Seven of Campbell Brown's Funders Come Clean

Campbell Brown's courageous stand to take on teacher tenure protections has recently come under some fire because her Partnership for Educational Justice has refused to state publicly where its funding is coming from.  Now, Campbell Brown is no dummy; she is a graduate of the same prestigious Regis University that provided many of the top advisers in the Bush administration.  As Ms. Brown said on The Colbert Report, she knows that letting the name of those funding her out could leave these billionaires subject to payback from public school teachers.

Fortunately, a group of Campbell Brown's supporters have stepped forward, and they represent a magnificent seven of the titans of American industry:

Cyberdyne Systems:  Cyberdyne Systems is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California where they were involved in the Vergara lawsuit to strip teachers of their tenure protections.  A spokesperson for Cyberdyne told us, "We've been happy to support Campbell in trying to end an antiquated teacher model.  We believe our own Skynet will dramatically change education in the next five to 10 years, and we can't have old protections from the time when workers used to be exploited slowing us down."

Luthor Corp: Obviously, one of our biggest tech companies, Luther Corp CEO Lex Luthor reportedly was very moved by the movie Waiting for Superman and got involved in the reform struggle after that.  Luthor was quoted as saying, "Waiting for Superman is just preposterous.  He's not even human.  He's a menace.  Oh yes, and teachers don't need that tenure thing.  Now leave me alone."

SPECTRE Corporation: SPECTRE has been around over 50 years and helped to shape the destiny of the world we live in today.  CEO Ernst Blofeld has built a considerable fortune, which he has been happy to donate to the causes he believes in like education reform.  Mr. Blofeld told us, "I manage many employees.  When I am not happy with them, I dispose of them, or I should say terminate them.  Yes, terminate them.  That's a good one."

Tyrell Corporation: At the forefront of human genome research, Tyrell Corporation CEO Dr. Eldon Tyrell has been a big proponent of expanding STEM in schools.  Tyrell Corporation released a statement saying, "When something gets old, you replace it.  Why shouldn't this apply to people?  Why not teachers?  You can get a new younger teacher who will be just like the old one, but cheaper."

Los Pollos Hermanos: Los Pollos Hermanos might seem out of place in this listing of technology companies, but owner Gus Fring has been a philanthropist for years.  Since being welcomed to this country from his native Chile, he has been a strident supporter of law enforcement and education.  Mr. Fring told us, "It is almost impossible to fire teacher.  I know because I once tried to get rid of a chemistry teacher and every time I thought it would finally happen; he'd pull another stunt, and we'd have to keep him around."

Oscorp: Oscorp is a tech form owned by maverick CEO Norman Osborn whose son Harry attended public school.  When asked about teacher tenure, Mr. Osborn called it laughable and then proceeded to laugh for the next 4 minutes. 

Soylent Corporation: Soylent Corporation has been providing school lunches for over 50 years.  CEO William R. Simonson said, "Look, it's no shame if a teacher simply gets too old to do the job, we love hiring former teachers.  You could even say we eat them up.  We'd love to have more teachers in Soylent, but not in the classroom."

Not All Parents Oppose Excessive Testing

The credit for this article goes to the great Alexander Russo, who urged journalists to do a better job reporting on testing by finding the many parents and students who don't oppose excessive standardized testing.  This is much the same way that the media overemphasized Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier, when the vast majority African American ballplayers were content to stay in the Negro Leagues.

Alexander Russo has long been a friend of this blog and that's because he has a clear way of getting to the bottom of a story.  When other "journalists" were reporting on the teachers at two Chicago Public Schools refusing to give the ISAT, Russo saw that the real story was the nearly 50 people on his blog who vented about CPS principals.   

I didn't have to go much further than Chicago's Bernard E. Epton School of Sufficiency.  For those of you who don't remember, the Epton School got in some trouble last year when the principal was caught importing unlicensed standardized tests from China.   The principal, Dr. Michelle Perry claimed she acted at the urging of her teachers who noticed a 2 month period in the beginning of the year when there was no standardized testing in the school.

I was fortunate enough to get a chance to interview an entire family about their pro-standardized testing attitude and how they have found a home at Epton.   I was joined by Lois Winslow, the matriarch of the Winslow family as well as her sixth grade daughter Kenyata and her fourth grade son Devon.

