Vol. 11, No. 45
MOVING FINISH LINE? Did the education BLOB get to the Administration, or is there a reason why, in Education Trust Vice President Amy Wilkins' words, the great promise of 'Race to the Top' ("that Arne [Duncan] had the real opportunity for unfettered boldness") was watered down and that the final guidelines contain "no incentive for states to be particularly bold." Ed Trust isn't the only concerned citizen out there who noticed that states would be able to score points simply for having snazzy application proposals without much meat, and that the emphasis on real reform through charter schools and strong teacher evaluation through achievement data was severely muted. (Many other things changed in the final competition rubric as well...)
ODD AND ODDER. There's nothing really odd anymore about the Gingrich and Sharpton duo on Education Equality. They sound a lot alike, but failed on this weekend's Meet the Press to articulate a unified argument for reform. Sharpton blamed everyone for education's failures and sympathized with the unions, saying they want to be part of the process. He believes national standards are a good thing, too. Gingrich isn't a fan of national standards, but believes decisions should be made locally by school boards, as if such institutions were solely responsible for the quality of local schools (rather than committed parents and accountable educators dedicate to rigorous learning). We really hoped Msrs Gingrich and Sharpton would have an impact, and indeed, visits to several charters have helped grow awareness of these important public schools. But other than that, their words begin to ring hollow, which is a pity for two men who have such a big stake. (Maybe there is a reason Chancellor Joel Klein doesn't often appear with them anymore.)
CHARTERS
HOLDING BACK. Recent strong debate for charter school expansion in Massachusetts led many (including the President and Education Secretary) to believe that removal of traditional barriers to growth of choice for students in the Bay State was just around the legislative corner. But whispering by the BLOB seems to have poisoned a well-intentioned bill currently moving in the state Senate - but now drowning under 95 amendments - to make charters more available. Even Marc Kenen, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Association of Charter Public Schools, has called out Committee changes to the bill that "would inhibit future charter growth, and restrain the ability of successful charters to continue to provide the educational and economic opportunities they have been providing for 15 years." An email and phone campaign by Massachusetts reformers yesterday and overnight seems to have brought some hope for a reasonable conclusion, though. We'll keep you updated...
RESOURCEFUL. We'd like to welcome Learning Point Associates, winners of a hefty Ed grant to create a National Charter School Resource Center, to the greater charter family, and want them to know that the doors to our library of data are always open (and always have been). It's hard work to take the pulse of what works, to deep dive into what's wrong, to keep charter data up to date, to make it accessible and to let stakeholders at every level know what's really going on. Please feel free to call or write. We've been doing this for 16 years. And about that charter research center, we've always just called it the Charter Connection.
PARENT POWER!
GET IN LINE. What do the Grateful Dead, Star Wars films and a Cincinnati, Ohio magnet school have in common? Large groups of people willing to wait in line for days just for a chance to get in the door. Dozens of parents will camp out on the sidewalk this week to ensure a spot for their child in the Fairview Clifton German Language School, one of only a handful of schools in the district rated as "excellent." "Out of desperation, when there are not a lot of alternatives, anything within the law and still right and honorable is fair game," said parent Andrea Shrive. Another parent, Carmen Pitts, when asked why she was going to such an extreme to get her daughter enrolled in Fairview, said, "Because I value her education and this is one of the best things I can do for her."
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