The Merger Thing · From the Trenches

AND...
In The News: On Teacher Certification · On Charters and Change · On Charters and Choice
On the Union Merger · On Academic Standards and Testing  · On Teacher Contracts

Dear Friends:

        It’s here again — school time — and while much remains the same, our children are experiencing a sea-change in the structure and attitude of schools today. Think about it: fully one-percent of American schools are utilizing the well-respected Core Knowledge curriculum. Over 250,000 students are enrolled in public charter schools; another estimated 1 million children are attending other public schools of choice, many thanks to new-found competitive environments from their school districts, and thousands more children from decaying urban areas are entering private schools of choice, thanks to the benevolence of a few extraordinary individuals. All this makes our compatriots and us happy, but boy, does it make others nervous. Read on, and you’ll see what we mean.

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        With the summer nearly gone, the talk of a union merger seems so distant now. It was in July, you might recall, that the National Education Association’s general assembly could muster only 42% of ballots in favor of the merger proposal. A similar vote in the AFT passed, but was only symbolic after the NEA defeat.

        Few were more stunned than NEA chief Bob Chase, who made a national pitch to just about every state affiliate and media outlet he could find, telling them the merger vote was akin to voting to save public education from its enemies. A merger vote would greatly strengthen both unions as they battle "extremist" groups trying to "dismantle public schools and silence unions."

        Even the opening prayer at the NEA meeting was political, as Rabbi Murray Blackman called for God’s blessing, increased educational spending, and the rejection of school vouchers, according to the Education Intelligence Agency’s Mike Antonucci. Chase even compared the "historical" event of a merger vote to the signing of the Louisiana Purchase.

        Some NEA members at the meeting expressed grave reservations at affiliating with a union; meaning, that they considered the AFT a union with "strong-armed tactics" in the words of one. But not the NEA apparently. As for strong-arming, the NY Federation of Teachers (the place from where AFT presidents have hailed) this summer squashed the state’s charter bill and got the Regents to withdraw some key quality control recommendations for teachers. And the debacle of the Massachusetts teacher exam — in which 60% of those who took the test failed — happened when the NEA was meeting. Yet Chase could only say at the time that it was "unfortunate that the issue has become as politicized as it has."

        Trading Places? And finally, the President went to the AFT convention — again — to bond with delegates, while the Vice President found it important to schmooze the NEA delegation. Back in 1996, it was the other way around, with VP Gore at the AFT convention, where, according to the Cleveland (OH) Plain Dealer, he told them that "the Clinton Administration was the only thing preventing an all-out assault on their collective-bargaining rights and on public education." This year, he told the NEA (to wild applause) that "Milwaukee’s school choice program and other voucher programs taking root across the country are ‘fraudulent’ and ‘dangerous,’" according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel News.

        So there you have it. While teachers are struggling to meet new curriculum demands, gain freedom and flexibility, and find continuing education programs that mean something, their unions remain pre-occupied with politics. No wonder so many are flocking to alternative groups, and making school boards nervous as they apply in droves for much coveted teaching positions in charter schools. The next time someone utters the phrase "new unionism" as if it’s a serious deal, ask about the many examples you read about here and elsewhere of recalcitrant or downright hostile union leaders at the school board and statehouse doors.

·      The Nation’s Capital: Stuck in the 50s: Much has been said nationwide about the impact of charter schools on school systems. Facing the potential loss of teachers and students, some districts, like Mesa, AZ, respond positively, putting their best foot forward and trying to vie for customers. Others, like the District of Columbia, use words like ‘siphon,’ ‘exodus’ and ‘abandon’ to describe what is allegedly happening when over 100 teachers and more than 3,000 students choose to use an alternative that lawmakers have permitted. Not only did the very unpredictable Washington Post call for a review of the situation (heaven forbid people being allowed to leave a system conceded as nearly useless!), but the head of the Emergency Trustees (a respected businesswoman who is supposed to lack the vested interest the former school board had) says the city needs a hearing and review with both chartering boards, to, well, to… review the situation.

