A Message for NoLa's Would-Be School Privatizers
February 1, 2007 01:55 PM
Those eager to turn over the reins of New Orleans' schools to private managers should take a look at the lead from this article in today's Philadelphia Inquirer:
"The Philadelphia School District's privately run schools - the largest experiment of its kind in the country - have failed to deliver higher test scores than the district despite costing an extra $90 million, a [Rand] study released today says."
There was better news for a group of struggling schools that stayed under District managment school and made changes (that echo the AFT's recommendations for NCLB reauthorization:
"...21 "restructured" schools that got additional math and reading time, teacher coaches, and other special attention while remaining under district management emerged as the best performers...."
Asked about the results, privatization supporters accepted the research, acknowledged that student achievement was an important measure of school performance, praised the public schools for their successes, and announced they would study and seek to emulate public schools' practices.
Just kidding.
Here are their real responses:
James Nevels, chairman of the commission that ordered the study.
"I don't think that's fair, because these were the worst schools...."
"That study does not dictate what we're going to do."
Jeffery Smith, president of the Home and School Association at Duckrey School.
"I don't believe the report."
John Chubb, chief education officer of Edison, a for-profit school management firm:
"This should be viewed as a win-win."
Paul Vallas, the district's chief executive officer:
"You can't look at this monolithically. There are some that are clearly struggling, and there are some that are doing better."
Jeanne Allen, a proponent of charter schools and school choice:
"It was the introduction of change that caused all schools to rise."
The report warns that a district using a different form of privatization might have results better than Philadelphia's. But the privatizers' excessive spinning on this report must be making them dizzy. Their new message is apparently this: Please, parents, choose these privately run schools so the kids who remain in public schools will learn better than your kids do.
(Edwize's Leo Casey contrasts Philadelphia's privatization experiment with NYC's successful Chancellor's District.)
Comments
In my opinion, privatizing is a way of creating privateers... or competitive pirates. We have enough of those in the business world.
Posted by: Carolyn Carter | February 9, 2007 10:23 AM
Bush is at it again proposing more money for vouchers in his new budget. He doesn't realize that vouchers are a fraud. In Milwaukee where vouchers are in use, the children fare no better than the kids in inner city public schools. One must give credit to NCLB for its alerting some school systems to do better. Many experienced inner city teachers know that it does take a village to help kids to reach their potential 1. Send all inner city kids to pre-school through high school classes that are small with teachers who know how to be firm and fair and know well the best techniques of teaching all subjects. Support teachers with adjunct teachers gifted in science and math. All schools must have excellent music, arts and physical education programs. The schools should have health centers for the children and their parents. Parents must be convinced that they have to learn right along with their children. These ideas are nothing new, but they are not put into effect often enough.
Posted by: Dorothy Blaustein | February 9, 2007 04:14 PM
I'm not surprized that the privatization of schools did not work. One of the major problems with all education reforms is that they do not take into account the prior knowledge and experences of students. Schools need to stop trying to completly restructure with each new study. The "with it" students find it a pointless change and the "lost" students often just get more lost. The best plans are to modify using small steps. A series of modifications based on each separate school's needs is the only real chance of sucess.
Posted by: Jessica Avelis | February 11, 2007 08:58 AM
When schools go private, they should be given the rights of Private Schools. They can then remove all children who do not behave themselves. A test can be administered and only those children who pass may enter the school. Where will these more challenging children go?
Posted by: Anne Peer | February 15, 2007 11:25 AM
Rename No Child Left Behind, Please
My suggestion for Congress as it debates extending and redrafting No Child Left Behind is to rename the law.
The reason is the word NO. It is a negative word and no matter how positive the news is about the law's effects on education, you can't say anything positive when starting with the word No.
I would suggest using positive phrases such as Opportunities Galore, or Getting Ahead. The next name should stress the positives of reform and not the No aspects of education.
Posted by: Dan McCauley | February 15, 2007 09:54 PM
Schools should not be Privatized because a lot of people can not afford to send their children to a private school. If they find a need to save money do away with the SAU where too much of the tax payers money is getting spent with no help to our Children.
Posted by: Lorraine R. Cabana | February 16, 2007 01:12 PM