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The Stakes Couldn’t Be Higher: It’s Time to Let Education Innovation and Opportunity Thrive

July 22, 2016 By

by Jeanne Allen
Yorktown Crier & Poquoson Post
July 21, 2016

Imagine a bi-partisan commission focused on one of America’s most pressing national issues. Imagine a consensus opinion on what needs to be done to save generations of American youth-at-risk.

Now imagine ignoring those recommendations.

Unthinkable to some, but the sad reality we see today.

Some 40 years ago, A Nation at Risk called the American public to arms, impressing on them the urgent need to refocus on a robust education for our nation’s youth. Nearly half a century later, we have forgotten this report’s impactful message. We forget it produced a generational commitment to education reform that endured.

Our commitment is shaken, and in danger of collapsing at the very moment a nationwide commitment to real, lasting education reform is so needed.

Education reforms enacted over the past few decades have been the driving force for better outcomes for millions of kids. Public, and private, school choice, as well as charter schools and other innovations created real opportunity, literally lifting children from poverty.

But scores on the Nation’s Report Card are a glaring reminder of how far we still need to go. Just 37 percent of all 12th graders are making the grade in reading and 25 percent in math. The achievement gaps are sadly growing among minority kids.

You might look around and see so many school choice and charter options and ask where’s the evidence of innovative education opportunities slowing down?

Consider Washington, DC, where education reform efforts are central to the District’s rebound, transforming its business, residential, and even tourist climate. Even there, charters are – illegally – underfunded compared to traditional schools and they have still met with such success.

Ohio, on the other hand, sees regulations – many of which have nothing to do with education at all – falsely imposed in the name of accountability that are creating obstacles for schools.

Charters should be required to demonstrate fiscal accountability and educational success. But so should traditional public schools, and private ones.

Charters were started under the notion of freedom from broken, bureaucratic rules in exchange for accountability to get to the end goal of radically improving children’s lives. Now, as states re-impose so many unrelated regulations on charter schools they are dangerously close to causing them to become the very thing they sought to change.

There’s a path forward.

We can use the lessons of today’s Innovation Economy, where a teenager with a bright idea can both change the world and become a business titan. In every field – from medicine to finance – advances are made today by trying new things, and disrupting old systems.

Everywhere, except education. There, it’s the same old excuse “it can’t be done.”

We can’t innovate because the decisions about our children’s learning are still largely regulated by outdated, inflexible laws.

We need to radically rethink everything education.

Our children are growing up in an increasingly global, digital world. They hail taxis on their smartphone. They interface & communicate on screen, all day.

And yet they’re in classrooms facing a blackboard.

The greatest need in education today is for learning opportunities built to fit our digital Innovative Age.

For real progress, we need an environment that welcomes rather than rejects innovation.

Innovators need to be players in the game, instead of working at the sidelines tossing their products into the court and hoping someone – likely someone raised on a one-size-fits-all textbook – catches them and chooses to use them.

Improved educational outcomes require innovation and opportunity throughout the education landscape.

It is time to offer freedom to those who want to engage in real innovation – freedom from burdensome regulations, yes, but also freedom to disrupt and engage new models and modalities.

Let’s reinvigorate the basic principles that started a generation of education reform and charter schools.

That means defining accountability as learning, and finding wholly new and meaningful ways to measure actual progress.

We must carve opportunities to match each student’s own needs with the institutions or learning environments that might best serve them. To do all of this, we must ensure that money is available to fund students wherever they are, and that education policy focuses on allowing innovation, creating opportunity, and yielding results.

The Center for Education Reform is proudly at the forefront of education innovation, working to create the policy environment that allows for unique solutions to take root in any school and every community. We welcome the involvement of anyone who, like the Commission behind A Nation at Risk, can set aside other disagreements and focus on where we agree: that our kids are our most important national treasure, and we must provide a new opportunity agenda in education so that their future – and in turn our nation’s – is secure.

Jeanne Allen is founder and CEO of The Center for Education Reform in Washington, D.C. and author of The New Opportunity Agenda.