LS4C1: You are a big fan of standardized testing.  In fact you moved your children to Epton School, specifically because it had more standardized testing than any other school.  Is that correct?

Lois: Oh yes.  Last year, we were at a public school and Kenyata had a teacher who really took an interest in her. She saw that she loved reading so she was always finding books for her and challenging her to go the extra mile.  We loved that woman.  Meanwhile, Devon's teacher seemed to just go through the motions.  She was going through a difficult divorce and she smelled of bourbon.   Well, we were surprised that at the end of the year, Devon's scores went through the roof, while Kenyata more or less stagnated.  It turned out that all the time Devon spent reading movies and putting his head down on the desk was just what he needed.  I only resent the money I spent getting Kenyata's teacher a nice Christmas present.

LS4C1: So you were happy with Devon's education?

Lois: Far from it.  Actually, I was disturbed with the education he received in the lower grades.  He had a picture of a snowman to color and he colored it purple.   I can tell you, snowmen aren't purple.   At his old school, that kind of thing went on all the time.  Boxes were treated like space ships and pillows could be horses.  They don't tolerate that sort of thing at Epton.  Now, if he colors a snowman it looks like snow, thank goodness.

LS4C1: What do you want to do when you grow up Kenyata?

Kenyata: I'd like to work for a large corporation in a big office building downtown.

LS4C1: Do you think that standardized tests like the ISAT are helping you achieve that?

Kenyata: Oh yes!  My test scores show that I'm in the 64th percentile.  My mom told me that the people running corporations are very smart and score at least in the 90th percentile, but most of the workers are at 50% or even lower.  With my score, I know I should set my sights on middle management.

LS4C1: How about you Devon?

Devon: I love testing.

LS4C1:  Do you think it'll help you with your future job?

Devon: Yes, I want to make cartoons.  Today, when we weren't testing, we saw The Little Mermaid and Finding Nemo.

LS4C1: You like catoons?

Devon: I love cartoons.

LS4C1: How are you doing in art?

Devon: I love art, but we don't have it this week because the art room is used for testing and our art teacher passes out tests to all the teachers.

LS4C1: So no art this week?

Devon: Coloring in bubbles is a type of art.

LS4C1: I stand corrected.

There you have it.  A family who loves their standardized tests, but you'll never see reporters come anywhere near them.  Fortunately, there are people like myself and Mr. Russo who strive to make a difference. 

An Open Letter to Teachers and Parents Refusing to Test

Dear CPS Teachers and Parents,

What do you mean you are "opting out of the ISAT"?   There is no opting out in testing.  You are failing as teachers, as parents, and as students.  The way that we are able to show you just how badly you are doing is through these tests.  I have a crack team of writers ready to help me craft op-ed articles on the terrible state of education. If I have to lay off these writers, you are hurting the economy.

The failure of the Chicago Public Schools is well documented.  Last month, I visited a public school in Beijing.  I was in a room of 8 year olds and every one of them spoke fluent Chinese.  How many of your 8 year old children are fluent in Chinese?  Make no mistake, those children will be competing with these same Chinese children for jobs.

Standardized testing is important.  Yes, I know Rahm's children don't have to take the ISAT at the Lab School, but they just got a $25 million dollar donation from George Lucas to build a new art wing.  It'd be rude to be ignoring the arts at a time like this.  I also know that this test will be about as relevant to CPS students as a timed typing test on a manual typewriter would be, but we need data.

I am outraged by the educational malpractice of teachers and parents in denying students the joy of filling in a test answer sheet.   For those who say that testing stifles creativity, well then you have never had the joy of facing a page of empty test bubbles.  Do you shade from the outside in or from the inside out? Maybe you start at the middle and shade across the surface of the circle.  There are so many choices.

Have you seen the Saucedo teachers?  I couldn't get over their spokesperson, a special education teacher named Sarah Chambers.  She's the one in the fancy coat with the expensive fur collar.   I heard her speak and she makes it sound as if giving students test after test is pointless and possibly abusive.  Puh-lease.  Kids love testing.

We have made great strides in transforming our schools, but 25% of our students still remain in the bottom quartile.  Even more troubling, the students in that bottom quartile are far more likely to be in economic distress.  For those who say that tests don't matter, think about that.  If we can just improve their test scores, we can help lift them out of poverty.  Even the second lowest quartile is far better off financially.  

