Even though Kentucky didn’t win anything in the second round of Race to the Top (RttT) funding, Gov. Beshear was happy that steps being taken will significantly improve the education experience for Kentucky’s students.
In whose lifetime?
Can we afford another 20 years of the spin, promises and little steps offered by the Kentucky Education Reform Act?
Rep. Brad Montell, R- Shelbyville, had proposed a solid charter school bill during the 2010 legislative session that contained the best from successful charter options around the country. Yet Rep. Carl Rollins, D-Midway, chair of the House Education Committee, would not even give the bill a hearing. The House also failed to pass – or even consider -- a charter school bill during this year’s special legislative session.
There it is. United we stand, divided we fall. Kentucky kids hit the floor hard. But at least the adults got along.
Even Rep. Harry Moberly, D-Richmond, who few would consider a staunch supporter of charter schools, recognized that a lack of leadership harmed Kentucky’s chances for a $175 million piece of the $3.4 billion RttT federal funding pie.
In one of his rare nonpartisan moments, Moberly questioned the lack of leadership from Gov. Beshear.
If past performance is the best predictor of future behavior, Beshear’s needed leadership is not, never has been and probably never will be provided. Too bad, kids.
And the kicker: Education Commissioner Terry Holliday said the only reason officials pushed for charter schools was to get the federal money.
Wow! That ought to poison any prospects for free money for a long time to come.
I wonder how that statement jives with all the spin in the RttT applications and presentations?
3 comments:
If charter schools aren’t required to take on special education, homeless, migrant and English As a Second Language students, then this is just another scam to reward the few at the expense of the many.
None of the charter school statistics cited on this subject even mention these special needs students. Were the charter school statistics adjusted to account for these deficiencies, they would all show a miserable failure. Funding charter schools would be like pouring money down a rat hole that can’t and doesn’t want to produce.
And what about technical-vocational education? Charter schools seem to be oblivious to this educational concept.
Charter schools are not the magic wand. But neither is arguing about statistics and student populations.
Kentucky needs system change which very well could include technical-vocational options.
There are too many schools failing too many students. What we don't need is more of the same approach, paying people for failure and wishing/hoping for better results. Right now no one is accountable to solve Kentucky's public education challenge because of the screwed up legislative dictated roles and responsibilities.
But the first step should be to baseline reality - proficiency for each student and set up the system to effectively deal with it.
With Kentucky's loss in the RTTT second round, charter schools have taken on almost a "savior of mankind" mythology, especially by those who argue that public schools aren't working. However, the data on charter schools in inconclusive. There are highly effective charter schools just as there are ineffective charter schools. On the other hand there are highly effective public schools just as there are ineffective public schools. In both examples of highly effective (charter schools and public schools) you will find a strong leader and teachers who will do whatever it takes to ensure student success. Those are the keys and without them (whether it is a charter school or public school) the school will not be successful.
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