Filed Under: Opinions, CER in the News

New York Times: Jeanne Allen on Gov. Mike Pence’s Record on Education

July 22, 2016 By

July 21, 2016
New York Times
Letter to the Editor

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To the Editor:

Re “Pence’s Record on Education in Indiana Is One of Turmoil and Mixed Results” (news article, July 20):

In a toxic and unpredictable election cycle, Gov. Mike Pence’s record on education is exactly what we need: a reminder that education is the essential lever to expand opportunity for all Americans.

People on both the left and the right are taking issue with Mr. Pence’s record on education. But the reality is that he pushed forward advances in charter schools and vouchers, testing and preschool, all the while battling a state superintendent backed by the unions.

As a nonpartisan organization, the Center for Education Reform does not endorse candidates, but will always recognize and applaud those who advance sound education policies. Mr. Pence is a true pioneer of educational opportunity, with a record that shows he has what it takes to champion policies that move the needle on parent power for all.

JEANNE ALLEN

Founder and Chief Executive

The Center for Education Reform

Washington

Filed Under: Opinions, CER in the News

Trump Jr. Passes Up Chance to Plagiarize Al Shanker

July 21, 2016 By

by Mike Antonucci
Intercepts
July 20, 2016

Education never figures big in presidential campaigns, but Donald Trump Jr. used it to fire a salvo during his speech at the Republican National Convention yesterday evening.

Our schools used to be an elevator to the middle class, now they’re stalled on the ground floor. They’re like Soviet-era department stores that are run for the benefit of the clerks and not the customers, for the teachers and the administrators and not the students.

The mention of the Soviets triggered a memory for me, so I dug through the ancient scrolls of education thought and came up with this stuff that Trump Jr. or any RNC speaker could have used without controversy.

It’s time to admit that public education operates like a planned economy, a bureaucratic system in which everybody’s role is spelled out in advance and there are few incentives for innovation and productivity. It’s no surprise that our school system doesn’t improve: It more resembles the communist economy than our own market economy.

…schools would have to be free to try new ideas. So management would be required to waive all regulations that might keep schools from considering any and all promising changes – except of course for rules dealing with health, safety and civil rights. And unions would have to grant staffs the right to waive provisions of union contracts that get in their way. School boards would also be required to give each participating school total control over its budget. Since lots of central regulating would be eliminated, the central budget would shrink – which means lots more money to turn over to schools. Finally, since the participating schools would vary a good deal in what they were doing, school boards would have to permit parental choice.

…School staff would be united as a team. They’d read and try new methods. They’d make painful decisions they now avoid. If their math staff were weak, they might offer a higher salary to attract new talent. They’d shape up their weaker colleagues. They’d reach out to the community, explore technology. They’d focus on student learning.

…We’ve been running our schools as planned economies for so long that the notion of using incentives to drive schools to change may strike some people as too radical – even though that’s the way we do it in every other sector of society. But no law of nature says public schools have to be run like state-owned factories or bureaucracies. If the Soviet Union can begin to accept the importance of incentives to productivity, it is time for people in public education to do the same.

That’s all from the July 23, 1989 “Where We Stand” advertorial published in the New York Times by Al Shanker, legendary president of the American Federation of Teachers. Shanker is no longer with us, which normally would bar his appearance on a convention stage, but he has the unique ability to speak to us from the Great Beyond. I wonder what he’d say?

Filed Under: News & Views

The Positive Aspect of The Trump Speech Plagiarism that Everyone Missed

July 21, 2016 By

Anyone with a computer or smartphone saw the internet explode with gifs, memes, and countless articles noting similarities between Michelle Obama’s speech and a speech delivered by Melania Trump at the Republican National Convention this week in Cleveland.

(For the record, it appears Michelle Obama’s words weren’t the only ones making a guest appearance that evening…)


As plagiarism accusations reached a fever pitch, Meredith McIver, a longtime employee of the Trump organization, released a statement taking blame for the incident:

“In working with Melania Trump on her recent First Lady speech, we discussed many people who inspired her and messages she wanted to share with the American people.  A person she has always liked is Michelle Obama. Over the phone, she read me some passages from Mrs. Obama’s speech as examples. I wrote them down and later included some of the phrasing in the draft that ultimately became the final speech. I did not check Mrs. Obama’s speeches. This was my mistake, and I feel terrible for the chaos I have caused Melania and the Trumps, as well as to Mrs. Obama. No harm was meant.”

