Oregon Save Our Schools

SB 1581/Achievement Compacts Get an ‘F'

2012-03-02T17:32:00.004-08:00

“You just clicked on any answer to get through the test?” “Yep!”

“Does this affect my grade? No, but it may affect your schedule as you may need to take support classes rather than electives if you don’t meet.”

“I hate state testing.”

Not surprising refrains from some of my conversations with kids when it comes to state testing. Sadly, the education reforms in SB 1581 are not getting us away from this model.

As a public school teacher at a high poverty school full of wonderful kids, the rhetoric of education reform doesn’t connect to what these students really value and need: relationships with caring staff, smaller class sizes, experiences with field trips, a well-rounded curriculum, access to books, after-school support, a school nurse, wrap-around services, more classroom time devoted to learning from their teacher rather than losing time to testing, and more time for their teachers to develop, plan, assess and collaborate on engaging curriculum.

As a parent, my two children have experienced the narrowing of the curriculum as they have lost time for hands-on science, art, library, PE, music, and field trips. Add a large class size and you start to see cracks in their desire to learn and fewer opportunities to tap into their potential and curiosities.

Furthermore, our current cultural climate of dysfunction, stress, and poverty has led to more children who are emotionally and physically challenged to be ready for school each day. We as a state and nation are ignoring our responsibility to take care of our children.

The Achievement Compacts and NCLB Waiver do not begin to solve these problems. Instead they create more problems. Primarily, there are too many unknowns: cost, outcomes, and loss of local control. Furthermore, the Achievement Compacts are set to open the door for the NCLB waiver approval: and the waiver is more dangerous than it sounds.

In this brave new world of the NCLB waiver, schools will compete for state dollars; schools who don’t meet outcomes will be put into receivership; the waiver will still rely on high-stakes testing to measure student, teacher, and school success; schools will still be labeled; curriculum will continue to narrow; and our precious resources will go into data collection, new assessment and testing programs, and new curriculum and training.

How is this better for our kids?

To financially starve our public schools and then demand a corporate education reform model is criminal and negligent. Instead, we should be asking our state: “What are you doing to provide and fund an equitable education for all of Oregon’s children?”

We all want a quality education system for all of our state’s children. The question is in how we get there.

A no vote on SB 1581, will allow our state the time it needs to determine the best path to take in providing the quality education we want for our children.

No to SB 1581: Give Our State the Gift of Time

2012-02-26T23:12:00.012-08:00

With three days left in this legislative session, it seems imperative that we as a state need to take a collective breath and give ourselves more time to truly create an education reform plan that we can all understand, live with, and buy into: parents, teachers, students, grandparents, community members, legislators, school boards, school administrators, and businesspeople. This will take a no vote (or no vote at all) on SB 1581 this week by our legislators. It will take guts that is for sure as the pressure has been placed by the Governor to push it through. However, we don't have to rush. We have until 2014 before we are punished by the NCLB 100 percent meeting requirement.

Still, this is a big decision. There are a lot of details to wade through and discern as well as plenty of questions to be asked. There are other successful education models we can study and assess such as that of Finland. Don't we as a state only want to have to go down this path once? Don't we want to feel good about it? Don't we want to practice what we preach when we tell our children it is important to have and use high level thinking skills such as analyzing, researching, reviewing, questioning, and evaluating when trying to understand complex issues of our world? This OEIB/NCLB Waiver/Achievement Compact decision requires very high level thinking, which no doubt our legislators have, but the other luxury that is needed to accomplish this task is time.

We can give ourselves this time by waiting on SB 1581. Let's do this right. Contact your legislators starting Monday. Thanks!

“To climb steep hills requires a slow pace at first.”
― William Shakespeare

Rep. Lew Frederick Video: A Friend of Public Schools

2012-02-25T22:32:00.004-08:00

Excellent speech from Rep. Lew Frederick on President's Day rally Feb. 20, 2012. Hopefully his voice will inspire others to stand up for what is right and ask questions regarding SB 1581 and the Achievement Compacts. My children and students thank you Representative Frederick!

Achievement Compact Skeptics: Parents and Teachers Putting Kids First

2012-02-25T20:17:00.020-08:00

The following letter, written by Jenn Schuberth of CORE: Calling Oregon to Reinvest in Education, was recently sent to the Oregonian and all Oregon legislators. It was written in response to the latest Oregonian piece that felt the need to advocate for the ramming through of Governor Kitzhaber's education reform legislation, SB 1581 and the Achievement Compacts.

By stopping the Achievement Compacts now, we can give ourselves the time to really ask the important questions necessary to develop a well-thought out plan to include everyone's voices. Especially those that have been ignored or dismissed: parents, teachers, grandparents, and students. Oregon has typically been a state that valued its independent spirit, but instead, we are acting out of desperation and following rather than leading the way in developing a quality public education system for our state's children. After all, we still have another year to create a plan we can all live with and be proud of as the 100 percent requirement doesn't take affect until 2014. Isn't it worth it to slow down, think, evaluate, and do this right?

One thing is for certain, not all parents and educators buy into the Achievement Compacts.

Read Jenn Schuberth's letter here first.

Add to her voice and ours at Oregon Save Our Schools by contacting your legislator this week. Your voice is important and every voice does count!

"If You Question the Governor’s Education Plans, You Hate Children and Want Oregon Businesses to Fail"

In your Feb. 25th editorial, "Yes, take care of business,” you explained that legislators “need to understand whom they are most likely to hurt [by not passing the governor’s health and education bills]. It's not Democrats. It's not Gov. John Kitzhaber. It's not the labor unions. It's Oregon business." Governor Kitzhaber had a slightly more nuanced take on Friday, saying “most importantly, [the legislators] should not turn their back on our children.”

At his Thursday press conference, Governor Kitzhaber praised business organizations for working “to find a way….to improve our system of public education…These are issues of economic prosperity. And they are key elements of the Oregon Business Plan.”

I’m a parent of two young children and a professor at a public university who used to work in finance. I’ve urged legislators to vote against the governor’s education bills for economic and moral reasons.

Economics first. We don’t need to define “outcomes” using achievement compacts, we need to increase input, that is, funding. Major business organizations and the governor say we don’t have the money and we must cut costs, but that’s simply false. “We,” as in the state of Oregon, are doing very well. Oregon’s economy is growing much faster than the national average and was second in the nation in economic growth from 2000-2010 (OCPP, “If Economic Growth Assured Well-Being, Oregonians Would be Thriving”). “We,” the general public, have created, but not benefited from that growth; our paychecks and tax revenues continue to shrink. The money is in Oregon, it is being hoarded by certain businesses and individuals. We need to stop believing the business-as-job- creators myth and start asking businesses and wealthy individuals to pay their fair share.

I am also against these education bills from a moral point of view. Your editorial urges passage of these bills because Oregon needs "better-educated, better-prepared, more-productive workers." Most people don’t think of themselves as “workers,” but as human beings and citizens who work to make a living. I applaud the Oregonian’s honesty in explicitly stating what these education bills are designed to create: workers. The OEIB’s reform agenda will lead to more standardized testing and create worker drones, not educated citizens. As University of Oregon education professor, Yong Zhao, explains, “unless high-stakes standardized testing…is abandoned, America education will continue to be ruined by the so-called reformers. In fact, Arne Duncan’s proposal to ‘reward excellence’ …will only increase the stakes in testing” (Ditch Testing (Part 5): Testing Has Not Improved Education Despite all the Costs). The governor’s plan is meant to align with Arne Duncan’s reform agenda and it will lead to more testing. Testing for competencies is not the same as educating citizens.