Opting out is child abuse pure and simple.  What are the kids going to do if they don't test?  Read a book?  We can't afford to waste their time like this.  Our children are precious.

Sincerely,
Myron Miner

Let Me Help - An Open Letter to Michelle Rhee

 
Dear Michelle,

I remember when I was a young teacher in Boca Raton.  I was invited to assemble a polo team to compete in for a cup at the local club.   I immediately asked my fellow TFA recruit Scooter Nelson to join me and he had a friend who was an outstanding Number One.  Unfortunately, I couldn't scrape together a 4th player and we had to cancel our plans to compete.  I was embarrassed to have been unable to field a whole team.

Recently, I heard that you were forced to cancel your plans to debate Diane Ravitch at Lehigh University on February 6th because you were unable to find a third person for your side.  I am happy to announce that I am willing to join your team.   I believe my resume speaks for themselves, but as the Director of Last Stand for Children First, I've made a name for myself as one of the country's foremost education reformers.  Through Last Stand's Project SLOW we have dropped the number of students in the bottom quartile on state tests in Louisiana from 25% to just over 15%.  Our evaluation plan, which has been adopted in 9 states has caused more teachers to lose their jobs than Rahm Emanuel and Michael Nutter combined.  We have streamlined new teacher training from our fellows from a time consuming 5 weeks to 5 hours and a showing of Freedom Writers on DVD.

In short, you, Rod Paige, and myself would be a dream team.  I strongly believe in all the talking points of education reform, even the ones that contradict other education reform talking points.  Together we can take on the status quo in a way that we have been unable to do in the 30 years of school reform going back to a Nation at Risk.  I look forward to hearing from you and destroying Ravitch and her cronies in this debate.

Sincerely,
Myron Miner
(Last Stand for Children First)

Ravitch's New Book Demonstrates She Still Hates Children

Today, Diane Ravitch's Reign of Error came out.  Her newest book claims to explore the hoax of privatization and the danger that America's public schools are facing.  Sadly, Diane's new book is just another misguided screed aimed at the hedge fund managers and education reformers who seem to be the only people who still care about our country's children.

While I didn't actually read Ravitch's book, I think I've gotten a pretty good feeling for what it's about by reading the cover which is widely displayed on line and several negative comments from people I admire for their no excuses approach to education reform and this unfortunately, is where Ravitch comes up short.

Ravitch's very title suggests that privatization is a threat to our nation's public schools.  However, to believe that you'd have to believe in crazy conspiracy theories like the somehow the 50 neighborhood schools in Chicago closed this Summer are related to the 50 charter schools that the Chicago Public Schools wants to open up.  It seems to me that if privatizers were going to threaten our public schools, we wouldn't be pushing to close them down.

Ravitch is guilty of cherry picking her data and she often ignores push pulls conducted by pro charter school organizations. She never mentions that if 83% of character schools are scoring at or below their neighborhood school peers, than 17% must be scoring better. 

Finally, Ravitch's view of history is revisionist.  She badmouths the 1983 Nation at Risk study, where many people first found out that neighborhood schools were no longer the quality education options parents hoped they would be.  Our only hope of change is when everybody can get on the same page and try and return our school system to the greatness it had at some other time.  Michelle Rhee likes to say, "this will be the first generation in America that will not be as well educated as their parents" and though she never really says what that means, I know in my heart that it's true.  I wish that Ravitch would get this.

TP for CPS

As an organization, Last Stand for Children First, is thrilled to stand behind the TP for CPS campaign.  If you have extra toilet paper sitting around the house, won't you please don't to our children's future?

It's Time to Reform Father's Day

This afternoon, I was shopping at one of those shopping malls, when I noticed an overabundance of "World's Best Dad" t-shirts, mugs, barbecue supplies, and a plethora of other flimflam.  Sure, it's easy to say to dad, "You're the best!" but what does that even mean?  Without metrics or any kind of objective evaluation, it's merely a platitude. 

The children of our nation face an uncertain future.  Parents have let them fall further and further behind the Chinese children with their superior tiger parents.  Yet, as I looked in this Hallmark Store, I found not a single "Pretty Good Dad", "Adequate Dad", or "Needing Improvement Dad".   I would estimate that about half the dads in this country are adequate and maybe 1/3 of them could be called good.  At best 5% of the dad's could be called very good, but great?  I would expect less than 1% of dads could truly be called great.  The odds that 30 of that select group would all have children shopping in the shopping mall I was in, seems slight at best.