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Hold the phone. Melania Trump just admitted that she admires and is inspired by Michelle Obama and the messages in her speech. The same Michelle Obama whose husband has endorsed her husband’s rival in this election.

In this toxic political environment, is this not a sign that regardless of party and affiliation, there are universal messages that ring true?

We must come together around these. An excellent education for our kids is one of them.

In the words of CER Founder and CEO Jeanne Allen, “Let’s put down our ideological swords, roll up our sleeves, and make it happen.”

Filed Under: Commentary, Edspresso

From the EdReform Vault: July 2000

July 21, 2016 By

Sixteen years ago, CER was paying close attention to the antics of the BLOB. Sadly, and at the expense of our kids, what’s old is new, as not much has changed…

An excerpt from CER’s July 2000 Monthly Letter to Friends:

A funny thing happened on the way to the forums… Union forums, that is. When both NEA and AFT convened to hash out their agendas and policies for the next year, there was more media skepticism than ever before about their role in improving America’s schools. The conventions were seen as self-serving, egocentric and overly political. The NEA voted to raise dues payments by five dollars. It will use these funds to stock its war chest to fight choice and charter efforts. The AFT resolved to “take back” the charter issue and reissued its set of conditions under which they will support charters, a box into which most of the nation’s 2000 charter schools would not fit.

Interestingly, both unions took up the issue of performance-based pay and NEA chose to have a formal dialogue. According to the report in the Teacher Quality Bulletin:

“The NEA passed a resolution affirming its opposition to performance-based pay at its convention. The resolution has sparked debate around the country, including criticism in several major newspapers. A Washington Post editorial described unions as ‘too often simply defending the status quo, even when that status quo means inferior education for too many children.’ A Chicago Tribune editorial began ‘Few professions reward workers merely for showing up. Many public schools do, though.’ In an op-ed, Chester E. Finn, Jr., president of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, chided the union for claiming to stand for reform while in reality focussing only on the short-term interests of its members. Andrew Rotherham, of the Progressive Policy Institute, criticized the union for its reflexive opposition to new ideas.”

A catfight is in play among NEA rank and file over high stakes testing. Some of the same anti-testing fervor we profiled last month dominates the ranks of NEA delegates, who wanted the NEA this year to go on record opposing high stakes testing. One particular delegate writes on an anti-testing list-serve:

“I introduced new business item 63 at the representative assembly…which urged NEA to assist state affiliates in lobbying for a ban on high-stakes tests. [It was] referred to committee. What committee will this go to and what will happen to this new business item? What would have happened had it been approved? Resolution B55 details our philosophy about standardized tests as does line 47 under Legislative Concerns: NEA opposes reliance on a single test for determining a student’s future or as an indicator of school success. Bob Chase addressed this issue in his article ‘Tests and Sensibility ‘ in NEA Today last January. How have these words in Resolutions, Legislation, and from the President’s Corner been acted upon? NEA touts a commitment to advancing the cause of public education but has pandered to legislators and to corporate America on the issue of high-stakes testing. We have got to have the courage and the principles to publicly oppose these tests no matter the consequences. We are the largest and most powerful union in the nation. We must use this to our advantage to speak out for our students who have become pawns in a political game for over which they have no control. We, the true experts, cannot be a party to this testing travesty any longer.”

How, we wonder, does this union delegate explain the progress of 83 schools in the District of Columbia, who for the first time in recent memory increased test scores upon the heels of standards and testing hitting the District? More than a few DC school principals have cited the focus on tests as largely responsible.