Many parents, teachers, and citizens disagree with these plans and they neither hate children nor business. I urge legislators to listen to these other voices who have real critiques about the education legislation, the OEIB’s direction, and the governor’s myopic focus on “mending” relations with certain business organizations. We need to fund our schools and educate citizens, not create worker drones.

Jennifer Schuberth

Jennifer Schuberth is cofounder of CORE: Calling Oregon to Reinvest in Education and an assistant professor of religion at Portland State University.

www.orcore.org

QUOTE: "This", cried the Mayor, "is your town's darkest hour! The time for all Whos who have blood that is red To come to the aid of their country!", he said. "We've GOT to make noises in greater amounts! So, open your mouth, lad! For every voice counts!"

--Horton Hears A Who by Dr. Seuss

Why Our Public Schools are Like Our Public Beaches

2012-02-20T07:51:00.000-08:00

I have been a follower of Matt Love's writing ever since I read his book Grasping Wastrels vs. Beaches Forever Inc. which told the true story about how Oregon's beaches became public and saved from being owned by private entities. This book is why I fight so hard for public schools. I am constantly reminded of Bob Straub and how he didn't give up when they wanted to put a highway through Pacific City.

We at Oregon Save Our Schools are the Bob Straubs of public education. We question. We educate. We know there are those who just want us to go away because of those very qualities. However, the take over of public education in our state won't be easy. We won't let it. Come join us on our Facebook page. Start asking your legislators questions. Tell your stories as a teacher, parent, student, and let them know that we will not be ignored. Once public education is gone to the highest bidder, we've sealed our fate.

Today in the Oregonian, whose byline should I see on the opinion page? Matt Love: and he was talking education reform! Bob Straub is coming full circle here. We should definitely keep teaching as we know is best for as long as we can, but we also need to step up and ask questions of the decision makers.

Oh yeah, if you get a chance to read Matt's book about the beach bill, do. It is a story that would have easily been forgotten, but the lessons from it are long-term and far-reaching. Every time you walk on a public beach you should be reminded of the power of the people and what it can do.

Brian Jones and the Attack on Public Education

2012-02-16T20:32:00.001-08:00

If you want to see how corporate education reform found its way in to the New York public education system, check out this video of educator and activist Brian Jones.

Brian Jones is also behind the making of the film The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman.

So why is this important to Oregonians? Because corporate education reform is here now too. Let's learn what not to do by paying attention to our East Coast schools, teachers, and parents who want something better. And for the record, so do we.

Why We are Opposed to SB 1581

2012-02-16T06:12:00.000-08:00

I just have to thank Oregon Save Our Schools for stepping up and asking the right questions regarding the education reform decisions that are coming full-speed ahead by the Governor's office.

This document is a must read for anyone who is concerned about the direction of public education here in Oregon.

A lot of damage may be done is this short legislative session, and it is important to read of these concerns and to contact your legislators now and ask questions--demand better.

Also, if you have time, come join us at the Strong School Strong Oregon rally this Monday at the Capitol steps in Salem.

We Want Good Schools

2012-02-06T21:36:00.000-08:00

Oregon SOS member, Joanne Yatvin just published a fantastic piece in the Washington Post that gives us pause as it looks back to 1986. At the time, Joanne reviewed a book called McDonogh 15, 15, Becoming A School.

In looking over her review, Joanne realized just what we can learn from our past. Since we are on a cusp of reclaiming our public schools from the corporate education reform movement, it is important to read Joanne's words from the past and use them to help guide our decision making for the future.

She notes:

"To help you understand what I have learned from McDonogh 15, I will describe a good school as I know it and compare it to today’s popular ideal called an ”effective school.” Let me start with a general definition of a good school and go on with more detailed descriptions of both types of schools.....

Specifically, a good school mirrors the realities of life in an ordered, adult society; it is rational and safe, a practice ground for the things people do in the outside world. The school creates a sense of community that permits personal expression within a framework of social responsibility. It focuses on learnings that grow through use--with or without more schooling--such as communication skills, decision making, craftsmanship, and group interaction. It makes children think of themselves as people who find strength, nourishment, and joy in learning."

In contrast, the effective school looks at learning in terms of test scores in a limited number of academic areas. It does not take into consideration problem-solving abilities, social skills, or even complex academic skills. It does not differentiate between dynamic and inert knowledge; it ignores motivation. When we hear of a school where test scores are in the 90^th percentile, should we not also ask what that school does to prepare students to live the next sixty years of their lives?

Read more about Good Schools vs. Effective Schools here.

This was written by Joanne Yatvin, a longtime public school educator,author and past president of the National Council of Teachers of English. She teaches part-time at Portland State University and is writing a book on good teaching in high poverty schools.

NCLB Waiver: Consider the Hidden Costs

2012-02-05T16:39:00.001-08:00

This article, "Race to the Top Leave Schools Behind," just came out after the last blog post. It expresses the hidden costs of Race to the Top parameters such as having to adopt and implement the Common Core State Standards and assessments a well as implement a new teacher evaluation system.

One Superintendent in this article is quoted as saying:

“No one did the math,” said Ken Mitchell, South Orangetown’s superintendent. “Race to the Top was fast-tracked, and there was no discussion about the costs.”

A school board member noted:

“I would gladly give back our $6,000,” said Karen Zevin, school board president for Croton-Harmon, whose district actually got $6,909. “Take it right now. Our costs will just keep increasing.”

Implementing new teacher evaluation system has proven to be a problem on many counts:

"The new evaluation system has proved to be one of the most divisive issues in the state. Districts are having difficulty working out the details through collective bargaining, as required by state law....From the start, there was little talk about the costs facing school districts trying to create a complex new evaluation system on the fly, said Jere Hochman, superintendent of Bedford schools, who serves on a state task force that tried to figure out how to make the whole thing work. The new evaluations must include extensive observations of teachers in classrooms, which requires training, preparation, written critiques, follow-up plans and more. Districts also must develop an appeals process for teachers who disapprove of their ratings — which could lead to high legal costs."

Hopefully Oregon will think about these issues before jumping forward on their NCLB waiver plan. Oregon has little room for financial error as our classrooms are already being short changed in these trying economic times. We must demand an analysis and report on the potential costs of the waiver plan. It may not be worth going for right now.

Unfortunately, the federal government has the state over a barrel as the 100 percent target is coming up in 2014 and states are scrambling to bypass this with the waiver so they aren't labeled failing. As mentioned in yesterday's post, some states are saying no to the waivers, but they still need to figure out something by 2014.

A lot can happen in two years, and Oregon should take the time to problem solve it without rushing to sign on the dotted line.

NCLB Waiver: False Advertising

2012-02-04T22:13:00.000-08:00

There is much misconception among legislators, teachers, parents, and members of the public regarding the No Child Left Behind waivers as they do not realize that it does not get rid of NCLB. We are not free.

Instead, it keeps high-stakes testing, ties teacher performance to test scores, labels schools, and demands adherence to Common Core Standards in order to get funding and release from the 100 percent 2014 goal, and that is just for starters.

The NCLB Waivers are nothing more than blackmail to get all states to adhere to the Race to the Top principles pushed by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. While many states are applying for the waiver rather than be labeled as failures in two years when the 100 percent meeting requirement goes into effect, some are not.

