More PBS NewsHour Education Coverage Tonight
Sometimes, PBS NewsHour segments can be sleepy or slow. But not last
night's segment about Michelle Rhee, or tonight's about Paul Vallas.
This is intense stuff -- by PBS standards, at least.
Check out the NewsHour tonight for their wrapup of Paul
Vallas' first year in New Orleans, which focuses on his efforts to
address the needs of over-age 8th graders by bringing in an outside
firm named Blackwater Camelot to run an alternative school.
There's some great footage of these bozos trying to run the school,
one amazing on-camera interview with a burned out teacher who tells us
how things are really going inside the school after PBS gets kicked
out, and some hilarious double-talk from Vallas about whether kids are
still being socially promoted or not.
And if you missed the segment on Michelle Rhee from last night, you can watch it anytime here. She had a remarkable first year that could just as easily have been completely chaotic and dysfunctional, and seems on the verge of creating some cutting-edge contract language with the teachers union. There's also some DVD extras online, including a longer excerpt from the teachers union president (here). That guy is so not getting re-elected next time, I don't think. He is beat up.
I had the chance to screen these on Tuesday when I was at the
Learning Matters Inc. offices where I hang out sometimes and make a
nuisance of myself.
Cross-posted from TWIE.
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Fri Jul 25, 2008 at 2:22 AM
More PBS NewsHour Education Coverage Tonight
Michelle Rhee. Wow.
The problem with getting rid of so many teachers and support personnel is that--as one critic pointed out--there is no legion of qualified and competent workers lined up waiting to take those jobs. And a second is that uncertainty will drive away the "good" employees she wishes to keep.
She is right that developing human capital is the key to turning the schools around, but that is a lot harder to do than it sounds.
Sadly, a lot of the people being dismissed really don't understand why. In the case of teachers, at least, there are people who have been doing what they've been doing for twenty or more years and think it's good teaching. Some people honestly don't know what good instruction looks like.
And the Ed schools are responsible for that, because many of them don't know what good teaching looks like, either.
If I were a DC parent with school-age children, I would certainly hope Michelle Rhee succeeds.
The problem with getting rid of so many teachers and support personnel is that--as one critic pointed out--there is no legion of qualified and competent workers lined up waiting to take those jobs. And a second is that uncertainty will drive away the "good" employees she wishes to keep.
She is right that developing human capital is the key to turning the schools around, but that is a lot harder to do than it sounds.
Sadly, a lot of the people being dismissed really don't understand why. In the case of teachers, at least, there are people who have been doing what they've been doing for twenty or more years and think it's good teaching. Some people honestly don't know what good instruction looks like.
And the Ed schools are responsible for that, because many of them don't know what good teaching looks like, either.
If I were a DC parent with school-age children, I would certainly hope Michelle Rhee succeeds.
Fri Jul 25, 2008 at 2:30 AM
More PBS NewsHour Education Coverage Tonight
did you see vallas, he clearly stated next year when the charter has full control they will get all new staff.
he could not answer why the 8th graders went on to 9th even though they did not pass the test.
fraudulent government hack who takes public funds and does not help the children he is paid to work for.
Wow sounds like a great place to work.
he could not answer why the 8th graders went on to 9th even though they did not pass the test.
fraudulent government hack who takes public funds and does not help the children he is paid to work for.
Wow sounds like a great place to work.
Fri Jul 25, 2008 at 7:58 AM
More PBS NewsHour Education Coverage Tonight
I watched both the Rhee and Vallas pieces by PBS and compared what they were doing with what Duncan is doing in Chicago and Klien in New York. All of them must have gotten together because they ultimately have the same plan. Cut out teacher union jobs, cut board jobs, set up charter schools, hire Teach for America and privatize like (Camelot did you see that big scary guy they hired to control the kids?). None of these leaders demand much of parents. Vallas plans to leave New Orleans in a couple years. Where is the continuity in that? When asked what makes a good teacher Rhee responded, “You have got to believe” (on the Charlie Rose program). Is that the Tinkerbell theory of education? Neither of them mention pedagogue, teaching methods or how to manage classrooms. They are simply looking at the bottom line of their spreadsheets. Their plans may work for a while but ultimately they will not reach the students.
Fri Jul 25, 2008 at 10:45 AM
More PBS NewsHour Education Coverage Tonight
Since Alexander wants to have a discussion on the PBS program relating to DC Public Schools and New Orleans one common thread running through both and the CPS are the use of charters and contract schools. Those of us in the CTU need to understand something, these schools are being used to lower costs for school districts. I am an untenured math teacher at a CPS high school and because of that I am not willing to use my name for fear of retaliation for what I am about to write.
The CPS has yet to put its FY 09 budget on its website, but as someone said the other day you can get a copy from the CPS by going downtown. I got one and I suspect no one at our union has bothered to even look at it, let alone have a forensic accountant really analyze it for the union. As numerous members have commented our union is being run by a fool so it is not surprising that someone who can not balance our own books would have little interest in looking at the books of our employer. But being a math teacher I found the prospect of looking at this budget irresistible so here is what I found out.
