There is an experiment going on in education in Washington D.C., New York and Illinois. The mayors of these cities are being given absolute power to reform/improve/change the schools in their cities. Chancellor Michelle Rhee, CEO Arne Duncan and Chancellor Joel Klein are implementing educational policies that we might see in a city near us!
These three educational leaders and Superintendent Beverly Hall (Atlanta Public Schools) recently spoke to the United States Education and Labor Committee. Superintendent Hall still has a school board to work with so basically she represented the typical inner city paradigm.
All three educational leaders from Illinois, New York and Chicago spoke about the huge improvements that they have been able to make within their individual school systems by not having to answer to anyone except for the mayor. All four leaders spoke about standardized test gains and them being able to close the gap between people of color and everyone else. What I want to know is if they are making actual strides in their districts. Anyone can come to Washington and tell the Education committee that their plan is working. I wouldn’t expect them to say anything else if they want to keep their jobs. And I have listened to enough superintendents to know that we can all manipulate test data to make us look good so I need to know the real deal about these school districts.
As a spectator, I have to assume that they are telling the truth about the strides that their districts have made until I find out information that refutes what they are saying. If this educational experiment works then I feel that whomever the next president is will endorse this type district improvement plan for all of our failing districts, so future mayors or current mayors be prepared to had this duty added to your job description.
I can definitely see the benefits of adopting a plan like this but doesn’t it infringe upon the voters of the district who normally vote for the people to represent them on the school boards? Without the school boards, who represents the people if they have a problem with what the superintendent or the mayor is doing in terms of educational reform?
If you work in any of these districts, please leave me a comment!
If you don’t work in any of these districts please leave me a comment!