We at Last Stand for Children First love dads.  We believe they're one of the two most important people in a child's life.  That's why, we don't do any favors for the really good dads, when we call all of them great.   What incentive do parents have to strive for greatness when they're not rated any higher than mediocre fathers who don't even require their children to learn to play a sport or practice the piano?  Until, we find a way to evaluate parenting fairly and without sentimentality, the children are the real losers and that is a shame.   

Last Stand for Children Founder Myron Miner Survives Mackinac Conference Tragedy

Tragedy struck the Mackinac Policy Conference when in their zealous to improve the efficiency of Mackinac Island's Grand Hotel, inadvertently made the hotel staff walk off the job.   Mackinac, which is the Indian word for "Slaughter Island" soon found the peaceful conference guests facing off in tribes.   While there was apparently only one fatality, only the timely arrival of some yachting enthusiasts prevented a much greater tragedy.   Myron Miner's tweets provide a lasting testament to the horror that the guests endured on the island.  They have been preserved at Storify and can be read here:

http://sfy.co/p7oy

Day 2 on Mackinac Island

Day 2 at Mackinac Island was even more amazing than day 1.   This morning we joined with several business and education leaders from around the country to announce a new grant program for urban schools looking to bring yachting, equestrian, and polo to their physical education departments.  

Then it was off to hear some great speakers.   Today, I heard Michelle Rhee talk about the pitiful state of education and several Michigan based entrepreneurs talk about the positive miracle of Detroit.  I thought they were both equally valid.    

If I had any doubts about the education reform movement, Michelle Rhee deftly erased them all.  She repeated her often used statistic that this would be the first generation in this country that was less educated than their parents.  As the number of  U.S. college graduates hit a record high in 2012, it's clear that Ms. Rhee sees a very precipitous decline to get the numbers down from 30 percent to the 22 percent level of 1990. 

One thing Ms. Rhee emphasized was just how important teachers are.   I think that's why it gives her such joy to fire them.  Earlier today, she had our restaurant in stitches when she let several patrons videotape her firing a waiter on their IPhones.  Poor Emanuel left before even realizing that Michelle Rhee wasn't his boss.

I will be giving our speech tomorrow and I'm very nervous.  We have a new app which will make closing schools as easy as calling a snow day.  Tonight is free Bourbon night and as many of us think of ourselves as Gatsbys, that only seems appropriate.   I always say, there ain't no party like a Gatsby party.

Our Report from the Mackinac Island Conference.

Hello and a sunny welcome from beautiful Mackinac Island, Michigan where the beautiful people of the education reform set have all penciled in this beautiful island made famous by Esther Williams in the movie Grand Hotel, for their Spring getaways.  It's Mackinac Island Conference Week and if there's one thing on the menu besides Chianti Chef Keith Shockling's Semolina Dusted Lake Huron Whitefish, it's education reform.

Where else can you hobnob with celebrities like Michelle Rhee, Harold Ford, Jeb Bush, Robert L. Johnson, Joe Scarborough, Governor Rick Snyder, and U.S. Representative Fred Upton, without even leaving your hotel balcony. 

Today, we saw several great speeches on urban revitalization including Jeb Bush's keynote where he showed the characteristic Bush family charisma and grasp of facts.   If there is a better place to discuss education and urban issues than this wonderful little island community where even the servants are imported, I don't know what it is.

Today, Bush railed against our misunderestimation of our children's ability to learn.  Later on, as we shared a horse drawn carriage, I pointed out to him that as the third Bush to hold public office, he was in a unique position to notice the human capacity to learn from our mistakes.

Tomorrow, I hope to get in some yachting and swim in the pool built for movie star Esther Williams for the movie Grand Hotel.   After that, I hope to have a chance to talk to Governor Snyder about our plans to create double decker class rooms, that would allow a teacher on a moving pedestal to teach a class of 100 students, nearly double Michigan's current limit of 60.

