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Re: Response to Wall Street Journal editorial on Michelle Rhee

I do not know that charters and vouchers are "the" answer, but they may be a constructive answer to some problems, one of which is a stultified system that responds to its own needs more so than the needs of parents and children. Note that charter schools are public schools under the authority of elected officials. Could elected officials be doing a better job with them? No doubt, because there are plenty of examples of charter schools gone wrong. But there are plenty of examples of effective charters as well. This is particularly important because many charter schools serve urban minority students.

You talk as if "cleaning up" the public schools is a simple and straightforward exercise of good intentions (you argue in this forum and others that people whose ideas about cleaning up the schools are different from yours are motivated largely by bad intentions). Decades of experience, not to mention the recent example of teachers' unions stalling the reauthorization of NCLB, show how hard it is to nudge the system towards better curriculum and teaching methods, let alone make deep structural changes. The Portland Oregonian recently told a story of Oregon schools that "opted out" of NCLB with the motive, one strongly suspects, of trying to evade NCLB's requirements for accountability and improvement. Opting out means kids lose services, but makes life easier for teachers and principals. These examples show why it's hard to clean up the system and suggest why some people hold hope for vouchers and charter schools.

Art

-----Original Message-----
From: Tauna Rogers <taunar@plateautel.net>
To: arn-l@interversity.org
Sent: Sat, 2p2 Dec 2007 11:37 pm
Subject: Re: [arn-l] Response to Wall Street Journal editorial on Michelle Rhee

Art, I wrote in anger and at Christmas time it does indeed seem especially
poor form on my part - not that it's ok at any time to name call someone I
do not even know. I guess I'm not too old to learn a lesson now and then.


Frankly, I wish I had not said what I did. While I am definitely not
defending my remarks, let me say that it is awfully easy these days for
teachers to be cynical. And when I re-read the article and Rhee's remarks, I
feel skeptical all over again.


I don't know Rhee and obviously I'm not an expert on the DC public schools.
I was reminded by someone off list what a corrupt state the schools there
are in. My question is, why is the answer charters and vouchers? Especially
if the charter schools and private schools do not perform any better than
the public schools? Can we expect any less corruption? Why not clean up the
public schools but keep them public with public oversight? This is where I
see opportunism at work. Am I wrong?


From: <aburke5054@aol.com>

To: <arn-l@interversity.org>

Sent: Saturday, December 22, 2007 2:10 PM

Subject: Re: [arn-l] Response to Wall Street Journal editorial on Michelle
Rhee



I don't know why the Journal wouldn't publish a letter that, in the
spirit
of Christmas, calls the Chancellor a Nazi. What is American
journalism
coming to?



Art



-----Original Message-----

From: Tauna Rogers <taunar@plateautel.net>

To: arn-l@interversity.org

Sent: Sat, 22 Dec 2007 9:11 am

Subject: [arn-l] Response to Wall Street Journal editorial on
Michelle
Rhee





The article I responded to:

http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110011029



You must read it to appreciate how awful it really is.



Here's what I just sent in response. Of course I seriously doubt
they'll
post

it:



My, what a hotbed of privatization and opportunism D.C. public
schools
are! For

the children, yes.



I'm thinking of a poem or song. Maybe I'll title it "Waves of Nausea"
in
honor

of the many, many opportunists lining up to cash in on public school
'failure'.

For the children, yes.



I just cannot tell you how impressed I am that Rhee's first act as
Chancellor

was to get rid of a couch, chair, and TV. Indeed, when does an
accountability

Nazi ever "have time to sit"? And while I'm doling out compliments,
let me

commend the Wall Street Journal for your always truthful and balanced
reporting

about public education. You guys have really made a practice of
digging
for the

truth, haven't ya? Is this what they call investigative journalism?
Guess
so,

John Stossel style. Cowards!



But back to Rhee. An accountability chief (yet another) who herself
lasted
a

mere three years in the classroom before discovering her real $value$
"was
as an

external player". For the children.



In the spirit of Christmas, may I say that those who really have the
interest of

children at heart rather than an agenda do not feel compelled to
market

themselves as saviors of disadvantaged children. Nor does a heart
with
pure

intentions glory in the business of demeaning, oppressing, and
demoralizing the

very people actually on the ground and in the trenches with the
children.



But let it not go unsaid that the destruction of public education,
our
greatest

civic institution, is not about the truth. It is about marketing.

Externals, yes. For the children. May Rhee and Co. receive their
reward in
full.














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