Lip Service

The U.S. Ambassador [Karen Kornbluh] to the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation recently posted an interesting piece on HuffingtonPost.com titled "Waking up to the need for education reform."  She has some interesting things to offer, including the lessons below which I respond to:

"What the data really show is that we can no longer pretend that we're doing just fine but also that it's far from hopeless. The report on lessons for the US that the OECD prepared at Secretary Duncan's request boils down to four lessons -- the four A's:

Ambition. The world's top performing education systems have clear, ambitious goals, and universally high standards. They match these high expectations with strong support systems, ensuring that quality learning opportunities are available to all students.

All. Commitment to educating every child. PISA researchers found that the best education systems share a belief that "competencies can be learned, and therefore all children can achieve." Shanghai transfers its best teachers to its weakest schools to make sure that disadvantaged students receive excellent instruction.

Access to good teachers. Leading education systems provide mentoring and a high level of professional development, lay out clear career pathways, and are transparent in their decisions. They treat teachers like information-age workers: providing opportunities for teachers to try new ideas and learn from their colleagues. They are careful to win support from teachers for reforms.

Autonomy, accountability and incentives at the school level. High performing education systems give individual schools -- not just states or school districts -- discretion, which they safeguard through effective accountability systems."

Kornbluh's list of the four "A's" is an excellent summary of what schools should be striving for. I hope she can encourage Arne Duncan to propose reforms that actually aim to achieve these goals as stated and not a corrupt version of these ideals.  From reading this article, I would be inclined to think that Kornbluh and the administration "get it".  Unfortunately, their actions show otherwise:

Ambition:  Standards just provide the framework for education.  The truth of the matter is that many of the standards and the tests that assess them stress fact learning and not transferrable skills.  Truly ambitious standards can only be assessed in a manner that transcends bubbling in answers.  Is the administration willing to think outside the bubble?  I have not seen any signs of that yet.

All: Public education should be universally available.  We all know that our culture does not operate in this manner.  Socialism is a bad word, regardless of the context.  The current administration has only perpetuated the model of haves and have-nots by supporting unsustainable charter school models (SEED has $35,000/pupil spending) that provide a private school-type education to a few students in poor neighborhoods.  Millions upon millions are left behind by this model.  That is not education for all.

Access: Firstly, the administration is not winning the support of teachers.  They are backing the voices that are leading the teacher-bashing and union-busting wave that is devastating public education throughout the country.  Teacher development and mentoring require time and money.  The administration has shown a greater commitment to preserving corporate tax breaks and military funding than to making any significant advancement in this area.

Autonomy and Accountability:  Can I quote you on this one?  Do you really think any reformed version of NCLB will give teachers local autonomy?  Do you really think high stakes testing and merit pay will give teachers autonomy? 

Lip service. 

Let's walk the walk, and reclaim public education!