Arne's Race to the Top and how it fits into the new world wide economic order.

[madfloridian]

One of the most fascinating segments on Democracy Now was in September of last year. Its warning about Race to the Top did not succeed, and RTTT is now the program that will replace No Child Left Behind. For the purposes of the reformers, one is as good as the other.

From Democracy Now September 2010:

Educators Push Back Against Obama’s "Business Model" for School Reforms

There is a video at the link. Juan Gonzalez is questioning Professor Lois Weiner about how the education movement in the United States compares to what goes on around the world.

JUAN GONZALEZ: —- comparing not only what’s happening here in the United States, but around the world, in terms of these so-called reform initiatives. Could you talk about that?

LOIS WEINER: Absolutely. And I think it’s important to understand that Race to the Top is not unique to the United States, and what Arne Duncan did in Chicago is not unique to Chicago. And in fact, the contours of this program were carried out first under Pinochet in Chile. And this program was implemented by force of military dictatorships and the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in Latin America. And the results have been verified by researchers there. They produced increased stratification. So I think what we’re seeing right now are the results of that increased stratification, a stratification, inequality of results, because if you think about it, No Child Left Behind is almost a decade old. And what are the results? The results are a growing gap between poor minority — achievement of poor minority kids and those kids who come from prosperous families who are — who live in affluent suburbs and in those suburban schools.

Here is more about her remarks and gearing education to the job market.

And I think it’s also very important to understand that this focus on educational reform is replacing, is a substitute for, a jobs policy. We need to understand that. Education can democratize the competition for the existing jobs, but it cannot create new jobs. And when most jobs that are being created are by companies like Wal-Mart, education cannot do anything about that. So, we need to — we really need to look critically at Race to the Top and understand the way that it fits into this new economic order of a so-called jobless recovery and that what’s really going on is a vocationalization of education, a watering down of curriculum for most kids, so that they’re going to take jobs that require only a seventh or an eighth grade education, because those are the jobs that are being created in this economy.

Another question by Gonzalez.

JUAN GONZALEZ: You’ve also taken a look at the impact of No Child Left Behind on teachers. Could you talk about that?

LOIS WEINER: Well, I think it’s important to understand that there are — No Child Left Behind is part of this global project to deprofessionalize teaching as an occupation. And the reason that it’s important in this project to deprofessionalize teaching is that the thinking is that the biggest expenditure in education is teacher salaries. And they want to cut costs. They want to diminish the amount of money that’s put into public education. And that means they have to lower teacher costs. And in order to do that, they have to deprofessionalize teaching. They have to make it a revolving door, in which we’re not going to pay teachers very much. They’re not going to stay very long. We’re going to credential them really fast. They’re going to go in. We’re going to burn them up. They’re going to leave in three, four, five years. And that’s the model that they want.

Here's the problem now. Since Arne himself admitted that under NCLB's rigid standards 82% of schools would be considered failing this year. Since that would be disastrous, the administration is offering waivers.

Here is what the waivers are really about. From the Daily Censored:

Don’t Believe the Hype...Obama’s NCLB Waiver More of the Same

In trade for letting individual states opt out of NCLB, they must submit to the provisions of the Obama Administration’s Race to the Top (RttT), a program which George H.W. Bush’s assistant secretary of education – and former NCLB advocate – Diane Ravitch described as “Bush’s Third Term in Office in Education.” Though the “cornerstone requirements” have been waived, Sam Dillon of the New York Times reports that many of NCLB’s “fundamental features would remain in effect,” including the extensive testing in reading and math.

..."Fundamentally, Race to the Top has the same free-market soul as No Child Left Behind – heck, even the names have the same competitive metaphor, as if education were a race, one with winners and losers. And certainly, the policies of both RttT and NCLB reflect this competitive spirit, as “winning” schools receive funds, and “losing” schools are punished, simulating the “free market.”

...."Indeed, states which choose to opt out of NCLB and into RttT must then implement policies which actually appear to ramp up the free-market reforms: these states must invest in charter schools, based on the economic – not educational – theory that “competition” and “choice” will improve the quality of education; further, these states will need to create “accountability systems” which tie teacher evaluation to student tests scores, so “good teachers” and “bad teachers” can be identified, labeled, sorted, and processed – like widgets themselves.

Last year Diane Ravitch had very critical words for Race to the Top.

She pointed out that in ten years it would be labeled a "colossal failure."

