Reign of Error: One book’s defense of the status-quo

By Kevin P. Chavous

In the several reviews of Diane Ravitch's new book, "Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools,” many have focused on her obvious obsession with corporate America and it's 'evil' involvement in education reform.  In writing this book, she clearly wants to warn us all "that reformers want to privatize their public schools and divert their taxes to pay profits to investors." And while Ravitch's rabid attacks throughout the book on education reformers is at times irrational and not based on facts, my problem with her approach and her rhetoric is more basic.

50 Years After King's Dream -- Time to Wake Up

By Kevin P. Chavous
As appeared on Huffington Post "Black Voices" (August 28, 2013)

As our nation steps back to reflect upon the March on Washington and famous speech delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we all must challenges ourselves to question our nation's progress.

Fifty years later, how has our nation progressed? How have we evolved? How have we improved?

Dr. King's speech helped create momentum for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which legally solidified the equality of African Americans in this country. All week, various events and activities are planned, including an anniversary march on August 28.

Like the 1963 march, the focus of the planned commemorative activities are jobs and justice. But what about education?

Who are the real #EdReform Influencers?

By Kevin P. Chavous
Today, Michael J. Petrilli of The Fordham Institute published what he calls, "The Top Twitter Feeds in Education Policy." This is indicative of the problem with some in the education reform community -- let's pat each other’s back for superficial reasons, ignoring the real reason for education reform - helping children.

 

First, I want to say, I have nothing but the utmost respect for Michael, both personally and professionally, and his list includes some worthwhile education reform champions. But, as Michael explains, the list is based purely on "Klout" scores. Klout is a website that attempts to measure individual influence online, but as Mashable and other outlets have reported, Klout is hardly an accurate measure of social media impact.

More importantly, in the terms of education reform, the most important impact shouldn't be how much we Tweet one another, but how positive impact we're having the lives of children who deserve better educational options.

So while Michael will rely on computer algorithm to develop his list of "Top Twitter Feeds in Education Policy," later this week, I will be releasing the "Thirteen Most Impactful #EdReform Twitter Accounts of 2013." This list will include nominations from you of people whose work is changing the lives of children every day.

To nominate a Twitter account, email KTyagi@FederationforChildren.org - including the name and twitter handle of your nominee or Tweet me your nominee at @KevinPChavous.

How do you like them apples? Matt Damon supports private education

Nearly two years ago to the date, Matt Damon flew into Washington, D.C. to speak at a “Save our Schools” rally. The groups who comprise “Save our Schools” are a who’s who of education organizations who have opposed every single reform over the past 30 years. The rally was against the education reforms underway in Washington, D.C. to help fix one of the nation’s most broken school districts. At the rally, Damon was the champion of public schools and skewered the “corporate reformer[s] who literally never taught anyone anything…” 

2013: The Year of Education Choice?

While more students than ever have access to educational options this year—and you can get the full slate of numbers when our annual School Choice Yearbook is released next week—thousands more are still unable to attend the school of their choice. 

Robert Enlow, president and CEO of the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, recently wrote an op-ed for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, calling on lawmakers across the country to expand or grant access to choice programs being considered in their state.

It’s Education Nation! So Let’s Tweet

We're at Education Nation today and tweeting all of the school choice news.  Here are some of our tweets (and we even made it on the Education Nation Twitter board):

Make sure you follow all of the Education Nation news by following @schoolchoicenow.

- American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, MSG

Kevin P. Chavous on Why Democrats Must Support School Choice

Last month on the Washington Post’s “The Answer Sheet” Blog, guest blogger Jeff Bryant argued why Democrats should not support any form of educational options.  Check out the response from AFC Senior Advisor Kevin P. Chavous, a former D.C. Councilman and a lifelong Democrat, on why Democrats must put partisan politics aside and support school choice:

Jeff Bryant’s July 18 piece on Valerie Strauss’ “The Answer Sheet” blog lets blind partisanship get in the way of an accurate characterization of school choice programs across the country.  As a Democrat, I full-heartedly support school choice in every form—from strong traditional public schools to charter schools to voucher programs—because these options shift our focus from an antiquated, overly-bureaucratized one-size-fits-all system that is sadly failing millions of disadvantaged children to those who know their children best—parents. Your failure to think critically is apparent in your change-averse ideology that prizes the status quo over proven measures that will help kids.

In a political climate where bipartisanship is growing increasingly rare, school choice breaks the mold, having earned the backing of Republicans and Democrats in places like Louisiana, Florida, Wisconsin, Georgia, Ohio, and right here in the nation’s capital. The reason, which Mr. Bryant fails to acknowledge, is simple: for many lawmakers, the future of our country’s next generation is far more important that scoring political points.

The assumption that poor families are misinformed is simply untrue, and it is that notion—one emphasizing system-wide decision-making over the best judgment of parents—that accounts for a great deal of the achievement gap that plagues our country’s educational performance.  It’s why when we put power pack into the hands of parents, as was done here in D.C., voucher students graduate at a rate of 91 percent—more than 30 percentage points higher than students in D.C. Public Schools.  And an evaluation of the Milwaukee voucher program also found a higher graduation rates and a trend that participating students were more likely to enroll and continue in four-year universities than their public school counterparts.

It’s why when the opportunity for choice arises, parents respond in droves. More than 17,000 students are on waiting lists for public charter schools here in D.C. and more than 10,000 low-income families have applied for the voucher program since it was created in 2004.

So yes, Mr. Bryant, I am a Democrat who proudly favors school choice, and there is nothing meek about my support. After all, I’m on the side of the parents, and it’s they—not you—who really know what’s best for their kids.

—Kevin

- American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, MSG

Pro-Reform Does Not Mean Anti-Teacher

Legendary teacher Annie Sullivan and ed reformer Geoffrey Canada.

Broad strokes work wonders as a rallying cry or to stir the emotions of a constituency, but they're less useful when it comes to accurately communicating the facts.

Such were the circumstances this weekend, as a few thousand teachers and other public school advocates descended upon the nation's capital to march in a "Save Our Schools" rally that aimed to, according to those in attendance, "put the 'public' back in 'public schools.'" Attendees were there to voice their opposition to a host of reforms—the growing emphasis on testing, No Child Left behind, attempts at teacher tenure reform, charter schools, and vouchers—just to name a few.

They were quick to paint a picture of an education reform movement as entirely anti-teacher, something that we here at the American Federation for Children know couldn't be farther from the truth. While there has been emphasis (especially recently) in some parts of the reform movement to tackle things like teacher tenure, merit pay and the so-called "dance of the lemons," we couldn't be stronger advocates for high-quality teachers, of which there are many. Some of us are the sons and daughters of public school teachers, and every single one of us recognizes that great teachers are some of the most important—and most under-appreciated—group of American workers that exist today.

Shifting Paradigms in Education

Some in the education reform movement are criticized for the size and scope of their goals. Those most beholden to the status quo are only willing to embrace the most incremental of reforms—if any.

But in truth, we have to think big, or we'll fail to make significant improves that truly help the kids that need it most. Our own Kevin P. Chavous often speaks of the need for "a revolution in education," and we couldn't agree more. 

In a recent Forbes.com article entitled, "Against Barriers to a New Paradigm Shift," author E.D. Kain echoes this sentiment:

"But really, we need reforms. We need to break all institutional barriers to a new way of conceiving education in the first place..."

 He's right. Unless we start—or, in the case of some of the stalwart reformers fighting for school choice, continue—to aim high, we'll never achieve the reforms we seek.

In the spirit of aiming big, here's a video to which Kain links that explains rather cleverly how we can begin to think about education in America:



- American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, MAG