Furthermore, the waivers are not innovative. They are a template of what the federal government's design of what our state's education reform plan should be. What ever happened to local control? This is from the NCLB Waivers: The Devil's in the Details:

"ESEA Flexibility Requests

This all started when 11 states had asked for waivers, after the DOE announced they would offer a "flexibility package" from some provisions of No Child Left Behind, especially ones the states felt they couldn't reach by the target dates set by NCLB. States submitted what is called an ESEA Flexibility Request. This link will take you to a Word document which spells out exactly what should be in the request, and how it should be organized. It's really a template that all states must use to get the waiver."

California refused to apply stating that the waiver is an unfunded mandate and will cost the state 2 -2.7 billion dollars to implement. Furthermore, California is concerned about the new rules of the waiver which require states to tie teacher evaluations to test scores, adopt the Common Core State Standards, and to remediate the bottom 15 percent of schools.

Diane Ravitch was recently interviewed on what we can learn from California's choice to not apply for the NCLB waiver. She said:

"If California could send a message to other states, it should be this: There are no easy answers, no quick fixes, no solutions that can be supplied by Washington. We are all involved in the job of school improvement–parents, students, teachers, administrators, the local community. We must work together to raise up the next generation, to make sure they are healthy and prepared for good lives as citizens of our society. Our public schools are and will continue to be a vital part of our democratic society. We must improve the schools by making sure that every child in every community has a full and balanced curriculum. We must require that every school has an arts program and physical education. Our future as a state and nation depends on the education we provide today.

Other states, like Montana, had wished Duncan had frozen the state academic mandates in this time of economic crisis. They also questioned cost and whether the waivers would do damage to local control over things like teacher evaluations. Other states are concerned about and strings being attached to the waiver and what the waiver plan would mean if ESEA were reauthorized with changes that were different than that of the waiver. With so much up in the air it seems that the process should be slowed or be given a reprieve in these tough economic times.

In other states, leaders had the vision to question what the trade off really was for applying for the NCLB waiver. In Oregon, sadly, this wasn't the case.

Here in Oregon, if one listened to public input on the waiver plan, the plan would look a lot different: no high-stakes testing, no teacher evaluations tied to test scores, and no narrowing of the curriculum. You would find a plan that values teachers, small class sizes, local control, education funded in a quality an equitable way, a well-rounded education with plenty of opportunities for all of Oregon's children, assessments judged by our state's teachers that shows student growth, and wrap around services. However, instead when the waiver was paraded around the state, input was allowed, but not really valued as the waiver application was submitted in the middle of all the scheduled public input meetings. In Ashland, for example, teachers and schools express frustration by the lack of details, costs, and appreciation of valued public input.

In this legislative session, the question should really be about whether or not we want to apply for the waiver. Instead, it looks like it is a done deal the way that the Governor and OEIB want it.

In any event, now the focus will be on the Achievement Compacts. While one can only hope that perhaps the AC's will go away, the speed at which all of these reforms are coming along in our state is alarming. It will be up to the public and legislators to demand details, because while we all want a better education system for all our children, the question really is one of philosophy and in how we get there.

Our legislators need to slow this process down and really think about what the consequences will be for making these choices. The state needs to have a real dialogue with educators and the public and make an effort to really listen this time.

So far, any questions that have been asked such as cost, narrowing of curriculum, and how to address poverty have been met with vague answers at best. Leaders of the education reform plan seem to hope it will just all work out, and that if they can just get it all started, then the questions will go away.

It won't be that easy.

We at Oregon SOS urge you to email, call, or visit with your legislators to ask these important questions. Many are overwhelmed with the demands of a short session, but they need to hear your input. I just met with one of mine, and the information and questions were truly appreciated.

If you can attend any of the public meetings listed on our events page, that would be another great way to be heard. Talk to your friends, your children's teachers, and principals about concerns. Talk to your school board. Talk to your neighbors and family too. Every little bit helps.

Also, attend the Strong Schools = Strong Oregon rally Monday, Feb. 20th and help support the message that our state needs to provide and fund quality schools to our children and the generations that will follow. Bring the kids.

Make our voice one that will not be ignored. Our children are depending on us.

The Data-Driven Knowledge Economy

2012-02-04T12:17:00.000-08:00

Shopping for budget-busting colleges busts dreams. Wouldn’t a “shopping sheet” that compares financial aid packages and earnings and employment information be a benefit to parents and students?

Not if that shopping sheet generates a bad bill of goods that also costs your privacy.

President Obama, outraged by out-of-control college costs, recently appealed to University of Michigan students.[1] Through competition, the White House hopes to spur state reforms that reduce college costs and encourage college completion. States would have to maintain their funding levels for higher education and align entry and exit standards from secondary education and community colleges to help promote on-time graduation.

These ideas were conceived at an early December meeting[2] between the President, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and college leaders and foundations. Western Governors University[3], Lumina Foundation[4] and the Delta Project[5] were invited. The American Association of University Women[6] and the American Association of University Professors[7] were not.

But the gestation of these ideas has been even longer.

Data systems to me are at the heart of this reform effort...we need comprehensive data systems that do three things. One, track students throughout their educational trajectory. Secondly, track students back to teachers so we can really shine a spotlight on those teachers that are doing a phenomenal job of driving student achievement. And third, track teachers back to their schools of education.

Secretary Duncan, EdWeek Interview, March 2009

Certainly, these goals fit well with “outcome based budgeting” and “achievement compacts” proposed by the Oregon Education Investment Board.[8]

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provided more than $100 billion for education to “save jobs and support innovation.”[9] Project ALDER[10] (Advancing Longitudinal Data for Education Reform) is the ARRA funded data system[11] for the Oregon Department of Education (ODE).

An educational database that extends into the workplace requires a common denominator. The social security number is personally identifiable information that links wages to name. While personally identifiable information can be “de-identified” and correlated to make conclusions about education and work outcomes, this takes a lot more effort. And pooling all this information in one big warehouse makes it even easier. That’s what Project ALDER proposes to do![12]

The legal eagle may wonder, doesn’t this violate FERPA[13] (Family Educational Rights and Acts) privacy laws?

Not with recent rulings coming from the U.S. Department of Education. For while there should be “reasonable methods” to ensure that “authorized representatives”[14] who conduct educational research must protect and destroy data, states have wide latitude in creating these databases.

Nonetheless, states must have plans “to mitigate the risks associated with intentional and inadvertent data breaches.”[15].

Project ALDER’s legal advice came from the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). WICHE includes Oregon and fourteen other states, working “to improve access to higher education and ensure student success.” [16] With funding from Ford, Lumina and Gates Foundation on policy and workforce development, WICHE explored FERPA barriers at a December 2008 conference.

Former US Department of Education attorney Steve Winnick[17] advocated, “FERPA needs to be interpreted or, as necessary, amended to harmonize these state and federal policies.” He pointed out that “Under a 2002 decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in Gonzaga University v. Doe parents and others may not sue a school or school district for alleged violations of FERPA.”[18]

Brian Prescott, Director of Policy Research for WICHE, and Peter Ewell, Vice President for the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, wrote how a multi-sector, multi-state data resource might be designed and governed. “The rise of a globalized knowledge economy requires us to understand the distribution of skills and abilities in our population. It is no longer sufficient to know how many resources are devoted to the development of our nation’s human capital.”[19]

Oregon’s has ambitious goals for its knowledge economy: 40-40-20 by 2025[20]

· 40 percent of adults will have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.

· 40 percent of adults will have earned an associate degree or post-secondary credential.

· 20 percent of adults will have earned a high school diploma, modified high school diploma or the equivalent of a high school diploma.

