All Fool's Eve

THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we woke up tomorrow and legislatures everywhere announced the following:

1. You believed us when we said that charter schools and vouchers were such a good alternative to public education that we need to shift as many of our scare resources to those options as we can? Surely you know we can read and study and learn that these efforts don't really work. April Fools!

2. You believed us when we said mandating one multiple choice, standardized test on which the labeling of kids, teachers, principals, schools and school systems would determine futures, funding, and instruction? Surely you know no rational group of elected officials would do such a thing. April Fools!

3. You believed us when we said we would balance the budget by shrinking funding for public education? Surely you know that we know educating our youth is perhaps more important to our national defense than our national defense. April Fools!

4. You believed us when we said that increasing accountability and using rewards and sanctions would provide sincere and effective leverage to improve student outcomes? Surely you know that we understand there is a huge disconnect between the ways to motivate folks in the private sector and those who devote their lives to improving the next generation. April Fools!

5. You believed us when we said that the real way to improve schools is to fire teachers and principals, bust unions, and allow non-educators to micro-manage school policy and governance? Surely you know that we know that one must look to experts in the field like we do for medicine, engineering, nuclear science, petroleum engineering, etc., rather than mere public opinion to structure serious reform. April Fools!

Wouldn't that be wonderful?

There is a remote chance, however, that I'm the fool.

POSTED BY EILEEN GOOD AT 8:00 PM

LABELS: DEMOCRACY, PUBLIC SCHOOLS

2 COMMENTS:



Eileen Good said...

3:00 Friday and no announcements. I'm a fool.

APRIL 1, 2011 3:17 PM



Anonymous said...

There are more of us 'fools' out here than I can count ....