In the case of Race to the Top, the administration determined its priorities without consulting Congress. It now has $5 billion to dangle in front of the states to persuade them to change their laws and their policies. Russ Whitehurst is disturbed by RTTT even though he agrees with the policies it promotes. Like Russ, I am disturbed that the administration has done an end run around Congress, but I am also concerned that RTTT is warping state decision-making, and I dislike the policies it promotes. I believe that 10 years from now RTTT will be widely recognized as a colossal waste of federal money that eroded state control of education and compelled cash-hungry states to embark on programs that did not improve education. We may never be able to undo the damage to children, schools, teachers, public education, and federalism now being done in the name of "reform."

..."No wonder Education Secretary Arne Duncan was able to barnstorm the country in tandem with former Speaker Newt Gingrich; no wonder the former chairman of the Republican National Committee wrote a laudatory article about the Obama education agenda in The Washington Post: Lots more choice and accountability! Looks just like the Republican agenda.

So, what happened to the Democratic agenda? Lost, stolen, strayed, forgotten, misplaced? I don't need to ask about the Republicans' loss of memory about federalism; even Republican governors have their hands eagerly outstretched in hopes of getting federal dollars in a time of economic crisis.

So other countries have been there done that in relation to the NCLB and RTTT. So now we are finding NLCB is a failure...and moving on to Race to the Top without any proof at all it will work.

The agenda is set in stone it appears.

[musette_sf]

1. K&R

:applause:

[Remember Me]

2. Well, I knew it was fascist, I just didn't realize it was

Fascist -- as in, something that might even be written up in Shock Doctrine, something with a historical past.

Jeebus, where do these people come from? Is there ANYone out of the University of Chicago who's NOT a fascist / Straussian / Neocon / or whatever new flavor we haven't yet discovered???

Well done, Madfloridian. I've been sick at heart about what's happening to our education system all these years now, and this doesn't help, but it does provide the foundational knowledge re what it's all about.

There is one more important piece of NCLB that everyone must know: one of its key goals is to ruin our public education system because an educated populace is harder to control; an educated populace also votes Democratic.

[madfloridian]

3. That's one of the issues Dean nailed in 2003.

2003 Howard Dean on NCLB... "every school in America by 2013 will be a failing school."

""The president's ultimate goal," said former Gov. Howard Dean (D-Vt.), one of the Democrats who now harshly attacks NCLB, "is to make the public schools so awful, and starve them of money, just as he's starving all the other social programs, so that people give up on the public schools."

"Dean criticized President Bush, saying his administration will lower the standards for good schools in New Hampshire, making them more like poorly performing schools in Texas. The Bush administration believes ''the way to help New Hampshire is to make it more like Texas,'' Dean told supporters in Manchester, adding that ''every school in America by 2013 will be a failing school.''

''Every group, including special education kids, has to be at 100 percent to pass the tests,'' Dean said. ''No school system in America can do that. That ensures that every school will be a failing school.''

He was not far off at all. Arne says 82% would be failing this year. By 2013 it could be 100%.

They kept raising the goals whenever the schools met them. Raising standards once met makes it an illusion to succeed.

[ChazII]

4. K&R n/t&

[madfloridian]

6. I like your sig line.

Very good idea. :hi:

[teacher gal]

5. K&R nt

[madfloridian]

12. Thanks. I notice pre-K testing is part of the new RTTT

Only it must not be by bubble test. How nice is that? Test 3 yr olds but not by bubble. My first question...what will they do with the 3 yr olds who fail the test??

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/23/final-race-to-the-top-guidelines_n_934493.html

"To win money from the federal government's early childhood Race to the Top contest, states are encouraged to implement "kindergarten entry assessments," according to new guidelines released Tuesday by the Education Department and Health and Human Services. But U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan emphasized that the stakes won't be as high as they are for older students.

"We will never ask 3-year-olds to take bubble tests," Duncan said on a call Tuesday with reporters. "That would just be ludicrous."

Assessments are one component of the $500 million Race to the Top -- Early Learning Challenge. States have until Oct. 19 to submit applications, which are then scored by outside reviewers -- though Duncan noted he has the authority to override the reviewers' decisions if he deems it necessary. States will vie for grants ranging from $50 to $100 million.

The $500 million competition is part of a larger $700 million package announced by the Obama administration to continue RTTT, which began as part of the stimulus package. States that lost previous rounds of RTTT, which focused on implementing Duncan's favored K-12 reforms, will be able to compete for the remaining $200 million.

"The overarching goal of the challenge is to make sure many, many more children enter kindergarten ready to succeed," Duncan said."


eeek..hear me scream.