Even Lumina Foundation has less ambitious goals[21]: To increase the proportion of Americans with high-quality degrees and credentials to 60 percent by the year 2025

There’s a big problem with this grandiosity. 2010-20 labor statistics project that 2/3 of the occupations projected to have the most jobs "require less than a postsecondary education, no related work experience, and short- or moderate-term on-the-job training."[22]

In Oregon, “the fact is there are many job openings that do not require post-secondary education.”[23] This 2008 report notes, “(S)ome individuals believe that at least a post-secondary education will be essential for today’s young people to qualify for the jobs of the future. While this… may be a laudable goal as we seek to improve the standard of living for future Oregonians, it is not a requirement for the likely jobs of the future, based on the known current trends of Oregon’s economy.”

Only about one fourth of Oregon’s projected job openings (including both growth and replacement openings) will require post-secondary education in order to meet the minimum requirement for the job. (Graph 13)
More than half of Oregon’s projected job openings will require post-secondary education if the job applicant wants to be really competitive for the position (Graph 14).

The economic collapse has worsened job prospects. Perhaps that’s why so many college grads are competing for Starbucks jobs?

How do we reconcile all this with “The Critical Connection Between Higher Education and the American Dream?[24]” Lumina, Gates and Ford Foundation workforce projections are behind the myth of this oft-made claim: “While unemployment hovers at nine percent nationally, employers are still struggling to find enough workers to fill the skilled positions that they need to grow.”

Political satirist Jon Stewart illustrates this absurdity on the Daily Show in this January 31^st clip, “Pander Express.”[25] A Texas woman appeals to President Obama through an online town hall. She says her engineering husband with ten years experience has been unemployed for three years. He replies, “If you send me your husband’s resume. I’d be interested in finding out exactly what’s happening right there.”

What kind of demagoguery does Rush Limbaugh spew in response? “Your idiot husband should be able to find work!”[26]

Microsoft has led the way for “permatemps” devaluation of professions. Over twelve years ago, Gates paid $97 million to settle a claim brought forward by 8,000 to 12,000 people who claimed they were denied benefits while working for the software behemoth.[27] Only retirement ended his efforts lobbing Congress to expand H-1B visas for foreign workers.[28] Microsoft is the #1 corporation for H-1 B visas.[29]

The billionaire Harvard dropout and Steve Jobs, the Reed dropout, expressed their opposing views of education last year.[30] Jobs believes it’s less about the system structure and more about free will; individuals should chart their own course. Gates said, “…we need to raise performance without spending a lot more.” We just need reliable disaggregated data so policy makers can allocate limited resources to produce a higher yield…

There are red flags raised over the data stored by Project ALDER. The data is warehoused at Oregon State University’s Open Source Lab, a nonprofit that depends on platinum sponsors like Google to fund its operations.[31] As the website boasts "Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful."

And more red flags rose over a no-bid contract with Microsoft SQL.[32]

Why would I question the good work of Microsoft’s cloud computing and data mining capabilities? Leonie Haimson, Executive Director, Class Size Matters sees red too.[33]

Here’s where former Portland Public Schools Superintendent Vicki Phillips fits in. As Gates Foundation Director of College-Ready Education, she blogged about the Shared Learning Collaborative.[34] Haimson notes the Gates Foundation funded $76.5 million to give eight participating states free access to open-source software. The vendor of choice to “build the open software that will allow states to access a shared, performance-driven marketplace of free and premium tools and content”? Phillips further gushed about Wireless Generation, a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp [35]

Last summer, Murdoch’s phone-hacking scandals seemed to kill New York’s $27 million data project. In December, the New York Board of Regents approved a revised plan that awards competitive contracts to multiple vendors to build similar tools.[36] New York will participate in the multi-state Shared Learning Collaborative. The ‘Shared Learning Infrastructure’ enables “vendors and developers to create applications and content that can interface with the SLI,”[37] allowing further development of the database at “no cost” to taxpayers.

So when Project ALDER’s advice to the U.S. Department of Education is to: "Turn your vendors into partners. Give them buy-in to the project and make sure that they know you value their opinion,[38]" we know that means.

The flags I’ve raised could be just the red, white and blue flags of patriotic do-gooding corporations and wealthy elite. But we should heed the words of President Kennedy.

We subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought. Mythology distracts us everywhere. For the great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie: deliberate, contrived, and dishonest. But the myth: persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic.[39]

Look at your narrative and throw away the myths. Does the knowledge economy enlighten the global collective or skew more money and power to those who use knowledge to serve their purposes?

Humorist and self-acclaimed grad school drop-out, Benson Bruno published Evergreens are Prudish in 1983. He wrote, “We need to save the forests. I have a big warehouse we can store them in.”[40] I know an ALDER that just needs sunlight![41] [42] [43]

[1] http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/27/education/obama-to-link-aid-for-colleges-to-affordability.html

[2] http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/12/05/readout-presidents-meeting-college-presidents

[3] http://www.wgu.edu/

[4] http://www.luminafoundation.org/about_us/

[5] http://www.deltacostproject.org/

[6] http://www.aauw.org/

[7] http://www.aaup.org/aaup

[8] http://www.oregon.gov/Gov/OEIB/OregonEducationInvestmentBoard.shtml

[9] http://chalkboardproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Using-Stimulus-to-Drive-Change-Opportunities-for-Oregon.pdf

[10] http://alder.orvsd.org/

[11] http://nces.ed.gov/programs/slds/fy09arra_announcement.asp

[12] http://alder.orvsd.org/sites/alder.orvsd.org/files/ALDER_Grant_Narrative.pdf

[13] http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html

[14] http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-12-02/pdf/2011-30683.pdf

[15] http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/ptac/pdf/data-governance-checklist.pdf

[16] http://www.wiche.edu/

[17] http://nelsonmullins.com/attorneys/steve-winnick

[18] http://www.wiche.edu/info/fostering/meetings/co2008dec/Winnick.pdf

[19]http://www.wiche.edu/info/publications/FrameworkForAMultistateHumanCapitalDevelopmentDataSystem.pdf

[20]http://www.oregonlive.com/education/index.ssf/2011/11/gov_john_kitzhaber_oregon_educ.html

[21] http://www.luminafoundation.org/goal_2025.html

[22] http://bls.gov/news.release/ecopro.htm

[23] Working in Oregon… Now and in the Future, Oregon Employment Department Workforce and Economic Research http://www.qualityinfo.org/pubs/working/working_in_oregon.pdf

[24] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-merisotis/the-critical-connection-b_b_1215874.html

[25] http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-january-31-2012/indecision-2012---pander-express---barack-obama-s-online-town-hall

[26]http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2012/01/31/obama_to_wife_of_jobless_engineer_your_idiot_husband_should_be_able_to_find_work

[27] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1067922.stm

[28] http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2008/03/gates-to-congress-microsoft-needs-more-h1-b-visas.ars

[29] http://www.myvisajobs.com/Search_Visa_Sponsor.aspx?N=Microsoft&S=

[30] http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/03/20/career-counselor-bill-gates-or-steve-jobs/rival-philosophies-both-compelling

[31] http://osuosl.org/members

[32] http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/en/us/default.aspx

[33] http://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2011/12/ny-student-data-to-be-given-to-limited.html

[34] http://www.impatientoptimists.org/Posts/2011/08/Shared-Tools-for-Teachers

[35] http://www.wirelessgeneration.com/data-systems/instructional-improvement-systems

[36] http://www.regents.nysed.gov/meetings/2011Meetings/December2011/1212p12a3.pdf

[37] http://www.classsizematters.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/SLCFactSheet_FINAL.pdf

[38]http://alder.orvsd.org/sites/alder.orvsd.org/files/USED_Site_Visit_Session_Materials_Binder.pdf p. 79

[39] http://www.jfklibrary.org/Research/Ready-Reference/Kennedy-Library-Miscellaneous-Information/Orientation-Film-Text.aspx

[40] http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/show/459242

[41] http://influenceexplorer.com/organization/bill-melinda-gates-foundation/93c152ddd1cc4e03b5b463f5d4a4109e

[42] http://influenceexplorer.com/organization/ford-foundation/ae9b680a6eb54bd09b04e1fc46b73b61

[43] http://influenceexplorer.com/organization/kl-gates/d8ebc3601603476e95c5b91e9df90e5c

OEIB Vocab 101

2012-02-03T22:58:00.000-08:00

A shout out goes to Stacia Rosenau for her effort to pull this lingo together for her PTA group. She graciously allowed us here at Oregon SOS to post her work in order to help education others who feel overwhelmed by all of this education reform and OEIB terminology. Thanks so much Stacia!

