How did this happen? Why was Arne Duncan serving on a panel with Michelle Rhee, who’s under investigation by his department?
Richard L. Hyde is one who believes that Mr. Duncan should keep his distance. Last year, Mr. Hyde directed 60 state agents in a nine-month investigation of cheating in the Atlanta public schools. They identified 178 teachers and principals in nearly half of the city’s schools who cheated — 82 of whom confessed. The case they built is so strong that criminal indictments are expected.
Mr. Hyde said that to get witnesses to cooperate in such investigations, they must believe that the political leadership is committed. “I’m shocked that the secretary of education would be fraternizing with someone who could potentially be the target of the investigation,” he said. “The appearance of a conflict of interest is troubling because it can cause the public to lose faith in the investigation.”
In Atlanta, the governor at the time, Sonny Perdue, provided extensive resources for the inquiry and then stayed away. “I purposely kept a very low profile and let investigators do their work,” Mr. Perdue said in an interview.
Gee. You don’t suppose the secretary of education is less than committed to nailing Rhee, do you?
Meanwhile here in Minnesota the non-union charter schools have been shown once again to be underperforming the public schools from which they are cherry picking students, while the Rhee think tank is lobbying a Republican legislature to dismantle unionization of the higher performing public schools.
I could write a dissertation on the testing in schools in Jawja. Atlanta Public Schools, well, some are good and some are bad.
Even though the Atlanta Public Schools were “desegregated” when I was a kid in the 70’s, the schools are still segregated.
When desegregation began, all kinds of church funded private schools opened up. There are so many “Christian Schools” down here of all denominations and ethnicities it would spin your head.
***Sigh***
None of the charter schools down here have been successful. I have read about all the grifting going on in charter schools up North.
I think that the focus on testing has lost the idea on learning and (as we say in Jawja) “edjumacation.”
I am so VERY THANKFUL that when I was in APS growing up, that critical thinking skills were a primary concern.
I am SO glad I am not a kid today.
Just sayin’….