@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Tom Pappas <tjp18@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Sheila Pearlman <yspearlman@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Norreen Pelusio <njpelusio@xxxxxxx>, Liz Porta <lizbecker@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Pamela Pruitt <pamela.pruitt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Todd Pschierer <psch811@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Kari Ritter <kritter84@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Rosemary Rivera <rrivera@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Emily Roberts <emilymarkelle@xxxxxxx>, Peter Rosenthal <prosenthal@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Scott Schaefer <mister_schaefer@xxxxxxxxx>, Chojy Schroeder <chojy.schroeder@xxxxxxxxx>, Sharon Silvio <ssilvio@xxxxxxx>, Pete Smith <petersmith71@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Ralph Spezio <rspezio@xxxxxxxxx>, Mathew Taber <sundevil108@xxxxxxxx>, Leslie Vermeulen <ldvermeulen@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Jennifer Wheeler <jennifer_wheeler@xxxxxxxx>, Mary Wilkins <mtkwilkins@xxxxxxxxx>, Thomas Witmer <tbwitmer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Ruth Young-Card <cardjrb@xxxxxxx>, Lee Zelazny <lee.zelazny@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 23 Apr 2009 07:32:31 -0700 (PDT)
--- On Wed, 4/22/09, Lynn Ellingwood <lellingw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From: Lynn Ellingwood <lellingw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Once again, education left behind
To:
Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2009, 10:32 PM
Once again, education left behind
BUB is a good acronym.>
by Tim Babbidge
Last fall when I announced my intention to vote for Ralph Nader for the fourth
time, I was told by a number of Democrats that a vote for Nader was essentially
a vote for four more years of Bush. I disagreed with them at the time, but it
turns out they were right. The sad truth of the joke is they told me that if I
voted for Nader, I'd get four more years of Bush. Well, I did, and I am. It
becomes more and more obvious with each passing day of BUB's (Business as Usual
Barack) Administration.
The truth of the above joke is obvious in the area of education policy. Naming
Arne Duncan, author of a recent editorial in the Daily Lobo, as secretary of
education is a perfect example of business as usual. The Bush administration's
education policy was notorious for its advocacy of the privatization and
corporate control of American public education. In practice, that meant closing
schools and firing teachers based on virtually meaningless and class-biased
measuring devices like high-stakes standardized testing. Based on Duncan's
record as the head of Chicago's schools, we can expect business as usual in
education policy.
Duncan is attempting to disguise his support for failed Bush policies by
changing terms, not policy. In his editorial, he attempts to mislead the public
by using the term "internationally benchmarked standards and assessments"
instead of the more accurate term "high-stakes standardized testing." Sadly,
his emphasis on testing is obvious from his tenure as the head of the Chicago
Public Schools. For example, his "Renaissance 2010" plan for Chicago's schools
specifically mentions only one educational goal: raising test scores.
Secretary Duncan's rocky tenure as the CEO of the Chicago Public Schools
followed the Bush playbook virtually page by page. He closed dozens of regular
public schools and replaced them with privately run charter schools that failed
to enroll neighborhood kids. Not only that, his use of the title CEO instead of
the historically common superintendent was a powerful symbol of his support for
the kind of failed corporate policies that have brought the American economy to
the brink of disaster.
Given his support of Bush policies in education, it is not surprising that his
appointment as the secretary of education received enthusiastic endorsements
from former Bush Education Secretary Rod Paige, who falsely inflated test
scores as Houston's superintendent, and Bush political crony from Texas,
Margaret Spellings. In the meantime, his appointment was universally opposed by
progressive educational reformers like Alfie Kohn, Susan Ohanian and Deborah
Meier.
Aside from his policies, there are questions that need to be raised about
Duncan's personal qualifications for the job. Secretary Duncan's résumé was
very thin in terms of relevant experience prior to his appointment as the CEO
of the Chicago schools. Not only had he never held any teaching or
administrative positions in public education other than CEO; he never even
attended public schools. He is a graduate of University High School, the elite
laboratory school of the private University of Chicago, as well as Harvard. He
did spend six years as the head of a small school reform group, but it was
funded by an investment firm - another example of the Bush/Obama preference for
the penetration of public education by corporate America.
But of more relevance than his skimpy résumé is the fact that he is a member in
good standing of the Chicago political machine created by former Mayor Dick
Daley and now run by his son, the current mayor, a machine whose most famous
product is Obama. Duncan was also a regular participant in pickup basketball
games that included the president. In other words, he used corporate and
political connections to get himself appointed to first one and then another
position for which he was far from the most qualified candidate. Given that
personal history, the ongoing scandal that is Chicago politics, and the dismal
record of corporate America in managing health care and the economy, Duncan's
call in his editorial to "recruit more high-quality educators" seems
hypocritical at best, unless one defines "high quality" as having lots of
connections and little relevant experience.
For those of us who support genuine reform in American education, there is one
tiny ray of light. Progressives are not giving Obama a pass as they did with
former President Clinton. The Internet is loaded with critiques of Duncan. I
encourage all who oppose "drill-and-kill," corporate, computerized (Bill Gates
being a major Duncan supporter), failed models for American schools to do their
homework and learn more about the failed Duncan/Bush educational policies.
But don't stop there. Reach out to Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall, to Rep.
Martin Heinreich, to your state legislators and local school boards, and speak
in opposition to the kind of failed policies pushed by corporate reformers like
Duncan. An even more important action you can take is to become involved with
local, statewide and national reform groups like the Educator Roundtable,
groups that want genuine reform instead of the "business as usual" policies
supported by Duncan. Our voices can still be heard if we make the effort to
join them together in collective action. Let us lead by example and lead our
children into a brighter tomorrow with action, and not just the rhetorical
sleight of hand that is currently being offered by the Obama administration and
officials like Duncan.
— Tim Babbage
New Mexico Daily Lobo
2009-04-21
http://media.www.dailylobo.com/media/storage/paper344/news/2009/04/21/Opinion/Column.Once.Again.Education.Left.Behind-3719213.shtml
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- » [regional_school] Critique on Duncan & Obama:Once again, education left behind - Dan Drmacich
