Is Joel Klein sounding increasingly like GW 43?
Even leading Republican senators are beginning to call for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq - everytime Bush praises our troops and points to progress in Iraq, eyes roll …
As Klein spins out press release after press release lauding his own efforts he is beginning to sound more Bush-like.
Claims of increasing ELA and Math scores and higher graduation rates mirror claims of the success of the “surge.”
Bob Gordon and Roland Fryer, Klein latest “generals” seem to be the DOE equivalent of General Petreus.
Fred Smith , a retired Department data analyst, quoting an audit of the ELA test found that scores were inflated. Teachers in small high schools mark papers of their own students. Are the scores inflated? Only an outside audit can allay suspicions …
Diane Ravitch , a leading scholar, calls the Klein/Fryer “pay for performance” plan “unethical and immoral.” Her analysis of the ELA test scores is far less promising than that of the Klein administration.
Sol Stern , a resident scholar at the Manhattan Institute has been a continuing critic of the Department approach to teaching reading.
If we take a closer look at the high school graduation rates -if we look at college readiness we should be quite concerned. The City University of New York (CUNY) has a college readiness rubric - it uses grades on Regents Examinations and the number of Regents passed - it concludes that a diploma with advanced designation is the baseline for college readiness.
What percentage of high school graduates are “college ready”?
The answer of that in most schools less than half of graduates are “college ready” using the CUNY college readiness rubric, and, in some schools fewer than a quarter are “college ready.”
No surprise … the Department is selective in the data it releases. In overwhelming numbers high school graduates are only ready for non-credit remedial classes in college.
The latest Department “innovation” is “unique and different” summer schools. Principals are encouraged to offer summer schools that give “credit recovery” programs - ways to get around the State Ed Department requirement that a credit bearing course requires 54 hours of instruction. The message from Tweed: a wink and a nod …
There is an irony that GW43 is credited with the phrase , “…the soft bigotry of low expectations.”
Hopefully the recent Carnegie Foundation College Readiness Grant will override Klein cynicism.
As the 08 Presidential election approaches GW43 will probably begin to extricate us from Iraq and as mayoral control sunset also approaches one wonders whether the school system will adopt a more student/parent/teacher friendly policy, i.e., Randi Weingarten’s speech at the Edustat Summit?