The CPS FY 09 budget demonstrates very effectively that CPS is using contract schools and charters to lower costs. Here is what the budget tells us at page 100:
1. Contract and charter schools will have 28,311 students in FY09.
2. CPS estimates the cost for educating these students to be $241,249,676.00
3. The CPS estimate of cost includes start up costs and expansion costs, but does not include special education costs, after school programs, ELL programs, and “any other programmatic funding provided to schools separately.” (budget page 100)
Using this data we can now create an approximate cost per child in this sector. The formula is relatively simple #students/estimated total cost. We get $8,521.41 per student in these schools.
Similarly we can create a cost estimate per child in the non-privatized sector. Here is the process for doing that.
1. The total CPS operating budget for FY09 is $4,648,200,000.
2. We subtract the total cost of charters and contract schools $241,249,676.00
3. We subtract CPS special education costs $504,992,379 (page 22 of budget)
4. We subtract CPS costs for bilingual programs $58,265,387 (page 22 of budget)
5. We subtract transportation costs because charter school student do not get transportation and very few students in contract schools are bused. The cost is about $89,800,000.
After we do the math we come up with $3,753,892,558. According to the CPS budget at page 102 in the Fall of 2007 there were 408,601 students including those in the privatized sector. So we need to subtract 28,311 giving us 380,290 students in the non-privatized sector. This gives us an approximate population from which to develop a per child cost estimate in the non-privatized sector.
My estimate of what it costs the unionized sector to educate a student is $9,871 per child without the additional costs which we have subtracted for comparative purposes. So we can see CPS is saving about $1,349.72 per child in the privatized sector or a total of $38,211,962.
Now given the data available to me this is the best approximation I can come up with. I would suggest our union could hire top shelf analysts to develop a far better analysis than I have just crudely done. Simply put our union is very sad, they should have already done what I just did and had a PR conference about it. What are we paying for anyway?
The CPS has yet to put its FY 09 budget on its website, but as someone said the other day you can get a copy from the CPS by going downtown. I got one and I suspect no one at our union has bothered to even look at it, let alone have a forensic accountant really analyze it for the union. As numerous members have commented our union is being run by a fool so it is not surprising that someone who can not balance our own books would have little interest in looking at the books of our employer. But being a math teacher I found the prospect of looking at this budget irresistible so here is what I found out.
The CPS FY 09 budget demonstrates very effectively that CPS is using contract schools and charters to lower costs. Here is what the budget tells us at page 100:
1. Contract and charter schools will have 28,311 students in FY09.
2. CPS estimates the cost for educating these students to be $241,249,676.00
3. The CPS estimate of cost includes start up costs and expansion costs, but does not include special education costs, after school programs, ELL programs, and “any other programmatic funding provided to schools separately.” (budget page 100)
Using this data we can now create an approximate cost per child in this sector. The formula is relatively simple #students/estimated total cost. We get $8,521.41 per student in these schools.
Similarly we can create a cost estimate per child in the non-privatized sector. Here is the process for doing that.
1. The total CPS operating budget for FY09 is $4,648,200,000.
2. We subtract the total cost of charters and contract schools $241,249,676.00
3. We subtract CPS special education costs $504,992,379 (page 22 of budget)
4. We subtract CPS costs for bilingual programs $58,265,387 (page 22 of budget)
5. We subtract transportation costs because charter school student do not get transportation and very few students in contract schools are bused. The cost is about $89,800,000.
After we do the math we come up with $3,753,892,558. According to the CPS budget at page 102 in the Fall of 2007 there were 408,601 students including those in the privatized sector. So we need to subtract 28,311 giving us 380,290 students in the non-privatized sector. This gives us an approximate population from which to develop a per child cost estimate in the non-privatized sector.
My estimate of what it costs the unionized sector to educate a student is $9,871 per child without the additional costs which we have subtracted for comparative purposes. So we can see CPS is saving about $1,349.72 per child in the privatized sector or a total of $38,211,962.
Now given the data available to me this is the best approximation I can come up with. I would suggest our union could hire top shelf analysts to develop a far better analysis than I have just crudely done. Simply put our union is very sad, they should have already done what I just did and had a PR conference about it. What are we paying for anyway?
Fri Jul 25, 2008 at 10:51 PM
More PBS NewsHour Education Coverage Tonight
Just watched the Vallas segment and had a few thoughts.
First, I am so glad he's gone from here. I used to run into people, especially in the suburbs (both my dentist and physician), who believed the media hype that he "turned around" the Chicago school system. Please.
Second, he didn't end social promotion in Chicago, and he hasn't ended it in N'Orleans either. I'm glad he got caught telling a fib on camera.
Third, I wonder how much editing Merrow did. I remember Paul Vallas came to my school (Taft) one year, and I couldn't believe what a horrible public speaker he was. Either he's improved dramatically, or else Merrow's edits only made it appear to be so.
OTOH, I think Vallas is right to bring in all the enthusiastic young teachers he can find. Further, I don't understand the animosity some posters on this board have towards programs like TFA. This country's Ed schools do a terrible job at training teachers. I believe it isn't possible for TFA to do worse. We need talented people to teach, regardless of how they came to be teachers.