Until next time, I bid you caviar wishes and innovative dreams from this hotbed of urban reform, Michigan's crown Jewel, Mackinac Island

Serial Trespasser's Arrest Brings Union Election Results into Doubt

Today, the Chicago Police Department was forced to arrest Chicago Teachers Union Financial Secretary Kristine Mayle after she refused to stop interfering with law abiding citizens who wished to use the elevators at Chicago City Hall.   Her arrest brings shame not only to Kristine, but to the entire Chicago Teachers Union who recently elected this serial trespasser to another term running the union's membership and finances.  I must think that had union membership realized they were electing a repeat offender, they might well have made a less controversial choice with their votes.

I mention that Ms. Mayle is a serial trespasser because this is not the first time she has been arrested.  We have manged to obtain the following picture from a June 2011 incident where Ms. Mayle and several other union radicals blockaded the street in front of an innocent Hyatt Hotel.  Shortly, after this picture was taken, Mayle was arrested:

I think we all must ask themselves what is a teacher like this going to teach students besides how to do their own prison tattoos (Mayle apparently has several), how to make a shank, or ferment their own Pruno from CPS orange juice and ketchup packets.  Sadly, this is not even the only criminal CTU member.  They have an organizer who loves to assault reporters by ridiculing their underdeveloped male equipment.   For shame CTU.  For Shame.

Last Stand for Children First Makes Endorsement in Chicago Teachers Union Election

Internal union politics is probably the last place that an education group like ourselves should be getting involved.  However, sometimes a candidate or a group of candidates come along that you have no choice, but to proclaim your admiration and support for.   In the Chicago Teachers Union election, The Coalition to Save Our Union is just such a group.

We do not like activist teacher's unions.   They bother us and bring visions of future class warfare or something.   Karen Lewis seems to have the Chicago teachers protesting something every single week.  We would much prefer a different type of leader, someone like Tanya Sanders-Wolff who knows that you don't have to open your mouth to let your voice be heard.

While CORE is all about confrontation, TCTSOU is more about compromise.   When the current teachers contract was negotiated, neither Saunders-Wolff nor Ochoa felt the need to say anything against it when they were on the bargaining team.  They didn't have to.  That's what power is all about. 

Even know, one can look at the web page, the face book page, and twitter feed of The Coalition to Save Our Union and you won't find a policy statement.   Their concrete ideas are that Karen Lewis is a bad President and that they:

1. Believe in power in the Streets as well as the suites
2. Believe that CTU must both organize and service members
3. Believe that teachers and school staff know best about their schools

When your policy goals can fit onto a cocktail napkin or matchbook, you never have to worry about breaking a campaign promise and isn't that refreshing? 

Finally, electing TCTSOU will make for a more democratic union.  Look how CTU meetings were when PACT was the opposition and UPC was in charge:

That is Democracy in action.  Everybody not only gets to speak, but everybody gets to speak at the same time.   It is my hope that any teachers reading this will join with Rahm Emanuel, the Chicago Tribune, and Last Stand for Children First and support The Coalition to Save Our Union

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week

Teachers make such a difference in the lives of so many children.  I know this first hand because I was a student in San Diego for nearly a year before coming to work at Last Stand for Children First.  In that time, I was a truly and unsung hero and I remember it fondly.  I had wanted to do a drive to have parents donate used mugs that we could clean and then present to teachers as our little way of saying thanks, but unfortunately I forgot about Teacher Appreciation Week until it was too late.

Teachers give so much of themselves to their students.  I really wish there was a way to give them more money.  Recently, Last Stand for Children First call a blue ribbon panel of experts in education reform together to look at ways we could better reward top performing teachers.  After spending 18 months and $20,000,000 researching different approaches, we came up with a merit pay system that we thought would be a great way to make sure the best teachers are rewarded.  Wouldn't you know it?  Backed by their unions, district after district has rejected our plan.

In fact, teachers routinely block all the best things we have designed for them---from equipping students with dog collars that would alert a central computer when their focus drifted from their teacher to making sure that the best and cheapest teachers aren't automatically terminated when layoffs come.  It just seems that the entire profession is given a black eye because of these few no good jerks who seek fancy retirements and $40,000 a year lifestyles at the expense of their children.

