CURMUDGUCATION: NC: Covering Charter Butts

CURMUDGUCATION: NC: Covering Charter Butts:

NC: Covering Charter Butts

This week, reporter Ann Doss Helms of the Charlotte Observer and Lynn Bonner of the News & Observer both offered accounts of a striking example of 'how the sausage is made" and how public officials make sure that the sausage carries a nice chartery taste.

Wednesday was the day to present the state department of public instruction's report on charter schools to the State Board of Education. They were supposed to accept the report on Thursday, but Lt. Governor Dan Forest had a problem. Per Bonner:

Lt. Gov. Dan Forest argued that the report, intended for the legislature and full of data on charter school enrollment, demographics and costs, was too negative. 

“The report, to me, did not have a lot of positive things to say,” he said.

And just in case you're thinking maybe Forest is just concerned that charters aren't getting the job done and he wants to shape them up and that's what he's responding to...

Once the board issues reports, Forest said, “that is the fuel the media uses for the next year to criticize whatever we’re doing.”

And so Forest sent the report back to the drawing board, even though the deadline for acceptance of the report is January 15. Forest said that he would "run interference" with the legislature if anyone complained about the missed deadline. Helms offered her own analysis:

I was among the reporters present. The brief discussion struck me as an unusually blunt demand to CURMUDGUCATION: NC: Covering Charter Butts:

ICYMI: Edu-reading from the week

This isn't everything there is to read out there, but it's a damn fine sampling of worthwhile stuff.

PA Budget or Hell Freezing Over-- Which Will Come First 

Pennsylvania may become the first state to ever lap itself in the budget process. Okay, this is actually just me, writing in this case for NEA's Education Votes website not because I've suddenly developed a love for NEA's political choices, but because I support any attempt by NEA to A) join the late twentieth century and B) include a variety of voices. For the record, they don't pay me, so I still do not qualify as a full-fledged union stooge.

An Open Letter to Janelle Monae : TFA's cultural appropriation

It is hard not to love someone who writes under the name Walter Crunkite. This open letter (to one of the more awesome and underappreciated artists out there) does a great job of addressing the problems of TFA.

Detroit Schools Plan Shows Lack of faith in Democracy

The Detroit Free Press gets exactly to the heart of what is so wrong with the sort of school takeover that so many urban systems are seeing.

Return to Teachers' Village (Part IV)

Begun back in December, Jersey Jazzman has been unrolling an impressive and well-researched look at New Jersey's plan to create its own little educational oasis, and why it all went South. This installment puts a cap on the story, as well as including links to the first three installments.

An Open Letter to Darrell Earley

It would have been easy to miss this gem tucked away in facebook. Here's a teacher's response to one more boneheaded state official.

The Joyful Illiterate Kindergartners of Finland

Not a new piece, and references many pieces that are also not new, but the perspective of an American teacher in Finland makes this special.

All I Really Need To Know I (Should Have) Learned in Kindergarten 

You may remember Emily Kaplan as the Boston-area teacher who wrote a guest post here that gave a gut-wrenching look inside a No Excuses school. She's back this week at Edushyster (connecting those two near-neighbors will stand as one of my more useful accomplishments) with another must read post about pushing young kids too hard.

Reformy Myth Busting: 2016 Edition

Jersey Jazzman again, swatting down some of the currently-favored reformster talking points.

Gaslighting and Turnaround Schools 

You've probably caught this must-read piece from must-read bloggist Peg with Pen, but on the off-chance you missed it, here is a brave, bold take-- from inside a turnaround school-- at how deliberately crazy-making the process is. 

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