Joe Williams' Blog
December 14, 2009
Who Would Have Guessed The Race Would Look Like This?
Stunning. We don't know how else to put it.
Not just the New York State Board of Regents' announcement today that it fully intends to be competitive in President Obama's "Race To The Top" contest with a comprehensive reform package. (As a New Yorker whose kids attend NYC public schools, I was perplexed for months as to why we seemed so willing to walk away from hundreds of millions of dollars at a time when school budgets are being slashed all over - especially since the reforms needed to win shouldn't be considered remotely controversial if you really think about them.)
What is stunning is the tremendous wave of edu-political reform which has been unleashed by Education Secretary Arne Duncan and the Obama administration in such a short time.
The president was swept into office by a strong demand for change. But who would have guessed that in less than one year we would be looking at such significant coast-to-coast policy changes at the state level. (And thanks to Charlie Barone, our federal policy guru/spiritual advisor/occasional disc jockey for keeping tabs on the RTTP landscape.)
Consider what is happening in all of these states:
California. California had been on the move. In August, the state legislature moved quickly in special session to tear down the firewall between student achievement and teacher evaluation. In November, the state Senate passed Gloria Romero's education reform plan, backed by Gov. Schwarzenegger, that would: let parent petitions shut down or convert failing schools; establish a rigorous teacher and principal evaluation system; and let parents move their children out of failing districts.
Last week, the state Assembly passed a much weaker bill that Schwarzenegger says he would veto, commenting: "This is a Race to the Top, not a race to mediocrity or the status quo." The NAACP has sided with Romero and the Governor, as has an LA based advocacy group "Parent Revolution."
Connecticut. Duncan's comments at a conference saying that states that hampered charter schools would not be competitive sparked Connecticut in June to reverse its decision to cut charter school budgets; it also moved to fully restore charter school funding.
Colorado. In the Spring, Gov Bill Ritter appointed Lt. Gov. Barbara O'Brien to serve as "Race To The Top Czar." She has held numerous hearings and has toured the state. Colorado is building on the performance pay system it pioneered a few years back in Denver, and the fact that it's charter schools are some of the best performing in the country. Its poised to have a very strong application and is on the short list for those with a good chance of approval in Phase 1.
Continue reading "Who Would Have Guessed The Race Would Look Like This?"....
Posted by Joe Williams on December 14, 2009 11:27 AM
December 13, 2009
Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About RTTP
In one handy format! Click here to download our Race To The Top FAQ+A.
Posted by Joe Williams on December 13, 2009 11:15 AM
November 12, 2009
Racing To The Top
DFER commends Obama Administration and Secretary Duncan for Bold Reform Initiative, but Cautions That Big Test is Yet to Come
Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) commends the Obama Administration and Education Secretary Arne Duncan for their steadfast support of the bold and innovative Race to the Top fund, and supports the new guidelines announced today. DFER hailed those states that have made substantial policy changes in anticipation of Race to the Top, and called out states that have dragged their feet in producing true, ambitious and fundamental reforms.
"Today marks the official start of President Obama's historic Race to the Top school reform initiative," said Joe Williams, executive director of DFER. "In the final guidance, Secretary Duncan has shown that he is dead serious about real school reform and about kicking off a Race to the Top that truly lives up to its title."
"The bright lines from the draft guidelines around issues like the student-teacher data firewall and radically overhauling low-performing schools remain intact. Secretary Duncan has shown he has the political backbone to stand up to indefensible state and local policies and to demand that states change these failed policies if they want to even get to the starting line."
"At the same time, the Department of Education has bent over backwards to correct misperceptions about Race to the Top priorities around issues like teacher evaluation and charter schools, while making substantive changes based on feedback from educators and administrators. In our opinion, they have struck exactly the right balance; Duncan and his team have shown leadership that is both principled and flexible."
"Race to the Top has catalyzed reform efforts across the country and important steps have already been taken by key states in anticipation of the competition."
"California and Wisconsin have torn down their data firewalls. States like Tennessee, Illinois, and Indiana have lifted their charter school caps. Massachusetts, Kentucky, and other states are in the process of approving more charter-friendly policies. Rhode Island has raised the bar for what it takes to attain a teaching license, and acted to base teacher hiring and promotion on quality rather than seniority."
"In states like Colorado, Delaware, and Louisiana, Race to the Top has galvanized statewide coalitions, who have already begun to develop plans that not only make them competitive for Race to the Top under the guidance issued today - i.e., that they be data-proven, long-term, and sustainable - but also work within Race to the Top's ample flexibility to meet their own specific state needs."
"It is important, however, not to overrate what has happened so far. Many state plans so far are promissory. Some states have simply corrected indefensible policies or made changes that sound good but upon closer observation are less than meets the eye."
'Wisconsin, for example, took down the technical firewall between teachers and student data, but for all intents and purposes still prevents student achievement from being used in teacher evaluations and tenure decisions. New York seems to think it can get by simply by passively letting its firewall law expire and phoning their application in. Some members of New York's political leadership are actually bragging behind the scenes that the fix is in and that they will get a Race to the Top grant regardless of the integrity and ambitiousness of their school reform plan."