Keep in mind that this is a job where you work from 10-3 with every holiday off and 4 and a half months off in summer time.   We pay teachers an exorbitant salary.  I know this because my job at Last Stand for Children First puts me in a very high tax bracket and I am astonished to see how much I get hit for in taxes and don't even get me started on property tax.  I refuse to believe that adding a stables and a tennis court adds that much to a home's value.   Still, my taxes keep rising because I'm paying for these people to retire on easy street.

On a personal note, I'd like to thank Mrs. Ward who cheered me up in 4th grade when I'd go to her music class after Mr. Altino's math class.  Wow! was Mr. Altino a jerk.   He always smelled of cheese, garlic, and onions and he was sooooo boring.  I wouldn't have giving this guy a dog license let alone a teacher's license.   So many of my teachers were such losers.

So  thank you for all that you do.   You are shaping are future and I think I speak for everybody in Last Stand for Children First when I say it's really appreciated.

Girl Arrested for Unauthorized Science

With all the attention that the Czechoslovakian terrorists in Boston received, it is very easy to forget about the homegrown terrorists that we have to contend with in this very country.  Fortunately, police in Florida were on the case.   If you're not familiar with Florida, here's a great recap of some of the terrific education reform going on in the sunshine state. 

At 7 a.m. Monday morning, it was one of those quiet April days that reminds you that Florida is God's waiting room.   The smell of citrus and orange blossom was in the air as 16 year old high school student Kiera Wilmot skulked towards Bartow High School.  Unbeknownst to her classmates, the 16 year old terrorist in training was packing household chemicals and an 8 ounce plastic bottle.  The label may have said "water", but it could have just as easily read, "death to America."  When she arrived on campus, Miss Wimot wasted no time in mixing the household chemicals together in her bottle of death and putting the cap back on.  Investigators later recalled, "the reaction caused a small explosion that caused the top to pop up and produced some smoke."

Police wasted no time in hustling Miss Wilmot to an undisclosed location where charged with possession/discharge of a weapon on school grounds and discharging a destructive device. She will be tried as an adult.

I for one do not approve of trying Miss Wilmot for this offense.  It seems that when dealing with terrorists, our criminal justice system falls far short.  What is to stop her from lawyering up before we find out if there was anybody else involved in her plot and why she hates our way of life so much.  Surely, Guantanamo Bay is where this girl belongs.

There is no room for this kind of experimentation in school.   If students wish to learn science, there are approved text books for doing just that.  Nobody has ever been arrested for taking a standardized test in science---administering, sure, but not taking.

There is no telling where this kind of behavior could end.   Chemistry is a gateway science.   If this girl is not incarcerated, next year she could be stealing neighborhood pets to direct before she ultimately destroys us all by creating a black hole in the middle of Florida.   I applaud the Bartow authorities for their quick and decisive action that no doubt saved countless lives.

Meet the Common Corps

We have been for a very long time now to bring meaningful reform to education with sadly mixed results.  We've tried to set requirements for our schools' teachers to teach to standardized tests so that they all teach the same thing and we've created common core standards to even further bring the type of standardization to education that we've been craving since efficiency efforts first set their sights on education back at the beginning of the twentieth century.

However, it's never worked.  Why?  Simply put, you can give two McDonalds similar recipes and condiments, but if one is serving all beef patties and the other is serving burgers full of filler, they're just not going to turn out the same.   The same is true of students who have radically different student bodies.

The Common Corps is our initiative to finally standardized the student bodies across all schools.  Over the next 20 years, we propose to replace our public school student population with Common Corps members.

• While not all Common Corps members are rich, they are all comfortably middle class, which means they exhibit none of the food insecurity or post traumatic stress the seem so prevalent among lower income students.
• While not all Common Corps members are white, they are very familiar with majority culture and will not miss any reference found on state standardized tests.
• All Common Corps members are from loving two parent households.
• All Common Corps members are fluent in English
• All Common Corps members are of above average intelligence and none will require special education services.
• All Common Corps members have excellent conflict resolution skills and can solve all problems by simply discussing things like rational human beings.

By replacing the student body of all schools with Common Core members, we will finally be able to compare schools on an even playing field because they will have exactly the same type of students.  This is an idea whose time has come and  the final step in our efforts to improve education for all students by replacing those students.

Alternatively Certified Teachers Profile...Bonnie Kohler

Alternative certification routes are vital to attracting the best, brightest, and cheapest teachers to enter the classroom.  Just because you are willing to devote your whole life to educating our country's children, it does not mean you are willing to spend 2 years taking methods classes to learn to teach. Please read this great essay by Last Stand for Children First Fellow Bonnie Kohler as she explains what being alternatively certified means to her.

