A visit to a Public School the week before 1st day of the 2013-14 school year:

My point of view: one comparative data point goal has not been achieved in this school nationally recognized for preparing students for college and the world. This is a sword held over everything.  District employees circle, checking on adequate time spent on data discussions.

·      12 classrooms are under construction for at least another month as they are split in half in order to accommodate more students than the building was designed to serve. Displaced teachers are still negotiating for a physical place to hold class.

·      Counselors huddle figuring out the puzzle of individual student schedules in response to a drastically changed schedule sent to teachers two weeks ago.

·      Temperature hovers in 90’s. Email from Facilities Manager explained the system to keep it from going even higher. How long does it take custodians to open windows at night to let in cool air and close windows and draw shades in day to keep out sun?

·     Floors are still shiny. Everywhere I go I run into the main custodian solving multiple issues simultaneously.  We tease each other. That has not changed.

I I still catch glimpses of hope that this year the activities, the room arrangement, the curriculum, the classroom community will reach every single student.  Yet when we catch each other’s eyes, the usual excitement is heavily mixed with anxiety and insecurity—will the hard-won foundation of this school hold? 

Trickle-down theory for school reform?

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I am writing from a beloved and under-resourced magnet school where we offer a great public option for kids' education. We struggle to comply with mandates from many layers above, when we have to, without compromising our vision for kids that is so much more than standardized tests can measure.

But here we go again.

Education Week: Duncan Sounds Starting Gun on ESEA Renewal

Education Week: Duncan Sounds Starting Gun on ESEA Renewal

He [Duncan] said the new version of the law will need to ensure effective teachers and principals for underperforming schools, expand learning time, and devise an accountability system that measures individual student progress and uses data to inform instruction and teacher evaluation.

Got me wondering. What would happen if we applied those same principles at the top, starting with using the same data from standardized tests (that they devise) to inform evaluation of their performance? Seriously. I'd like to suggest a trickle down theory for school reform. We will clean out waste and incompetence at federal and state education departments. Tie their pay to student performance on the tests they devise for students. Secretary of Education has two years to see AYP (average yearly progress) in all schools or he is replaced.

The politics of education are no different from the other issues facing us today. The larger story of what is happening to our children in schools is dominated by corporate profits in the form of a billion+ dollar testing industry controlling the school day and chains (some for-profit) of charter schools multiplying across the country. The people making decisions are not directly impacted by the consequences of those decisions nor are they held accountable but rather they pass it down the chain and then the President tells students there is no excuse for failure and in the next breath says his administration is only 'trying' to get them the resources they need.

Anyone who has worked in an organization knows from experience that change starts with the leaders' example.

Duncan is convening meetings across the country to look at what needs to change in schools.

The audience included superintendents, representatives of unions and community organizations, members of the business community, and proponents of arts education and public school facilities.

I'm dreaming of turning the tables on this discussion so that students, parents, teachers, principals and taxpayers can exert urgent pressure on top leadership to start the change with themselves.

I think he’s trying to say that it’s going to get a little uncomfortable," Mr. Barone said. "He’s not afraid to make people feel a little stressed out" to make sure the legislation includes the right outcomes to advance student progress.

I realize there is likely to be zero chance of changing the bureaucracy but I think there is a point to pressuring them to include themselves in their reform plan for effectively leading our public education to ensure success for every student.

Other ideas for holding their feet to the same fire?