Waiting for Someone to Step Up

2012-02-03T22:35:00.001-08:00

Excellent piece by Jennifer Schuberth that challenges the Oregonian and Governor's idea to just push forward on the OEIB education reform plan to include the NCLB Waiver.

QUOTE: "I'm waiting for someone in Oregon's leadership to step up and tell Oregonians the truth they already know: You can't educate kids on the cheap. Unless we start having that conversation, unless we start making simple changes like instituting smaller class sizes, the governor and his board are simply rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. I want to see Oregon students do better, but movement is not equivalent to progress. What I see at OEIB meetings and within the proposed education legislation is opportunities for private entities such as K12 Inc. and Western Governors University to make money while our children sit in larger classes and take more tests that make them hate learning. "

Jennifer Schuberth is an assistant professor of religion at Portland State University and co-founder of CORE: Calling Oregon to Reinvest in Education.

Who Should We Really Hold Accountable?

2012-02-01T22:09:00.000-08:00

This piece by Superintendent John Kuhn, hits the nail on the head:

1) poverty is a huge problem that those in power are ignoring

2) who in the decision-making realm is held accountable to help develop an education system that helps to alleviate and remedy the effects of poverty on a child's education?

Instead, these very same people are trying to hold teachers accountable to solve this instead. I am a teacher who just spent and entire day teaching and then had conferences until late tonight. I barely had time to say goodnight to my own children. Still, I love conference night. I love meeting parents and helping their children. I teach good kids, but the struggle from the effects of poverty: illiteracy, busy working schedule, struggle to meet basic needs, etc... These kids need something more: time to do homework after school, parent outreach, family support so they don't have to be the family's primary caregiver after school, books in their house, school supplies, and food for starters.

The policymakers here in Oregon refuse to address these issues. They ignore poverty hoping it will just go away, and believe that if we just hold our teachers accountable even more, then this problem will be solved. Sorry to say, but this it is a waste of time and taxpayer dollars to go forward with this OEIB plan. Instead, they need to finally talk about providing equitable funding and a quality, well-rounded education to every child in this state. And they need to ask their teachers, parents, and students what is important in developing that.

When I think of all the time and energy that has gone into reinventing the ed reform wheel, it is frustrating, as the same amount of time could have gone into solving our funding problem. The public spoke to this fact at each and every OEIB public input meeting. The question is: will they listen? Time will tell.

"I say baloney. Poverty can be contained; it's just that no one wants to do it. "Inequality is inevitable" would make a really pathetic national motto, wouldn't it? So quit screaming at me to put out these fires faster and admit just once that there's an arsonist on the loose. "

John Kuhn

The Trouble with Outcomes

2012-02-01T12:11:00.000-08:00

By Steve Buel

Outcomes are the new mantra in education. Programs cost money and are no longer how educational “experts” wish to measure education. You can get improved outcomes by being smarter and more efficient. Having better systems. And you can measure them. We can know if what we are doing is working or not. Data allows us to hold educators accountable, to make sure we are getting the results we want and even allows educators to hold themselves accountable. Outcomes – the way to go.

But there is a problem and it pervades the entire idea of outcomes. Focusing on outcomes limits education itself. Take something like understanding the first amendment to the Constitution. If I want my students to be able to list the five basic freedoms of the first amendment then outcomes works great. Students can be measured on whether they know the five freedoms. But if I want my students to understand what these five freedoms mean, have a real sense of the role they play in society and in the creation of our democracy, be able to have a knowledge of the role they play or might play in their own life, and learn to be sophisticated in critically thinking about this topic, then outcomes get in the way.

If I focus on measurable outcomes I create some interesting problems. First off all students won’t even remember the five freedoms after a short period of time. I hardly know any adults who can state them. Yet those five freedoms are the basis of the freedom in the greatest free country ever devised on the face of the earth. So you can’t make the argument they are not important to know.

Further, if I focus on measurable outcomes none of my students will have any real understanding of what these freedoms actually mean because this type of material is not seen as important because it can’t be accurately measured. So the students coming out of my “measurable outcomes” class will have a substantially worse education than students whose teachers have expanded into areas which take more thought and critical thinking.

Now try to work this problem backwards as the educational proponents of outcomes do. If you say I want to teach what I can accurately measure then I am left with knowing there are five freedoms and what they are. But if I work backwards stating that I don’t care if I can accurately measure the result of my teaching or not but want my students to have a sophisticated understanding of the many roles the five freedoms play in America then my teaching will be much more powerful and my students will be much better educated.

So, when the new state achievement compacts state that we want to have the outcome of a certain percentage of test scores, or graduation rates, we are in the first case limiting the breadth of education our students are getting, and in the second case ignoring the incredibly complex story behind a student dropping out. In effect, we are choosing the weaker educational approach.

Belief Only Carries Us So Far

2012-01-29T20:18:00.000-08:00

My heart is breaking over comments made by well-intendedfolks that if teachers just believed in their students, they can bring them outof poverty and into the arms of an ivy-league school. If I could, I would saveevery kindergartner that walks through my door of every injustice and societalfailures they have and will continue to experience. In a recent article writtenin The Atlantic, “What Americans Keep Ignoring About Finland's School Success” Anu Partanen points out the success inFinland’s school comes down to equity, “'There are no private schools inFinland.’ This notion may seem difficult for an American to digest, but it'strue. Only a small number of independent schools exist in Finland, and eventhey are all publicly financed. None is allowed to charge tuition fees. Thereare no private universities, either. This means that practically every personin Finland attends public school, whether for pre-K or a Ph.D.” Everyone isprovided an education that all in the community has a stake in, and in turn allwant to see succeed. “Finland's experience shows that it is possible to achieveexcellence by focusing not on competition, but on cooperation, and not onchoice, but on equity. The problem facing education in America isn't the ethnicdiversity of the population but the economic inequality of society, and this isprecisely the problem that Finnish education reform addressed. More equity athome might just be what America needs to be more competitive abroad.”