        Freely translated: real school reform makes people nervous, and the various bureaucracies at work in DC are playing upon the naivete of the Emergency Trustees. Even the mayoral candidates have suggested limiting charter school growth before they've even opened their doors. The provincial sentiment seems to be: if people choose to leave when you lift the gate, the only response should be to stop them. (If you find this hard to believe, Senator Kerry’s affirmation of this behavior can be found later in this issue, as well as why reform is imperative.)

·      Ode to Mediocrity: When in Doubt, Sue: A lawsuit filed in June against the newly expanded California charter law was dismissed in August by a Superior Court judge, who found that the case was not "ripe," according to charter supporters there. And even though previous lawsuits in Colorado and Michigan found in favor of charter laws, the establishment in Utah is trying to stem the tide of progress by initiating its own suit. Indeed, the Utah School Boards association voted in early August to proceed with the legal action and claim that charters ignore their local authority and violate the Utah Constitution. Utah’s law permits a mere 8 schools, and two — one for the performing arts and one for deaf children — have already been approved. No doubt it was too much for the school boards, which have their hands full doing..em..uh..well..doing lawsuits.

        We’d like to start calculating the real cost of all these nuisance lawsuits, and you can help us. If you’re in an area where your local board or other officials have tried to interfere with reform by launching a suit (Hilton Head, SC, Denver, CO, Arlington Heights, IL, and others) help us find out what they’re spending to supposedly save the taxpayer money. It might make for a really good political science course for aspiring college students, or better, perhaps we can interest a friendly reporter in a major expose! Call us, write, or e-mail to cer@edreform.com.

·     Time to Move On: Once again the Public Agenda Foundation has opened up America’s conscious to the reality that what most parents want for their children is education first and foremost. Time to Move On, an opinion study, measured the attitudes of the races on education, and found the following:

        * 80% of black parents believe that the bigger priority for schools should be raising academic standards and achievement, over diversity and integration. All parents feel their children are often not held to high enough standards.

        * While virtually all parents interviewed are committed to the value of diversity, a large majority believe that a school superintendent in a mostly black school district should be picked on the basis of qualifications, not race.

        * When it comes to testing, "most African-American parents reject the tests-are-biased argument. "Only 28% say blacks don’t do as well on standardized tests because of cultural bias." Most (70%) believe it’s important to talk openly about the achievement gap that exists.

        * "A good school is hard to find," Public Agenda was told. White parents — even those with means —"often struggle" to find homes in neighborhoods with good schools. "Fully 82% agree that ‘since parents often pick a neighborhood for its schools, it’s wrong to force them to send their kids elsewhere to achieve racial integration.’" Most white parents think the schools could do something to alleviate the current achievement gap.

        * Once again, Public Agenda found that the basics are a priority (to no one’s surprise here!). "Fully 91% of black and 95% of white parents say it’s absolutely essential for a school to ‘make sure students master the basics such as [the 3 Rs].'"

        * And true to most of the last two year’s polling data, a voucher proposal, described by Public Agenda "as ‘giving families financial aid so they can take their kids out of failing public schools and send them to private schools,’ got the support of more than 54% of black parents" (only 36% of white parents agreed) Copies of the full report are available from (212) 686-6610 or www.publicagenda.org.

·         Speaking of Wanting the Basics: Maryland Board of Education members are in an uphill battle to solving their state’s reading crisis. After reading scores were flat from ‘93-97, and only a quarter of 8^th graders scored at a satisfactory level, the Board adopted new requirements for current and prospective reading teachers. The unions at the top balked, got the state to agree to test teachers first before requiring training, and later state officials released a tentative blueprint for reading instruction, a 62-page report of the work of a task force of 25 assorted educators who consulted 1,500 students on reading and met regularly over the last 16 months. To determine whether the reports’ conclusions really stacked-up, the Baltimore Sun asked five recognized authorities. Those most highly-regarded in the field of reading found the report — unequivocally — lacking in any recommendations that would yield better reading among children. Louisa Moats, a renowned reading specialist, says the report "contains contradictory statements, information about reading psychology that is simply inaccurate according to scientific studies of reading, and many descriptions of reading instruction techniques that are whole language manifestos unsupported by research." Former California state superintendent of schools, Bill Honig said that "this thing should be sent back to the drawing board. Remember, Maryland is below average for a reason. They’re doing something wrong." A decision on what do to is pending.