Hands in the Cookie Jar. The IRS and Federal Election Commission (FEC) are investigating whether or not the NEA has violated the rules barring significant use of tax exempt funds for political purposes. After scrutinizing NEA documents Landmark Legal Foundation found that the same union that boasts an ability to oppose legislation and elect NEA-friendly legislators does not report any political expenditures on its federal tax return as required by the IRS. While NEA’s political arm is permitted political expenditures, NEA maintains that its general kitty of money is not used at all for political purposes. According to Landmark, this is despite the fact that the last several annual NEA budgets include line item expenditures for political action and the recruiting and election of candidates for school boards and other offices. “The issue is whether the NEA leadership in Washington is complying with federal tax laws and whether it is fully informing America’s teachers and the public about the enormous reach of its political activities,” said Landmark’s Mark Levin.

 

Read the entire July 2000 Letter to Friends here.

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Filed Under: Unions & Establishment

Reforming with the enemy: Drop ideological swords to make schools better for kids

July 21, 2016 By

by Jeanne Allen
The 74
July 20, 2016

Donald Trump’s attacks on Hillary Clinton were returned recently at the annual meeting of the American Federation of Teachers, the nation’s second-largest union, and the one representing most of the urban teachers in this country.

“Mike Pence is one of the most extreme vice presidential picks in a generation,” Clinton said. “And he’s one of the most hostile politicians in America when it comes to public education. Neither Mike Pence nor Donald Trump should be anywhere near our children’s education.”

Those words were the equivalent of throwing red meat to the wolves, as the union crowd erupted into cheers, hoots, and hollers.

Similarly, education reformers — activists, donors, lawmakers — are taking sides and reacting across social media, each about their respective outrages.

I understand how it is to feel adamant about a candidate. I have tweeted my way through a political season. But advocates for true education reform must be willing to pass judgment on policy positions before condemning policy proponents.

Such unity hardly seems possible when Clinton’s union supporters are feeding anti-school choice talking points to legions of members that their schools will disappear under a Trump-Pence administration. And Trump supporters organized in the blogosphere use different calling cards to strike a similar fear in parents, focusing on the impact a Clinton administration would have on the hearts and minds of their children, with the loss of local control and teachers unions in charge of the U.S. Department of Education.

Finding any middle path or “common” ground will be hard. And for many ed reformers, the pair of candidates presents a Hobson’s choice.

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We have, as the saying goes, no permanent allies nor permanent enemies, just a never-ending interest in bettering education. Those who care passionately about education should be willing to work with anyone who is equally as passionate.

It doesn’t mean they will get your vote. But we need their ear now, and we need an open door with whoever wins. We must be willing to recognize any candidate that supports the core policies and principles of education innovation and opportunity, or call them out for their opposition, no matter who they are or what they espouse on other issues that may be near and dear to our hearts.

Why? Because history shows us that this is how we succeed.

The development of education reform is rich in strange bedfellows that locked arms in and outside of elections. People came together on policies that disrupted the status quo, recognizing that the most important issue facing our country is the education of our youth.

Wisconsin state Rep. Polly Williams was a member of the Black Panthers. She was also a partner with Conservative Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson to make vouchers a reality for poor children in Milwaukee and pave the way for greater school improvement throughout Wisconsin.

The fact that Democrats once called Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge every name in the book didn’t stop state Rep. Dwight Evans, an African-American Philadelphian who is now in line to enter Congress, from uniting with Ridge to create the state’s charter school law. Republicans fought against it to preserve local control, and Democrats fought against it to preserve the current system’s power. Sound familiar?

And in Cleveland, where the Republican Party is current perched, the late great City Councilwoman Fannie Lewis told everyone that she didn’t care who she worked with so long as they could help save her babies in her city. She joined hands with George Voinovich, a Republican governor, and free market, conservative donors to fight for school choice. And fight they did, all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

At least a dozen other such alliances have had transformational results in education in cities and states nationwide. Florida’s scholarship programs enjoy majority support in the black and Latino caucuses, even among Democrats. They partner with Republican Gov. Rick Scott, their arch-nemesis, on other issues.

Polar opposites and divisions in reform have always existed, but for years, politicians were willing to look beyond the most extreme of differences, because reformers did too.

Truly committed to parent power?

On the same page in support of policies and practices that produce the innovation, flexibility, and transparency to create those opportunities that hold the key to better schools for all children?

Then let’s put down our ideological swords, roll up our sleeves, and make it happen.

