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Our nation’s model charters haven’t cracked a code for educating inner city students; they have cracked a code for isolating motivated inner city students and parents who see education as a way out of poverty, and filtering out the rest. They do this by implementing exclusionary practices not available to traditional schools. Charters are free to purify their campuses of undesirable test scores, and the media will reliably gloss over attrition rates and highlight academic results that have been fully uprooted from the context that saddles every nearby traditional public school. Ultimately, the hope of the school reformer is tangled up in a knot with non-universal education. When they hold up choice and charters as our nation’s panacea, their sleight of hand may temporarily obstruct our view of the kids left out on the sidewalk, the kids unwelcome in their brave new dynamic, but it doesn’t disappear them from the face of the earth. After charters capitalize on the manipulation of context, that context still exists and it still has a name and a face and a future. The media ultimately asks us to pretend that shuffling ruffians fixes them, that a shell game with troubled kids is something noble, is “the answer.”
http://theeducatorsroom.com/2012/09/contextual-accountability/
Over forty articles on my website attest to current state superintendent Tony Bennett's systematic destruction of one of the finest, democratic institutions in Indiana – Public Education. With only today, November 5, 2012, before election, this one brief piece sums them up concisely.
Only two types of education "reform" actually exist. One is to provide incentives to educators, such as allowing academic freedom to teach in meaningful ways (not teaching to a test). The only other real reform is for Indiana to eliminate childhood poverty. Tony Bennett has never been a leading vocal advocate for impoverished children, if he has even advocated for them at all.
1. Tony Bennett has impeded teacher performance.
With purposely mislabeled policies, Bennett deceitfully claims he has provided incentives to teachers. However, while he was at the helm, morale among teachers sunk to an all-time low, college enrollment in the field of education plummeted, great teachers abandoned the profession, and early retirement rates increased. His leadership has not produced better teachers; it has demoralized an entire profession.
2. Tony Bennett has never advocated for the needs of children.
While Tony Bennett was in office, $300 million dollars was cut from the education budget. Not once did he ever attempt to reverse that trend. As a republican, I understand eliminating wasteful spending. Fellow Hoosiers, to eliminate $300 million dollars from education when the state claims to have a two billion dollar surplus, compounded by the fact nearly 25% of Indiana children live in poverty, should be simply unacceptable, regardless of party affiliation.
In fact, what Bennett has done to our most at-risk students is egregious. Tony Bennett has labeled children failures. Tony Bennett has shut down children's neighborhood schools. Tony Bennett has sold children out to the highest corporate bidder.
One may argue, as Bennett does, that test scores and graduation rates are up in Indiana. This is all phony data. Data will always be used in the way that serves the faction controlling and manipulating it. Always. If you do not believe this, there is no point to read further.
What cannot be controlled and manipulated so easily though is genuine care for those you supposedly serve. Bennett has not genuinely cared or served educators. More tragically, he has not genuinely cared or served over one million Hoosier children for four unhealthy years. Bennett cannot pull this because he cannot serve two masters.
Glenda Ritz understands the situation, and will sever the connections with Tony Bennett's true master; the corporations poisoning public education.
Fellow Hoosiers, please support public education at the polls tomorrow with a vote for Glenda Ritz.
Sincerely,
Ahuntingtonteacher
Over forty articles on my website attest to current state superintendent Tony Bennett's systematic destruction of one of the finest, democratic institutions in Indiana – Public Education. With only today, November 5, 2012, before election, this one brief piece sums them up concisely.
Only two types of education "reform" actually exist. One is to provide incentives to educators, such as allowing academic freedom to teach in meaningful ways (not teaching to a test). The only other real reform is for Indiana to eliminate childhood poverty. Tony Bennett has never been a leading vocal advocate for impoverished children, if he has even advocated for them at all.
1. Tony Bennett has impeded teacher performance.
With purposely mislabeled policies, Bennett deceitfully claims he has provided incentives to teachers. However, while he was at the helm, morale among teachers sunk to an all-time low, college enrollment in the field of education plummeted, great teachers abandoned the profession, and early retirement rates increased. His leadership has not produced better teachers; it has demoralized an entire profession.
2. Tony Bennett has never advocated for the needs of children.
While Tony Bennett was in office, $300 million dollars was cut from the education budget. Not once did he ever attempt to reverse that trend. As a republican, I understand eliminating wasteful spending. Fellow Hoosiers, to eliminate $300 million dollars from education when the state claims to have a two billion dollar surplus, compounded by the fact nearly 25% of Indiana children live in poverty, should be simply unacceptable, regardless of party affiliation.
In fact, what Bennett has done to our most at-risk students is egregious. Tony Bennett has labeled children failures. Tony Bennett has shut down children's neighborhood schools. Tony Bennett has sold children out to the highest corporate bidder.
One may argue, as Bennett does, that test scores and graduation rates are up in Indiana. This is all phony data. Data will always be used in the way that serves the faction controlling and manipulating it. Always. If you do not believe this, there is no point to read further.
What cannot be controlled and manipulated so easily though is genuine care for those you supposedly serve. Bennett has not genuinely cared or served educators. More tragically, he has not genuinely cared or served over one million Hoosier children for four unhealthy years. Bennett cannot pull this because he cannot serve two masters.
Glenda Ritz understands the situation, and will sever the connections with Tony Bennett's true master; the corporations poisoning public education.
Fellow Hoosiers, please support public education at the polls tomorrow with a vote for Glenda Ritz.
Sincerely,
Ahuntingtonteacher
Follow the money. Online schools, charter companies, testing corporations, and even hedge fund managers from New York have jumped in to support Tony Bennett get elected by paying for his fancy commercials. Do you really believe they have a benevolent heart for Hoosier children, or just want to get a hold of your public tax dollars in corporate greed's latest scheme called school reform?
Follow the money. Online schools, charter companies, testing corporations, and even hedge fund managers from New York have jumped in to support Tony Bennett get elected by paying for his fancy commercials. Do you really believe they have a benevolent heart for Hoosier children, or just want to get a hold of your public tax dollars in corporate greed's latest scheme called school reform?
When coupled with the new accountability measures for teachers, the two will also work hand in hand to pull the best teachers out of areas with low socio-economic status and move them into higher socio-economic schools.
Make no mistake, new "ed-reformers" being supported by Superintendent Tony Bennett are most interested in profiting off Hoosier children. Why else have these ed-reformers, mostly from out of state and managers of hedge funds on Wall Street, donated nearly one million dollars to Bennett's campaign?