Continue reading "Racing To The Top"....
Posted by Joe Williams on November 12, 2009 11:04 AM
October 24, 2009
Reform Tidal Wave Washes Up On Rhode Island
Earlier this week, we celebrated New York Assemblyman Sam Hoyt's groundbreaking "Race To The Top" legislation, designed to give New York a shot at even competing for boatloads of federal education cash. Then, we celebrated Michigan Senator Buzz Thomas' "smart cap" legislation, which would unleash the power of successful public charter schools in the Wolverine State (and help them get their hands on boatloads of federal education cash.)
But today, our edu-political crush is fixated on Rhode Island Education Commissioner Deborah Gist, who rocked the Ocean State by declaring an end to all seniority-based teacher assignments.
Yes, you read that correctly.
Stunning. Or at least stunningly common sensical.
Still wondering whether the "Race To The Top" is on or not? (Even the great state of Colorado should be worried about the competition this one, ladies and gentleman...)
According to her office's press release, Gist notified superintendents last night that seniority-based teacher assignments are totally out of line with the state's new "Basic Education Program."
"The new BEP requires that the system of management, professional training, evaluation, and assignment of instructional staff ensures that highly effective educators work with classrooms of students who have significant achievement gaps," Gist wrote. "In my view, no system that bases teacher assignments solely on seniority can comply with this regulation."
This is obviously good news for Rhode Island students (and even better news for the the law firms that will be paid handsomely to fight this out to protect existing seniority-based teacher assignments?)
Congrats to Commissioner Gist and her team for jumping so strongly into the race!
More info here: http://www.ride.ri.gov/Commissioner/news/pressrels/2009_PressReleases/BEP%20and%20Teacher%20Assignment%20Release.102309.pdf
Posted by Joe Williams on October 24, 2009 10:19 AM
October 20, 2009
DFER To New York: Now That's What A Race Looks Like!
Democratic Reform Group Lauds Hoyt's Race To The Top Plan for NY
Legislation Would Position Empire State to Receive Federal Education Dollars at Critical Time
In response to President Obama's incentive to improve state education laws, NYS Assemblyman Sam Hoyt has introduced legislation to lift the cap on the number of charter schools allowed in New York, along with a host of other crucial game-changing reforms for K-12 education. The federal "Race to the Top" contest for nearly $5 billion in education stimulus has inspired pro-reform legislation around the country and this new law, if enacted, could make New York eligible for funding. Lifting charter caps around the state is a key requirement for receiving Race to the Top disbursements from the federal Department of Education.
"Assemblyman Hoyt has answered President Obama's call to bring serious change to public education," said Joe Williams, DFER's executive director. "The legislation Hoyt has proposed in the NYS legislature will start to address the major shortcomings in state laws that have prevented the forward movement of education reform in the state." U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan has leveraged $100 billion in federal stimulus funding for education, and his $5 billion Race to the Top initiative is specifically targeted at ending the status quo in education policy
The effort has been aimed at stopping the politics-as-usual gamesmanship that has stagnated American public education for decades. The Administration has reserved a tiny fraction of federal education spending as a venture capital fund to invest only in those states that are ready to undertake meaningful, lasting and systemic change. Many states have responded to the President's call. If Assemblyman Hoyt is successful, New York will join Illinois, Colorado, Tennessee, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Louisiana and Indiana as states that have made substantive changes to qualify for Race to the Top funding.
Posted by Joe Williams on October 20, 2009 11:43 AM
August 26, 2009
Statement on Passing of Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass)
Democrats for Education Reform executive director Joe Williams released the following statement today on the passing of Sen. Ted Kennedy, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee:
"No one has fought harder than Ted Kennedy to return the Democratic Party to its rightful place as a champion of children, first and foremost, in America's public education systems. We hope that the political courage he has shown in challenging a failing status quo that shortchanges our nation's poor and minority children will serve as a shining example to others who will, in the coming months and years, follow in his footsteps."
Posted by Joe Williams on August 26, 2009 6:11 AM
July 11, 2009
Guest Blogger This Week: Leigh McGuigan
Our guest blogger this week is Dr. Leigh McGuigan. For the past year, Leigh was responsible for new and innovative schools in the Cleveland School District, where she opened two new science, technology, engineering and mathematics ("STEM") high schools and led a diverse portfolio of innovative, high-poverty, charter and district schools to outstanding results. She also spent two years as the Executive Director for School Leadership at New York City Schools, where, among other things, she spearheaded the development of a new, criterion-based, competitive process for selecting principals, helped lead the Chancellor's initiative to raise the bar for teacher tenure, shaped strategy and funding for school leadership development initiatives, and developed a new website to support principals in their work. She has a background as a lawyer, entrepreneur and financial services executive.
Posted by Joe Williams on July 11, 2009 12:26 PM
