By Larry Grau, DFER Indiana’s State Director
How are your brackets doing? It’s a common question asked this time of year during the NCAA basketball tournament. Yet, we seem to have another type of “March Madness” occurring in education reform these days, and much like the basketball tournament, it’s often hard to distinguish the contenders from the pretenders when it comes to how things appear on paper. It isn’t until the action starts that it becomes apparent which teams are the top performers. In education, while the scoring system is more complicated, the highest “performing” schools stand above the rest, while the lowest performers are left behind.
Unfortunately, many of the individuals and organizations supporting the current school system seem to either be unaware of what the score is or believe if you ignore the flaws in performance, you’re always #1. That view has become increasingly clear in Indiana where several professional associations have made shortsighted statements in defense of the status quo on the heels of Indiana House Democrats walking out of the legislative session well over a month ago in part due to education reform efforts. Take into consideration the following statements:
•”This legislation turns hundreds of schools over to be run by private for-profit companies instead of local school boards. Indiana parents and teachers know what is best for Indiana kids, not a corporate school CEO in New York or Washington, D.C.” (In reference to a school “turnaround” bill intended to address chronically low performing schools.
•”This is about protecting all working Hoosier families, and our universal open-access public education system.” (Referring to protests occurring at the statehouse and the House Dem caucus walking out of session).
•”The (education reform) bills being passed are destroying our public education system.”
•”Whatever the price, we will continue the fight for the quality of education our children get in Indiana public schools. We’ll continue to fight back because our children are worth it.”
•We are fighting (the education reform legislation) to make sure Hoosier kids get a world-class education to be competitive for the jobs of the 21st Century.”