Let me come back to this idea that if a teacher justbelieves that his or her students can learn that will make all the difference.I grew up in North Portland. I attended public schools that were rich indiversity: language diversity; ethnic diversity; income level diversity; anddiverse life experiences. I had the same teachers, as others in myneighborhood, with passion and rigor in their teaching. I went on to graduatefrom college (double majoring in English Literature and Spanish with a minor inLatin American Studies) and onto graduate school in Early Childhood Educationwith a focus on Bilingual Education and English Language Learners. Some ofthose I went to middle school with went onto college, some did not, someended up in jail, some filling the statistics of teenage pregnancy, or otherswandering the neighborhood to this day (15-20 years later) dealing and/or doingdrugs. I know that our teachers cared. I know that our teachers believed inevery student that walked through the door. I know this because I was in thoseclassrooms. Why did my life take a different path than some of my classmates?Yes, my being a white middle class girl had something to do with my privilegein life. But so did the excess of books that filled my home, the dance, music,and theatre lessons I did after school many days a week. I had the opportunityto swim on a swim team for many years. My parents graduated from college. I hadthe stability of living in the same house throughout my whole childhood, Istill show up today and know there is food in the fridge I can eat. My parentssupported my decision to study abroad when I was 16 years old and I flew toArgentina for a year on their dime. My father had a living wage job as a unioncarpenter to help pay for that year abroad. All of those factors helped supportme to become the well-rounded individual I am today.

Now I am that teacher, like teachers I had before me. I canbelieve all I want that all my students can learn, which I do. I can believethat they all can achieve greatness in life, which I do. I can believe that global warming isn’t happening, yet that doesn’t meanit will stop the glaciers from melting at a more rapid rate. I can believe thatmy friend will overcome cancer, yet see her die. I can believe that the earthis flat, yet have it proved a sphere.

Belief only carries us so far. Ican tell you what I know from teaching in a high poverty school. I know that Ican be the best teacher I humanly can be when students fill my classroom.I know I cannot control my students moving away because mom moves in with aboyfriend, dad goes to jail, homelessness, mom’s sick in another state,eviction, and many other causes of mobility that many of my students face. I knowthe importance of a relationship that allows me to connect and encourage mystudents and their families. I know that some parents will walk in the rain tomake a parent meeting, while others will never show up at all. I know that Imay or may not be able to get a hold of a parent by phone because so oftenphone numbers are either disconnected or wrong. I know that Iwill get new students throughout the year who may or may not come with any school ready skills. Iknow that books are probably not as cherished in my students’ households ascable television and video games. I know I can make an impact in my students’education and life, but I also know I only get that student in my classroom for7 hours a day for less than a year. I cannot control or save them from theireveryday lives.

I can and I have helped by translating for a family movinginto new apartment. I have driven Thanksgiving baskets to students’ homes andpresents for Christmas. I have bought and given many books to my students. Ihave taken students on special outings to the Nutcracker and the zoo. I havedriven families to the vaccination clinic so that their child would not beexcluded from school. I have bought clothes, soap, backpacks, and much more forstudents. I have laughed and cried with my students. I have 29 students thisyear, the most I have had in my 5 years of teaching kindergarten. I teach intwo languages Spanish and English. I want each one of my students to leavekindergarten loving learning, school, and leaving with rich classroomexperiences. I dream big dreams for each one of my students. I watch them makehuge growth socially and academically throughout the year. I wonder what happens tomy students who leave the school after that year or the next few years. Or theones who make it through and than go on to the awkward and challenging years ofmiddle and high school. I may never know, but I try my best to positivelyinfluence their lives and their education. Life doesn’t always give us ananswer. Life is not a standardized test, my choices are not always A, B, C, orD. There is a whole alphabet, many outcomes. I can believe all I want, but Idon’t get to choose the outcomes for my students. I may cultivate their hungerfor learning and pray that hunger never dies.

What's the Rush?

2012-01-28T23:51:00.000-08:00

Tonight, as I had hoped to relax and go to bed, I decided to check out the Oregonian's opinion page. When I read Keep School Reform Moving by the editorial board, I felt outraged as a public citizen whose voice they were encouraging to ignore. Isn't this America? Isn't this the land that values free speech and democracy? Well, then what was going on here? What's with the push for education reform at the expense of the democratic process?

I believe it is fear.

Recently, the state has been holding public input meetings around the state. Most in attendance have voiced serious concerns about the waiver and ed reform plan put out by the OEIB and the Governor. It seems like those who want all this corporate ed reform stuff to succeed recognize that it may be slipping from their control. They are hearing rumblings of the public who don't want to be sold a faulty bill of goods. They are realizing that the public is starting to see that the Emperor has no clothes, and they know they need to move fast or all is lost.

The following is a letter to the editor that I wrote in response to "Keep School Reform Moving."

Letter to the Editor:

Wow, after reading "Keep School Reform Moving" where the editorial board wants to quickly push through the Governor's and OEIB's education reform plan, it is obvious that the editors of the Oregonian seem very afraid. What are they afraid of? They are afraid of the public voice.

Afraid of a voice that asks questions and holds their leaders accountable. Afraid of a voice that stands up for their rights---and the rights of their children. Afraid of a voice that wants their schools to be kept public rather than privatized. Afraid of a voice that respects and values its teachers and their union rather than wanting to bully and control them. Afraid of a voice that demands a well-rounded curriculum rather than constant high-stakes testing and narrowing of curriculum. Afraid of a voice that demands funding of a quality education rather than doing more with less. Afraid of a voice that recognizes that poverty has a huge impact on a student's educational success rather than ignoring poverty. Afraid of a voice that demands smaller class sizes rather than large class sizes. Afraid of a voice that demands to know costs rather than hoping it will all work out with much thought to details. Afraid of a voice that respects and values local control rather than state control in education. Afraid of a voice that wants all schools to be equitable and respected rather than labeled as winners and losers. Afraid of a voice that values collaboration, not competition. Afraid of a voice that trusts its teachers to evaluate and assess their students' performance and success rather than testing and using excessive amounts of data collection. Afraid of a voice that values checks and balances rather than unilateral decision making. Afraid of a voice that demands public input rather than ignoring it.

This plan may go forward, but it will be a failure without parent, teacher, and student approval. At recent state public input meetings about this plan, the public spoke loudly and clearly: they are very wary of this plan for the above reasons.

Go ahead: ignore the public voice that stands up for what is right. In doing so, this voice will only grow stronger to a point that it can no longer be ignored.

The next OEIB/NCLB waiver input meetings will be held on Monday, Jan. 30th in Pendleton, and on Tuesday, Jan. 31st at the PCC Rock Creek Campus. This will be another great opportunity for the public voice to be heard. Hope to see you there.

When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty.
Thomas Jefferson

Preview Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman

2012-01-26T23:00:00.001-08:00

Here is a sneak peak of the film we are showing this Saturday at Macy's Downtown Portland, 4th Floor, Large Classroom from 2-4 pm. This is a great opportunity to learn the basics about the corporate education movement through the eyes of parents, teachers, and students of New York City. As the reform movement spreads West to Oregon, it is important to learn what the warning signs, verbiage, patterns, and key players are.

Here is an article about the making of the film and the message it hopes to share.

Hope to see you there!

Moneyball

2012-01-25T20:17:00.000-08:00

Who knew date night's movie Moneyball would actually spark a conversation about education reform and the OEIB?NCLB waiver? How is this possible you might ask? Well, when the couple are both teachers, it explains a lot.

As the doors of our car closed shut last night on the way home from our movie, my husband said, "I was just reflecting about that movie..."

"Yes?" I replied.

"Well, it reminds me of teaching and how education reformers and those relying on data to game the system of education are really playing their own version of Moneyball."

"I KNOW! I was thinking the exact same thing." I replied.