[madfloridian]

7. Gates, Broad, Waltons, et al...funding research on "reforms"

"UAN GONZALEZ: —- the right-wing foundations, the Walton Foundation, the Eli Broad Foundation, as well as all of the hedge fund and Wall Street people that have gotten involved in funding schools and creating charter networks. What do you analyze is behind this?

LOIS WEINER: Well, I mean, their effect has been, really, all-encompassing and quite pernicious. And we have a great deal of research about what’s going on with this, if we want to take a look at it. It’s never — it’s never mentioned in the popular media, in the corporate mass media. And they are controlling the education agenda. They are controlling these new core curriculum standards. And if people really looked at these core curriculum standards, I think they would be aghast. You know, vocationalization of the curriculum is beginning in first grade. They’re doing career education in first grade, if you look at these standards. What is that about? That we’re preparing kids for the workforce when they’re in first grade? And the foundations, the right-wing foundations, including the Gates Foundation, they are absolutely driving this. They’re funding it. They’re funding the media campaign to persuade people that this is necessary. And they are funding the —

KAREN LEWIS: Research."

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/9/3/educators_push_back_against_obamas_business

[Starry Messenger]

8. k&r

[madfloridian]

9. Thank you much.

And of course for the pirate pic. It's special.

[madfloridian]

10. 12 aspects of RTTT for those who have been wondering.

Aside from the requirements to transform into a charter, or fire all teachers, or fire the principal or half the teachers...

http://www.cga.ct.gov/2010/rpt/2010-R-0235.htm

"A state receives a total of 24 points on its RTTT application if its longitudinal data system meets all elements specified in the American COMPETES Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-69). This law awards competitive grants to states to enhance their statewide P-16 education longitudinal data systems to include 12 elements:

1. a unique statewide student identifier that does not permit a student to be individually identified by system users;

2. student-level enrollment, demographic, and program participation information;

3. student-level information about the points at which students exit, transfer in and out, drop out, or complete P-16 education programs;

4. the capacity to communicate with higher education data systems;

5. a state data audit system that assesses data quality, validity, and reliability;

6. yearly test records of individual students' performance on NCLB-required tests;

7. information on students not tested by grade and subject;

8. a teacher identifier system with the ability to match teachers to students;

9. student-level transcript information, including information on courses completed and grades earned;

10. student-level college readiness test scores;

11. information on the extent to which students transition successfully from secondary school to postsecondary education, including whether students enroll in remedial coursework; and

12. all other information necessary to address alignment and adequate preparation for success in postsecondary education."

[madfloridian]

11. About RTTT from 2010....we have known its lack of real merit since it began.

And now it is going to apparently be the law of the land.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-jim-taylor/race-to-the-top-part-ii_b_451683.html

"In my recent post, Race to the Top?: Part I, I described the academic achievement rat race in which students near the top of the educational food chain strive maniacally to win (or at least finish). I argued that the emphasis on testing by former President Bush's No Child Left Behind law (NCLB) and continued with President Obama's Race to the Top initiative (RTTT) has only exacerbated the problem better characterized by the title of the powerful new documentary by Vicki Abeles, Race to Nowhere. This post, in contrast, explores how RTTT impacts those students and schools at the other end of the educational food chain, those who are just trying to survive in the turbulent sea of American public education.

The first mistake that this administration made was to call education reform a race. Races connote winners and losers. Yet, we need to ensure that all our students and schools are winners. I think a more appropriate name for this initiative is "Climb to the Top" because the focus should be on how to get to the top.

..."What I find so maddening about RTTT is the absence of any discussion of meaningful process or outcome goals. Tests results aren't an outcome, they are a measure of outcome. What should the real outcome goals be? To answer that question, we need to gaze into the future with our crystal balls and figure out what knowledge and skill sets young people will need to play a vital role in our country's future. Obviously, they must have the basics, the 3 Rs. But those basics will only get our next generation so far in a world that grows increasingly complex by the year. Today's young people need be capable of thinking critically, being creative, consistent effort, patience and perseverance, performing under pressure, and working effectively as a group, among others. And, just as importantly, our education system must produce well-informed citizens capable of participating actively in our democracy."

.."Secretary Duncan would be wise to read a recent commentary in the New York Times by Susan Engel. In the piece, Dr. Engel advocates an overhaul of the educational curriculum itself that is based on our scientific understanding of child development and effective teaching practices. The focus should be on what and how children learn, not on what and how they can pass a test. As she suggests, we need to develop "a curriculum designed to raise children rather than test scores."