First, I am so glad he's gone from here. I used to run into people, especially in the suburbs (both my dentist and physician), who believed the media hype that he "turned around" the Chicago school system. Please.
Second, he didn't end social promotion in Chicago, and he hasn't ended it in N'Orleans either. I'm glad he got caught telling a fib on camera.
Third, I wonder how much editing Merrow did. I remember Paul Vallas came to my school (Taft) one year, and I couldn't believe what a horrible public speaker he was. Either he's improved dramatically, or else Merrow's edits only made it appear to be so.
OTOH, I think Vallas is right to bring in all the enthusiastic young teachers he can find. Further, I don't understand the animosity some posters on this board have towards programs like TFA. This country's Ed schools do a terrible job at training teachers. I believe it isn't possible for TFA to do worse. We need talented people to teach, regardless of how they came to be teachers.
Sat Jul 26, 2008 at 7:32 AM
More PBS NewsHour Education Coverage Tonight
Vallas in one of the people who taught me to try to listen to speakers address different audiences. I attended talks by Vallas as a parent, an educator, and as a community leader. In each of the talks, he spoke differently and promised contradictory things. The view of reality that he presented was very different and listening to him, you would have to believe there were 3 different school systems. In many of his talks to educators, he blamed parents for not doing their job. In his talks to parents, he blamed the teachers for not being qualified or dedicated. In his talks to community leaders, he blamed both groups and said that he could fix things.
I always try now to make sure that I hear someone address more than one group to find out how honest they are. Vallas failed the test and so do many other school leaders.
I always try now to make sure that I hear someone address more than one group to find out how honest they are. Vallas failed the test and so do many other school leaders.
Sat Jul 26, 2008 at 7:49 AM
More PBS NewsHour Education Coverage Tonight
Danny,
I am not against TFA. It has it's place but it is not the answer to education. Below is a link for the interview with Wendy Kopp (founder of TFA) and Charlie Rose. TFA is a great program but Kopp cannot give specifics about how to improve schools. Look at what some of the bloggers have to say too. Kopp has provided a great resourse but it is not a fix.
http://www.charlierose.com/shows/2008/7/1/1/an-hour-on-education-with-bob-wise-and-wendy-kopp
I am not against TFA. It has it's place but it is not the answer to education. Below is a link for the interview with Wendy Kopp (founder of TFA) and Charlie Rose. TFA is a great program but Kopp cannot give specifics about how to improve schools. Look at what some of the bloggers have to say too. Kopp has provided a great resourse but it is not a fix.
http://www.charlierose.com/shows/2008/7/1/1/an-hour-on-education-with-bob-wise-and-wendy-kopp
Thu Jul 31, 2008 at 12:24 PM
More PBS NewsHour Education Coverage Tonight
Once a liar, always a liar. Vallas did not make the Philly schools safer nor did he end social promotion. He said he balanced the budget to get a bonus (which supposedly he forfeited when the financial scandal erupted) only to leave the district a 180 million dollars in the hole. Thanks Paul! Once he got to New Orleans he was bragging that he fired 750 teachers up in Philly. More lies. Paul was actually so desperate for teachers he was asking previously fired teachers from the district to come back!
Danny doesn't seem to understand the basic problems in schools is a lack of support. It doesn't matter how much training or enthusiasm you have if the school administrators won't support you and lie to cover their lazy asses. You point out something that threatens the gravy pigs they make you the target of their wrath instead of fixing the problem. Teach For America is another quick fix for a long term problem. In Philly Vallas had Literacy Interns who were coming in to help teach reading with the idea that they would eventually become permanent teachers. This three year program was cut by Vallas in its second year when he discovered that only 32% of the Interns actually wanted to continue teaching in Philly. Once they discovered what the schools were really like most of them bailed. Same thing with Teach For America. Sounds great when you're signing up, but it's a whole different game once you're in the classroom by yourself. Vallas threw a hissyfit and killed the program when he found out how many Literacy Interns wanted to stick around. Maybe they were the "teachers" he claims to have fired.
It's amazing how people are still being suckered-in by the Music Man.
Danny doesn't seem to understand the basic problems in schools is a lack of support. It doesn't matter how much training or enthusiasm you have if the school administrators won't support you and lie to cover their lazy asses. You point out something that threatens the gravy pigs they make you the target of their wrath instead of fixing the problem. Teach For America is another quick fix for a long term problem. In Philly Vallas had Literacy Interns who were coming in to help teach reading with the idea that they would eventually become permanent teachers. This three year program was cut by Vallas in its second year when he discovered that only 32% of the Interns actually wanted to continue teaching in Philly. Once they discovered what the schools were really like most of them bailed. Same thing with Teach For America. Sounds great when you're signing up, but it's a whole different game once you're in the classroom by yourself. Vallas threw a hissyfit and killed the program when he found out how many Literacy Interns wanted to stick around. Maybe they were the "teachers" he claims to have fired.
It's amazing how people are still being suckered-in by the Music Man.
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