StickWithANose

Amid the flurry of nominations that accompanied the entrance of our new president, a big to-do was made of Obama’s new Secretary of Education. Arne Duncan, we were told, had overseen a period of transformational reform that had produced tangible results by closing down failing schools and holding teachers accountable… code words for turning over dozens of public schools to the private sector and the narrowing of the curriculum to test-based learning. As I’ve noted before, these reforms were already in place when Arne ascended the throne in Chicago, and there is no evidence that they have been successful. Today, Schools Matter points us toward more evidence that Arne’s “proven record” is to be doubted:

New research from a Chicago civic group takes direct aim at the city’s “abysmal” public high school performance — and puts a new spin on the academic gains made during the seven years that Arne Duncan led the Chicago schools before he was named U.S. Education secretary.

The Civic Committee of The Commercial Club of Chicago, a supporter of Duncan and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley’s push for more control of city schools, issued the report June 30. It says city schools have made little progress since 2003.

Its key findings stand in stark contrast to assertions President Obama made in December when he nominated Duncan as Education secretary.

The “tough guy” education reformer mythology has a long history in American education reform [1][2], and it is a tired and hollow narrative. Can we please get some educators, researchers, and academics involved in policy formation? Obama came to power under the banner of change, but his education policies demonstrate an acquiescence to the status quo of corporate power.