[madfloridian]

13. Speaking of Chile, students protesting continued privatization of education.

http://modeducation.blogspot.com/2011/08/thousands-protest-failed-education.html

"Tens of thousands of students in Chile have been protesting across the country for the past few weeks demanding comprehensive educational reforms and an end to the privatization of education. High school students have been hunger striking in Antofagasta and Santiago, Democracy Now reported yesterday. Police have responded to street demonstrations with water cannons and tear gas, while students have set fire to barricades, according to the SF Chronicle.

Since the restoration of democracy in Chile, education has been made universal for elementary and secondary school, while 40% of college-age Chileans now attend university. However, according to political scientist Patricio Navio, (quoted by Democracy Now), approximately half of the elementary and secondary students attend private voucher schools. The system was created under Pinochet, and was influenced by the Chicago School economics of Milton Friedman, who trained the Chilean “Chicago Boys.” The private schools, even with vouchers, require payments from the parents, creating a growing gap in the quality of education available in Chile"

[Reader Rabbit]

14. B-b-b-but what about all those terrible teachers? How will we hold them accountable?

We all know they're the real reason public education is in the toilet, right?

[louslobbs]

15. K&R and thanks for all you do to keep us all updated on one of the most important issues facing us

today madfloridian....again, thank you.
Lou

[TheKentuckian]

16. My thanks as usual

[madfloridian]

17. There was an excellent comment in a post last year about Chile and Friedman...

Comment by DUer Cleita last year.

"A lot of failed Friedman Chicago School style economics were tried in Chile besides education. They tried the privatized Social Security program too that failed, which the Republicans are trying to get us to do here and the so called free global market that is failing both there and here. We need this election season and ever after to use Chile as a model of failed policies that the Republicans are trying to push on us. When Nixon and Kissinger had President Allende assassinated and helped to install Pinochet in a coup, they also used Chile as a petri dish of those economic policies that they couldn't get passed here. All have failed, yet no one has noticed or will admit that those policies are failures. They did make those at the top filthy rich so maybe in their minds, they are successful and that's why the corporate Republicans want to push those policies on us. Bush already got too many implemented like No Child Left Behind and Obama unfortunately allowed to pass the unfortunate health care reform bill that didn't get rid of the cause of our dismal health care system, the private health insurance and PhRMA industries.

Look to Chile for the failed policies that the Republicans are trying to push on us. We don't need to repeat the mistakes.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=219&topic_id=28157&mesg_id=28221

And on this day the students in Chile are protesting these policies.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-14487555

[Starry Messenger]

26. +1

[blkmusclmachine]

18. RTTT/NCLB: Christian Dominionists' "7th Mountain."

n/t

[midnight]

19. We can do better.... I wish these people would get out of the way and let our teachers do what they

do best and teach... and not to some test either....

[underpants]

20. The rightwing verbal attacks on education clearly are meant to keep wages down

Don't make as much? Well that's because our educational system is so bad - how many times do you have to be told that until you believe it?


The dumbing down also makes workers who aren't aware of how much they are being ripped off.

[chervilant]

21. Pernicious, indeed...

The small community college at which I am only allowed to bank seventeen hours a week is adding a massive new building to its campus, and has spent loads of money over the past year refurbishing its parking areas and its administration building. Meanwhile, initiatives that directly benefit our students are losing funding hand over fist. In fact, my job is likely to be non-existent next semester.

Administrative decisions are made haphazardly, at best. Instructors' well-being, or long-term employment, seems inconsequential to the folks holding the purse strings. One has to wonder if these administrators are thinking "There but for the Grace of God..." or "I've got mine, F**k you."

[chervilant]

22. Interesting,

the dearth of Obama sycophants on your OPs these days, mad...

[proud2BlibKansan]

23. Shock Doctrine should be required reading for all teachers

[LWolf]

24. k&r

[Jakes Progress]

25. This program is the clearest evidence yet of a neo-con

agenda being carried out by the president. No teacher who supports this program is anyone who belongs on a classroom. They are ignorant and should just get a job at Pfizer or Exxon or whatever corporation they desire. They should leave our children alone.

A president who supports this is either a part of the neo-con plan or lacks the critical thinking skills and questioning nature needed for the job of president.

[chervilant]

27. Oh, noes!!!!

Beware the sycophants! They're likely to open up a huge can of 'Teh List' on your ass.

(Note that I rarely use the sarcasm emoticon, since I trust that most of us can recognize blatant sarcasm in these trying times...)

[Jakes Progress]

28. Oh, I've had some weird replies when I thought the icon

was obviously implied. Aside from being flamed from people who took my tounge in cheek for real, I have twice been awarded +100 by people who congratulated me for my inspired vision.