He said, "If they think baseball is hard to pin down to computerized stats and evaluation, try teaching. There are so many variables in teaching: kids not doing homework due to a crazy home life, lack of drive, or interest; kids feeling over tested, narrowed curriculum, kids worrying about their next meal, kids dealing with being homeless, kids who are at a 10 year deficit in reading skills because no one really read to them when they were young, large classes, loss of programs that students value, lack of sleep, lack of support at home, peer pressure, busy families trying to work several jobs to survive, and other problems associated to poverty. How can we really pin down numbers and data to determine and predict success?"

However, when you look at the OEIB and the NCLB waiver plan, it is increasingly about implementing and collecting data ad nauseum thinking that the more data you try to get your head around the more likely that we can determine the magic answer in getting our kids to succeed.

But teaching, successful teaching, doesn't operate in those parameters. Teaching is more like the baseball scouts who use their intuition, experience and knowledge of the game and players to create a successful team.

That is what is missing in the education reform version of Moneyball: the voices of the experts who know and understand the game of teaching.

Until the voices of those who are in the trenches: parents, teachers, and students are heard and valued, Oregon's education system will continue to rack up more losses than wins in the game of Moneyball.

"Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire." --William Butler Yeats

2012-01-24T21:15:00.000-08:00

I am the mother of a bright and talented 12 year old who has thrived in our neighborhood Portland Public Schools. As her mother, I believe it is my duty to make sure she has access to the best public education possible. Thus, it is with great frustration that I see our state not only preparing for another round of budget cuts, but on top of it rushing pell mell to burden our public schools with another layer of unfunded and unproven state mandates and bureaucracy.

As the Oregon Education Investment Board attempts to railroad the public and the Legislature into institutionalizing their vaguely defined bureaucratic pipe dream of "Achievement Compacts" and "outcome-based budgeting" for Oregon pre-schoolers through college graduates, I find a glimmer of hope in a speech Rep. Lew Frederick recently made in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

In his speech, Rep. Frederick speaks truth to the power that expects our children to learn more with even less than they have now. Less individual time with teachers because their classes are so much larger and they have fewer days in school. If they had any art, music, P.E., library or social studies before, they will have much less, if any at all, next year. Their teachers will have less time for collaboration, training and mentoring on top of cuts to their pay and benefits. The only thing our kids can expect more of is standardized tests, scripted instruction, and test prep, demoralized teachers and news about "failing" schools. But, Rep. Frederick says it much more eloquently and succinctly:

And what about “higher standards”? I say it can’t be “higher” unless JOY in learning is part of the picture. What will we reap, if all of our children, 100%, test well on the part of reading and math that we test, but generally hate reading and math? We need to apply “higher standards” to adults who make these decisions, and stop shaking up our kids educational opportunities based on sloppy or wishful thinking.

Rep. Frederick is also one of a very few voices in the halls of our State Capitol calling for the need to increase funding and investment in our children's education:

“You can’t solve problems by throwing money at them.” Puhleeze. I can’t believe that I actually hear this one, on the floor of the Oregon House, stated as if it were actually a serious argument. I can’t feed my family by throwing money at the grocery store either. How true it is. But I do have to spend money to buy groceries. And we have to spend money to train and hire and keep professionals to educate our children. There is no magic that gets around that.

It's a great speech. Please read the whole speech and share it with your family, friends and colleagues.

Thank you Rep. Frederick for speaking truth to power - I hope more state legislators AND Governor Kitzhaber will stand with you on behalf of Oregon's children and the future of our great state.

Invest in Kids, Not Test Scores

2012-01-23T17:49:00.000-08:00

This article in the Oregonian, "Invest in Kids, Not Test Scores" got me through a really tough morning.

I had stayed up until 2 am grading papers and entering semester grades so that my students would be able to know exactly what work they were missing. It was a bit depressing as some students just failed to turn anything in.

Under the proposed OEIB model that values high-stakes testing, it would seem that my future evaluation as a highly effective teacher would be tied to my students' efforts. What is ironic is that I work hard all the time to do my best, and that includes using personal time to make it work. Yet, if work isn't turned in, my job could be on the line.

Poverty plays a huge role in why my students don't turn in their work on time or at all, many don't read independently at home, they are expected to take care of their siblings as both parents work, and they are hungry, tired, parents aren't literate themselves and can't help with homework, and often have stressful home lives.

What is missing from the OEIB NCLB waiver proposal and Learnworks Plan is any truly practical and useful investment in our kids that helps remediate the effects of poverty.

So, why hold me accountable when the odds are stacked against me and the students? Instead we should be holding the state accountable for not providing the necessary stable and adequate funding to schools and wrap-around services that are proven to help all students, especially students of poverty.

“Poverty often deprives a man of all spirit and virtue; it is hard for an empty bag to stand upright."

--Benjamin Franklin

Who is Really in Charge?

2012-01-21T12:49:00.000-08:00

This recent post by Head Start Director of Portland, Ron Herndon, outlines serious concerns about who exactly is making education reform decisions in Oregon. Clearly, not teachers or educators as only one of the OEIB members has actually taught in the classroom. Herndon also wants citizens and taxpayers to follow the money.

Doctors bring in doctors to improve their craft and policies. Lawyers bring in those with law experience. Why is our state bringing in little if any educators, parents, or students into the decision making process? Is it because they have all sat in a classroom as a student at some point in their lives and that seems to be enough? Well, that's ridiculous.

The job of a teacher can't be quantified like this OEIB business model would like it to be. Teachers are craftsmen and women. I was reminded of this at the Thursday night OEIB public input meeting as a teacher next to me stated how our job is really a craft and that people need to be reminded of that. Teachers are constantly working to meet the needs of our individual students, and it takes a lot of know-how and experience to do that. We are educating human beings, not manufacturing a new product on an assembly line. But that's the way the new OEIB waiver plan is heading with its focus on competition, high-stakes testing, narrowing of curriculum, Achievement Compacts, and receivership for low performing schools...and that is just for starters.

As Herndon states:

"Composing an educational panel with a makeup of members holding less than a proven record of success is a disservice to taxpayers and makes a sham of professed intentions regarding achievement gap and school readiness."

Thank you Ron Herndon, for raising more important questions that we need to be demanding from those in charge.

“The foundations demand that public schools and teachers be held accountable for performance, but they themselves are accountable to no one. If their plans fail, no sanctions are levied against them. They are bastions of unaccountability.”

― Diane Ravitch, The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice are Undermining Education

Leaving Students Behind

2012-01-20T21:58:00.000-08:00

One of our Oregon SOS members just had a letter published about his and our concerns with the NCLB Waiver. Steve reminds readers that the waiver plan has its many problems from high-stakes testing to Achievement Compacts.

He adds,

"So we need to address the actual problems. We need to get kids reading more, and get the help for kids who are struggling so that all kids can leave school able to read well. This has nothing to do with testing.

Writing is similar. We need to get kids writing more and focus in on those kids who are struggling.

Then we need to look carefully at our curricula so we are sure we are teaching what young people need to know to get along in a complicated and changing world. Right now our obsession with testing is hindering this more than helping it.

Thirdly, we need to encourage kids to graduate. The best way to do this is to make school engaging and relevant. Testing does just the opposite. It pushes kids out.

So, take a look at the waiver and the OEIB Report to the Legislature and see if you think they adequately address the real problems in the schools.

The clear and only answer is: They don’t."

Speak out! Contact your legislators who will be in session soon, and let them know of your concerns. It will be up to our legislators to slow down or derail this train wreck from destroying our public education system. Keep the letters to your local newspaper coming. Find Oregon SOS on Facebook and this blog to keep up on our posts and updates. Your voice will not be alone.