In 2008, I graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Baraboo with a double major in social work and sociology. After graduating, I soon realized that the market for sociologists was roughly the same size as the job market for interpretive dance majors.  I was hired by Starbucks corporation in the role of barista. I served in that position for 2 years before I broke up with my boyfriend and returned to UWB to attain my Masters Degree in Dairy Sciences.

I began work at a small dairy in Menomonie, but I longed to do something more with my life. Then it occurred to me, while watching Law and Order, that I could be a lawyer.  Unfortunately, I needed something to make my application really stand out for law school recruiters.  My college GPA was roughly as high as my blood alcohol level if you know what I mean.

That's when I heard about Last Stand for Children First.  After just 3 weeks of training, I could be working as a real classroom teacher in a genuine inner city environment.  I also learned, law school recruiters love to get applications form Last Stand for Children First Fellows.

Let me just say, it wasn't easy.   The kids didn't care what my lesson plans said they were doing.  If this was the day they decided to throw the waste basket out of the classroom window, there was nothing I could do to stop them.  However, imagine my surprise when we got back our test scores that first year and I learned that my students improved their test scores by 150 percent.  In fact, our whole school's test scores went through the roof.  The assistant principal and my mentor assured me that they went through all my student's tests after school one Friday and that they could tell the kids did great and that my increases were legitimate.  They also said, I shouldn't ask any questions abut it for some reason.

All my work teaching students how to fill in the bubbles on the test and how to make an educated guess and pace themselves pay off.  I was a real teacher and to think without the alternative certification program, I never would have been able to impact these students’ and their families’ lives – but equally as important, they never would have had the chance to impact my life as well.

Next Fall, I will be attending law school and then hopefully, I will never have to see another 5th grader again, unless maybe I'm making education policy.  I think I'd like that.

Arne Duncan Loves Many Things

 
This list comes from the great Matt Farmer and an article that he posted in January of 2011 on the Huffington Post.  Arne Duncan sure loves a lot of stuff 

"I'm not a fan of charter schools -- I'm a fan of good charter schools."
"I am a fan of good traditional schools."
"I'm a big fan of choice and competition...."
"I'm a big fan of growth models."
"I'm a big fan of recess. We can bring back recess. Please quote me on that. I'm serious."
"I'm not a fan of hitting children. Absolutely not."
"I'm a big fan of [Randi Weingarten]."
"I'm a big fan of [Michelle Rhee], and I think Michelle's made a fantastic contribution."
"I'm a big fan of [Arlene Ackerman]."
"I'm a huge fan of Joel Klein."
"I am a huge fan of Paul Pastorek."
"I'm a big fan of what Tony Smith is doing."
"I am a big fan of (CMS) Superintendent Peter Gorman and his leadership team...."
"I'm a huge fan of Geoffrey Canada."
"Harlem Children's Zone; I'm a huge fan of what's going on there."
"Like the president, I'm a huge fan of Posse."
"I am such a big fan of what the 100 Black Men are doing around the country."
"I'm such a big fan of GEAR UP."
"I'm a huge fan of Miami Dade College."
"I'm just a huge fan of Reality Changers...."
"I am a huge fan of out-of-school anti-poverty programs."
"I'm a big fan of National Board Certification."
"I am a big fan of service learning...."
"I'm a big fan of performance contracts."
"I'm a big fan on [sic] programs like robotics programs, science fair competitions, career day when students get a chance to explore their passions and interests."
"I'm a big fan of Urban Prep."
"I'm a big fan of Teach for America."
"It is no secret that I am a huge fan of AP."
"I'm a big fan and supporter of TRIO and GEAR UP."
"I'm a big fan of supporting not just individuals but entire teams where you have high performing schools."
"I'm a big fan of alternative high schools. I'm a big fan of engaged learning. I'm a big fan of having every single young person have a mentor or role model, be able to discover their passions, discover their interests."
"I'm a big fan of technical and vocational training...."
"I'm a huge fan of alternative certification and getting folks like you coming out of industry and into teaching."
"Not a fan [of Xbox]. No, absolutely not."
"But -- am I fan of hitting kids? Absolutely not."