Let’s go back to the future. Lawmakers in statehouses nationwide and in Congress would welcome it. Policymakers and think tank researchers want it.

And our kids deserve it.

Filed Under: Opinions

Newswire: July 19, 2016 — What Next President Needs To Know About Innovation — Charter Schools As Adult Literacy Solution — Innovation Roundtable Connects EdTech & Policy

July 19, 2016 By

WHAT THE NEXT PRESIDENT NEEDS TO KNOW.  With conventions underway, we’re delivering messages from the best and brightest in education and edtech about what the next president needs to know when it comes to Innovation and Opportunity.

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EDLECTION CENTER. As a non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to great opportunities for all children, students and families, CER does not endorse candidates or take political positions, but will always recognize and applaud those who advance sound education policies. See here. And here. Which is why we’re in the midst of bringing you our 2016 EDlection Center, dedicated to helping voters navigate where candidates stand on real parent power. In the meantime, fodder for what candidates should heed here. 288d3c0fbc6d496fbc519b4003c4d180

MASSACHUSETTS’ TIME TO SHINE. “For too many families, the skies have not cleared.” Bay State Governor Charlie Baker’s appropriate analogy at a rainy charter school rally last week, and why it’s Massachusetts’ time to shine when it comes to expanding opportunity.

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ADULT LITERACY. “Why aren’t innovative K-12 education models more prevalent in adult education?” ponders Liza McFadden, President and CEO of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. Thankfully, Goodwill is realizing the “unbridled potential” of charter schools to help solve adult literacy issues.

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INNOVATION ROUNDTABLE. Last week marked the kickoff of CER’s first formal Innovation Roundtable meeting, connecting school leaders with entrepreneurs as a way to not only beta test amazing innovations with great potential to enhance learning, but as a way to empower all involved about edtech’s intersection with education policy. To learn more, email cer@edreform.com and stay tuned to edreform.com for updates!

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Filed Under: Newswire Weekly, Newswire

“For Too Many Families, The Skies Have Not Cleared”: Massachusetts’ Time To Shine for Education Opportunity

July 19, 2016 By

On Thursday, July 14th, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker stood in front of the  State House among families, students, legislators, and residents to advocate for the importance of expanding educational opportunities for children.

Students and their families — likely some of the more than 32,000 on charter school wait lists — echoed throughout the downpour of rain as they chanted, “lift the cap!” in support of lifting current limitations — or a “cap” — on charter schools in the Bay State. Currently, there are limits on the number of charter schools allowed to open in Massachusetts, the number of students allowed, and funding limitations.

Recently, Question 2 was added to November’s election ballot as a way to give residents a voice in whether authorizing either the approval of up to twelve new charter schools or the expansion of student enrollment in existing charter schools would provide more opportunities for students to succeed academically.

During the rainy rally, Governor Baker stated that “for too many families and too many kids, the skies have not cleared, the sun has not shined…too many do not get the chance and opportunity to go to the school of their choice and to have the chance to fulfill their dream that most kids and their families do in the Commonwealth.”

As Governor Baker and the families behind him rallied for greater parent power through charter schools, the skies cleared and the sun began to shine possibly signifying that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is ready for a bright change of opportunities.

Filed Under: Commentary, Edspresso Tagged With: ,

Unraveling New Orleans’s education reform a lesson for Louisiana

July 19, 2016 By

by Jeanne Allen
The Advocate
July 18, 2016

Sometimes it takes a tragedy to remind us what’s important — and what not to take for granted. Nowhere is this more obvious for the education reform movement than in New Orleans.

Before Hurricane Katrina, 62 percent of students in New Orleans were enrolled in failing schools. Half didn’t graduate from high school. Today, three quarters of kids are graduating on time, and the percentage of students testing at grade level has skyrocketed by 77 percent. The difference? More than 90 percent of students are enrolled in charter schools, many of which were created by the state of Louisiana and education reformers to help fill the void left in the wake of Katrina.