·         People for the American what?! Here’s a story about someone’s conversion from pro-system, to pro-child; a result that his fair-weather friends are still struggling to comprehend. Miami Reverend Richard Bennett was an early recruit to People for the American Way’s (PAW) anti-voucher crusade. PAW, a more religiously oriented ACLU kind-of-group, convened prominent pastors, and people of different faiths and color in staged press conferences and (poorly attended) rallies. Yet wherever they’ve gone, there has been press, as there was the day Rev. Bennett joined PAW in Washington. Rev. Bennett was told the people who want school choice for kids are out to destroy public education, and so, naturally, he warmed to their cause. But a funny thing happened when he got home: Rev. Bennett started doing some research on the issue, and met struggling parents who believed school choice to be their only salvation. The more Rev. Bennett learned, the more he liked. He sought out Floridians for School Choice, a dynamic group on its way to bringing choice to the Sunshine State. Then he joined the pro-child cause.

        PAW tried to dissuade him and initiated a series of calls from PAW board members, from fellow pastors, and even from some legislators. Their arguments centered not on how important their own cause is, but on disparaging the people involved in choice. They told him that he'd been taken by "those" voucher folks; that he’s being used. But Rev. Bennett stood firm, and is now State Director for the Florida choice effort. Said Rev. Bennett, "PAW tells a false story," to its recruits. He cautions others: "Before you endorse any agenda, go back and do your homework." He’s a man of great moral fortitude. Call him and see for yourself – (305) 835-9118.

·         Another Floridian who deserves the applause of needy families is Democratic Representative Beryl Roberts-Burke. Representative Roberts-Burke herself recently took on the establishment with gusto. She was the sponsor of a bill during Florida’s last session that would have provided scholarships for private or other public schools to kindergarten children who scored below the readiness standards. As a result, she is under attack by the local teachers’ unions, and time will tell whether her union-backed opponent gets the best of her. If lessons from Philly and elsewhere are any guide, where reformers such as Rep. Dwight Evans have taken a stand for better learning opportunities for children, and not the status quo, Rep. Roberts-Burke will make it through just fine.

·         And in other choice news, PAW is at it again, in Milwaukee, where they are among the groups who are working to derail the Milwaukee Parental Choice program that the State Supreme Court upheld in June. PAW is lobbying for regulations to require that private schools participating in the state's choice program operate no differently than the public schools the district run (and from which children are fleeing.) The teacher’s unions are also in full gear presenting obstacles (many of which have been overcome), and the ACLU is publicizing potential student complaints. The local scholarship group, Partners Advancing Values in Education (PAVE) which has had over 4,000 children on its rolls since the lawsuits began, points out that "the ACLU’s image as a noble defender of the constitution may soon be replaced with that of any ambulance-chaser looking for work," given its obvious mining for cases to upset the program. Adds (PAVE) director Dan McKinley, "and all of this before a single child enters a classroom and begins the really difficult work: To rise to the challenge of becoming educated."

·         Polls on choice …in Wisconsin paint a different picture than some would have you believe. On August 17, the results of a Louis Harris & Associates poll were released by the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute. Of the 1,000 residents surveyed, a clear majority favored a system in which "the government allots a certain amount of money for each child's education so that the parents could then send their child to any public, parochial, or private school they choose." Those who favor choice, broken down by how they act and look: 65% of Republicans, 60% of Independents and 57% of Democrats; 59% of both men and women; 58% of Whites and 67% of Blacks, 65% of Milwaukee residents and 54% of suburban Milwaukee residents.