Where is Students First?

Like everybody who believes in putting students first, I have come to look forward to and count on updates from Michelle Rhee and her advocacy organization Students First.   Ms. Rhee provides a valuable service to the education community by holding teachers responsible for the success of their students.   We want to be nice and supportive, but test scores have consequences and if a teacher isn't advancing her students, it's time to put someone else in the classroom.

However, since Friday, Students First has been like a ghost town on social media.  Michelle Rhee hasn't tweeted, Students First hasn't tweeted or updated their facebook page and Students First cheerleader Tom Greene has made only one post all weekend.  I've never seen it like this.  If Students First takes the weekend off, who is there to champion accountability?  

I like to think that the Students First staff is probably off at a retreat somewhere getting ready to expand.   Maybe they've gotten a nice infusion of cash from Jeb Bush or something, but I am getting worried.  If you've seen Michelle Rhee please let me know.  I do worry.

Accidental Racist: School Closing Edition

Yesterday, I heard a great new song from Brad Paisley and L.L. Cool Jay.  Now, I don't listen to a lot of the rap music and like many education reformers I am quite tone deaf, but this song represents a coming together from a white guy who wants to wear his Confederate Flag shirt and an African-American guy who wants to dress fashionably.  One thing I picked up from the song is that while white people have done many hurtful things to black people over the years like apartheid and slavery, but most of the offenses that black people have hurt whites with are fashion crimes like wearing doo rags and gold chains.  It would be nice if we could get past it.

Now, in Chicago the school debate has made a lot of people uncomfortable with talk of racism.  The Tribune today warned that discussing racism is a very dangerous thing that could lead who knows where. I suppose there might be some racism involved in closing schools where black students attend, but if there is  I'm sure it's the accidental kind.  Wouldn't it be great if we could have a song for that?

Accidental Racist (School Closing Edition)

Rahm: 
When I closed your school down, I didn't do cause you're black.
I tried to make it up to you with a an IPad and a new backpack.
But, when you call me a racist, I don't know what to do.
You see I don't think that way, I even bought a ticket to see 42.

Is it really all that bad walking down drug and gang infested streets?
It seems to me in Wilmette, it's worth it for quality seats.
There's no racism intended, I'm sure God only knows
Why white schools get new computers while black schools get closed.

I'm just your mayor, and I'm kind a new here.
I've spent the last few years in DC,
I've got an Ohioan advising me.
Putting this behind us is my only wish,
If you don't like the Ipad,
I know where I can get you a dead fish.

Student:
Hello Mr. Rahm, I appreciate your time.
It's nice to know you're looking out for me and mine.
I got a few questions you may be able to answer.
Why is it in my neighborhood it's harder to get a job than to get cancer?
You can't close down any of the crack houses all around here,
so why can you close 60 schools in one year.
Anyway, Mr. Rahm, thank you for the thought.
Being a politician must be great if you don't get caught.

What to do with Chicago's Abandonned Schools

Assuming that CPS goes ahead with their planned school actions, there will be nearly 60 abandoned schools located mostly in Chicago's poorest neighborhoods.   In previous mass closings, the cities wound up losing a lot of money on the schools, which soon became abandoned and derelict.  Even The Chicago Tribune has called for the city to sell these buildings to charter schools, but the city has so far refused.  Fortunately, there is a way for the city to re-purpose these buildings.

Let's face it, research shows that students who are involved in actions like these have a much higher rate of dropping out and that is only going to give them a higher rate of incarceration as adults.   Since many of these kids are already growing up in a high crime neighborhood, most of them are probably going to wind up in prison.

Chicago has the chance here to become to incarceration what Silicon Valley is to micro chips.  Best of all, the private prison industry is growing almost as fast as the charter school movement hence our politicians will still have a steady source of campaign dollars. 

Now don't get me wrong, there is going to be some initial costs.  Unlike Chicago Public Schools, prisons need libraries and places for the inmates to exercise.  There will be a need for cells and fences and watch towers, but if we're looking for a tiny cramped space that can serve as a place to punish the worst offenders by placing them in isolation, most schools have a space like this.  It's usually used for special education classes.

The children are our future and if we can't nurture them and educate them, our society still needs to profit off them.   It's time to move Chicago into the future as incarceration capital of the world.