“The power to question is the basis of all human progress.”
Indira Gandhi

Feedback on OEIB Feedback

2012-01-20T21:07:00.000-08:00

I and many other Oregon SOS members attended a public feedback forum for the OEIB NCLB waivers at the Immigrant and Refuge Community Organization center last night. There were about 200 people there from all sorts of backgrounds: teachers, parents, grandparents, college level educators, legislators, a few daycare providers, Early Childhood Learning teachers, MHCC community college president, a couple of superintendents, and some school board members to name a few. After receiving an overview of the OEIB and NCLB waiver plan, it was time to discuss issues with our table mates. Our job was to discuss what was going well as well as the challenges we faced in our communities with regards to education. Then we were to discuss the same for the waiver plan.

At our table (and many others) one clear and consistent message came through: teachers dedicated to their craft and their relationships with their students was the one thing going right. What else was clear was that their was very little that the room found to be positive about the waiver plan. If anything, people were happy the waiver focused on early childhood, but that was about it. As far as challenges to the waiver, the list was lengthy: lack of funding, no idea of how much the waiver plan was going to cost, continued use and dependence on high-stakes testing, no real plans to help offset poverty issues, possibility of allowing privatization of public education, narrowing of curriculum, loss of programs, lack of educator, parent, and student input; these were the primary messages that came up.

It was refreshing to hear voices of dissent raising such questions about a plan that is really based on a template put out by U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan as noted in this link, quote,

"This all started when 11 states had asked for waivers, after the DOE announced they would offer a "flexibility package" from some provisions of No Child Left Behind, especially ones the states felt they couldn't reach by the target dates set by NCLB. States submitted what is called an ESEA Flexibility Request. This link will take you to a Word document which spells out exactly what should be in the request, and how it should be organized. It's really a template that all states must use to get the waiver."

The article outlines the four areas in the waiver plan that states must adhere to, and the article concludes:

"Summing Up I have read Georgia's Race to the Top grant proposal and the Flexibility Request. What have we done? We've lost our way in the world of reform led by people who know very little about the lived world of students and teachers. To improve schooling, reform has to be led from the ground up by educators working at local levels."

http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2012/01/nclb_waivers_the_details_in_th.html

It is clear that many voices raised important questions and issue about the waiver plan, the real concern is will the state listen to reason and to their citizens?

Another post will follow that is more focused on choices other states are making and why with rejecting Duncan's waivers.

“Never doubt that a shall group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
Margaret Mead

OEIB Public Input: The Time is Now!

2012-01-16T21:03:00.000-08:00

We have so much going on in the next month here at Oregon Save Our Schools. Of the utmost priority are the Governor's OEIB public input meetings to be held around the state. The first one is tomorrow, Tuesday, Jan. 17th in Rock Creek. On Wednesday, the 18th, the meeting is in Salem. On Thursday, Jan. 19th the public will meet at the Immigrant and Refuge Center in East Portland, 10301 NE Glisan. Events all start at 6:30 and run until 8:30.
Here is a link to the meeting time, info, and agenda for the complete list of these public meetings.

http://www.oregon.gov/Gov/OEIB/OregonEducationInvestmentBoard.shtml#Public_Outreach_Meetings

We need to speak up now as the Governor is planning to take his plan to the state legislature in the February 2012 session. Come to ask questions such as: How does this plan help students in poverty? What about class size? What are Achievement Compacts and how will they affect local control? How much will all this cost the state to implement? What other ways will students be assessed other than by high-stakes state testing? How does this plan help to create a well-rounded education for my student so that they receive PE, music, library, art, drama, etc.? What happens to schools that continue to not meet state test requirements? What is receivership? What other education models have been reviewed in creating this plan? Why are schools still labeled? How is this different that what we are already doing with No Child Left Behind? Is there time to come up with a better plan?

Come join us and stand up for public education in Oregon. Thanks!

Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Welcome to Our Fork in the Road!

2012-01-07T14:08:00.000-08:00

We're at a crossroads in Oregon with regards to public education.

On one side we have the corporate education reformers trying to push a business model for our children's education. This is funded by big money from the Billionaire Boy's Club and corporate hedge funds. Their goal is to ultimately, privatize education so they can reap the financial rewards and profit.

On the other side, we have those who believe that public education needs to remain public and democratic. Leaders like Diane Ravitch, Anthony Cody, and Rita Solnet. Their goal is to provide a well-rounded and equitable education for every child in the state. To do this, the state must first and foremost provide the funding necessary, and then the state needs to trust its educators to teach.

Our group was founded this summer when a group of concerned individuals started to say "no more" to the education reform movement and lack of funding that was happening here in Oregon. We are proud to say that we are a truly grassroots movement which has no budget nor any funding of any kind. We run on our dedication to making things better for all of Oregon's students. We have seen the education reform movement grow exponentially over the nation, and we soon recognized the signs that it was here in our state too.

Since this summer, we have quickly organized ourselves into a group that has followed Oregon education policy as Oregon is working towards a fundamental shift of reform led by Governor Kitzhaber. This June the legislature passed many education reform bills that led to the creation of the Oregon Education Investment Board who would be responsible for creating a seamless, PreK-20 public education system.

As our group met and grew, changes were already happening in Salem. First and foremost, a group called Learnworks was put together as the Governor's request to make recommendations to the OEIB in this redesign for our public education system. Sensing the urgency to make our group focused and official, we decided to call ourselves Oregon Save Our Schools as our beliefs aligned with those of the National Save Our Schools Guiding Principles. The national group held a march in Washington D.C in July 2011. Several of our members went prior to our existence as a group. We also became an affiliate with Parents Across America as we also aligned with their beliefs. However, our group is open to all: parents, teachers, grandparents, community members, etc. Still the point of our group is to provide a voice for those who really feel the direct effects of education policy in Oregon: teachers, parents, and students. Currently, those voices are being minimized as the OEIB and the NCLB Waiver Plan are being pushed through in such a way as to open the door wide for the Governor's education plan to become a reality.

We at Oregon SOS don't agree with the direction our Governor wants to take. We see his plan as heading in the opposite direction of where we should be heading. We want and end to high-stakes tests that are used to evaluate the success of our schools, students, and teachers. We believe our schools need to have stable and adequate funding. We want our students to have a well-rounded curriculum with enriching programs. We want lower class sizes. We want a culture of trusting our teachers as professionals. We want education policy decisions to include and hear the voice of the public to include teachers, students, and parents.

We have had members attend every OEIB meeting and offered testimony. Our biggest concerns have been lack of public input, lack of discussion for funding, focus on reform rather than funding, focus on business interests rather than students' interests, and rushing the process.

Now we are analyzing the NCLB/ESEA waiver application, and we are extremely worried about what this plan puts in place for our state: achievement compacts, high-stakes testing, funding those schools that are successful, and intervening with those that aren't. With the legislature meeting the February, it seems this waiver plan--which in essence pushes forward Kitzhaber's education reform plan--may go through quickly and without much thought or discussion. If we want to improve our education system, we need to do it right and with much input, thought, and discussion, and time.

We will keep you all updated on what is going on, so check back often. What can you do? Contact your legislators. Contact your school boards. Contact your union if you are at teacher. Talk to other parents, teachers, and people in your community. Read the documents in the OEIB Links we provided. Attend public meetings and speak out. We are small and determined, but it will take more than us to change the direction of public education reform in our state. Indeed we are at a crossroads, a tipping point, a fork in the road. It is up to us to decide our direction. We the people.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
Martin Luther King, Jr