        IMPORTANT!! Any day now, we expect to see the umpteenth-annual Phi Delta Kappa (PDK)/Gallup poll which, while documenting rising public sentiment for real reform, still mutes the results among a sea of conflicting and misleading word clues and innuendo about choice being the opposite of real public education. Keep in mind as the results of that survey become public that no less than a dozen polls in the last two years from reputable firms — as well as in-depth survey research from the Public Agenda Foundation — have repudiated the once-respected PDK/Gallup survey on nearly all its findings.

·         Opposing local control: The Washington-based Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) — a defender of the status quo which represents 44 of the current 50 school chiefs — to dissuade Congress from moving over $2 billion in federal funds down to the classroom in the "Dollars to the Classroom Act." CCSSO informed the House Education Committee Chair, Bill Goodling, that they opposed sending more money to the classroom, to which Goodling replied, "you essentially advocate keeping power in Washington rather than sharing it with state and local decision-makers. That is a way of thinking that is so traditional and status quo as to be unhelpful and counterproductive." It’s also nothing new for the CCSSO, whose own members continue to question its rather static agenda. Oregon chief Norma Paulus wrote to rebut CCSSO’s opposition to the expansion of a law known as Ed-Flex, which allows states some leeway in how to spend its federal funds.

        Of course, there IS an alternative for frustrated CCSSO members. It’s called the Education Leaders Council. The independent group boasts more than six school chiefs and a dozen state board of education members as its core. ELC members don’t agree on everything — and they don’t make a big deal circulating letters in Washington. They do, however, believe in local control, reform of teacher credentialing, charter schools (ELC states have the majority of charters schools) and high standards. Call us for a free packet of material or check out http://www.educationleaders.org/.

·       Law and Sausage, together again: Or hands in the cookie jar, is the way some have referred to the action by the New Jersey legislature during the final summer days of adjournment, to placate some school districts by paying them almost twice for children they are losing to charter schools. Tucked way down in the budget bill was an extra million or so for some districts that the courts have declared to be the most inequitably-funded — and those most well-known for providing inadequate education to children. No matter —bellyaching appears to be causing some to give an unfair monetary advantage to school districts that lose students to charters, removing the natural catalyst for systems to respond to the dynamics caused by charter schools. It won’t be long before all the school districts will be lining up for their share of the new cookie jar, and not long before some resentment builds among unsuspecting taxpayers. Don’t think that wasn’t an underlying motive all along among the education lobbyists. Rather than fight them, however, how’s this for an idea? Let’s see lawmakers in New Jersey enact a measure that guarantees their opponents an equivalent salary for at least the first year after the election, regardless of whether they win or lose!! That way, no one suffers, least of all the adults involved. After all, what’s a little money between friends?

Our own "vital speeches" Our faithful readers know that we rarely indulge in long tomes or essays in the other-wise user-friendly Monthly Letter. We also recognize that federal legislators have limited influence over our schools (for the most part). However, the following speech by U.S. Senator John Kerry (D-Massachusetts), given at Northeastern University on June 16 was striking for its observations, analyses and conclusions. You may even find our tiny excerpt — or the whole speech itself — may help you to influence someone you know.

(Editor’s note: We wish there were room for the entire speech. We've posted a longer excerpt in The Education Forum. For the full text, we direct you to Senator Kerry’s office (202) 224-2742, or you can go to it directly on his website at http://www.senate.gov/~kerry/releases/edsp616.htm. We’re grateful he recognizes the real impetus for reform.)

Click here to go to In The News: On Teacher Certification · On Charters and Change · On Charters and Choice
On the Union Merger · On Academic Standards and Testing  · On Teacher Contracts

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        Please click here for a special notice on CER's 5th Year Anniversary Celebration, for which we're holding a national reform conference on "American Education: The Next 15 Years" -- you're invited. 'Til we meet again, give the kids a hug for us and have a safe, inspirational and challenging September!

Jeanne Allen

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