I’m a sucker for Marshall Plans in general. I have supported NYC’s Marshall Plans to get rid of rats, Marshall Plans to fight childhood obesity, Marshall Plans to ensure clean air and water, etc.
So, I’m inclined to like Sol Stern’s new Marshall Plan for Reading.
A lot of people have wondered when it was that Sol went south on Mayor Bloomberg’s school reforms, and he is clearly telegraphing the moment (the selection of the city’s reading curriculum) when he left the reservation.
Sol’s kicker paragraph is most interesting, though, because he is setting up reading as an issue for the next round of mayoral candidates. If this is a signal that people like Sol are approaching the 2009 NYC mayor’s race/mayoral control of schools issue with an eye toward the future rather than being stuck in the past, this could be productive. (Hint: Sol doesn’t seem to like the idea of leaving reading curriculum ideas up to community groups, anonymous pedagogues, or parent veto. He seems to think a strong mayor, acting with some room to make controversial decisions, should lead the charge.)