For education reformers — the people who dreamed not only of remaking schools, but also reimagining school districts and entire education systems — New Orleans reminds us of what’s possible. Parents, regardless of their means and their ZIP code, finally got to choose what worked best for their children. The fact that schools had autonomy and parents had choices helped make the entire city a hotbed of innovation — from training to technology to curricula.

But now, 20 years after Louisiana’s first charter school opened and nearly 11 years after Katrina, charter schools have shifted into a defensive posture. During his campaign for governor last year, John Bel Edwards promised not to meddle with the Big Easy’s innovators. Now, he works with teachers unions and legislators to limit the very independence and innovation that school choice programs represent. Indeed, in the name of “local control,” the fate of the charter sector was thrown to an institution — the Orleans Parish School Board — which has historically opposed giving any power to schools or autonomy to individuals. This is the same structure, by the way, which doomed New Orleans students to violent and chronically failing schools before Katrina.

This sudden unraveling of the New Orleans revolution signifies one of the most troubling signs of education reform, and its implications go beyond the Big Easy. Louisiana saw a slew of legislation this year aimed at restraining and limiting parent power. Gains achieved in states, cities and towns nationwide are under constant threat from local school boards and politicians. Across the country, attempts to limit law, policy and practice continue to stifle opportunity and the groundbreaking approaches to learning that once were on an exponential growth curve.

It is tempting to attribute this troubling trend line to a natural reaction to education reform’s successes — a sign of growing pains. The enemies of change — most invested in the status quo — are clearly threatened, and they are fighting back with everything they have. Inertia, ignorance about outcomes, and a powerful teachers union are all part of the story not just in Louisiana, but in America.

Unfortunately, reformers have turned a blind eye to innovations and customized solutions. Instead, we’re focused on creating more uniform schools that ensure more predictable outcomes. To minimize alleged risk, we’re now driven to embrace only those new institutions that are created and managed by familiar, “proven” entities. What started out as an agenda that was bold and all-encompassing has morphed into something that too often comes across as narrow, hollow and hostile to the idea and ideals of public education.

Such an approach not only threatens the education reform movement’s very existence, but also ignores the changing character of rank-and-file teachers. A growing number of educators are younger and embrace the fundamentals of reform — flexibility, diversity and innovation.

Parents everywhere want choices. Students need — and deserve — diverse learning approaches. A new generation of educators is restless. Teachers in every kind of school want autonomy.

We need a new way forward — not another round of stubborn retrenchment, but a fresh vision that will make good on our movement’s original promise of turning around America’s failing schools. In an election year that promises to challenge and upset even our best success, we must succeed by having every education policy effort going forward focused on creating the opportunity for innovation.

Jeanne Allen is the founder and CEO of the Center for Education Reform and author of The New Opportunity Agenda.

Filed Under: Opinions, CER in the News

North Carolina Increases Education Opportunity

July 18, 2016 By

July 18, 2016

WASHINGTON, DC — Legislative action in North Carolina will result in new and expanded opportunities for students, thanks to the creation of a new Achievement School District and expanded resources for teachers, students and families.

The state’s 2016-17 FY budget provides for an increase in the statewide opportunity scholarship program, expanding choices for children who need them most. Within a decade, more than 35,000 students will be able to access new scholarships.

The budget also provides for teacher pay increases and allows schools to reduce class size in the early grades.

Recognizing that failing schools can be turned around, State Representative Rob Bryan spearheaded an effort to create the Achievement School District (ASD). The ASD will allow newly constituted schools to take the place of failing neighborhood schools, serving families without the economic means to pick up and move to a school with a better track record.

“This is an encouraging step forward for innovation and opportunity in the Tar Heel state education system, acknowledging that a one-size-fits-all approach simply won’t work for all students,” said Jon Hage, CER Chairman and Founder and CEO Charter Schools USA.

About the Center for Education Reform

Founded in 1993, the Center for Education Reform aims to expand educational opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans — particularly our youth — ensuring that the conditions are ripe for innovation, freedom and flexibility throughout U.S. education.

As a non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to great opportunities for all children, students and families, The Center for Education Reform does not endorse candidates or take political positions, but we will always recognize and applaud when someone takes a step to advance sound education policies.

Filed Under: Press Releases
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