On Sunday, Angus appeared on Channel 12 WPRI (local CBS affiliate) Sunday morning news program, “Newsmakers” to discuss education reform, charter schools and the federal “Race to the Top” program in Rhode Island.
Angus Davis on Newsmakers to Discuss Education Reform
Published by July 2nd, 2009 in Charter Schools, Federal Government, Funding, Legislature, Mayoral Academies and Race to the Top. 0 CommentsSecretary Duncan Challenges Teacher Union to “Think Differently”
Published by July 2nd, 2009 in Federal Government, Great Leadership, Merit Pay, NCLB, NEARI, Obama, Race to the Top, Teacher Effectiveness and Teacher Quality. 1 CommentIn a speech today to the NEA, the nation’s largest teacher’s union, Secretary Duncan challenged teacher unions to “think differently.” A full transcript of Secretary Duncan’s prepared remarks to the NEA is available, and a video will be posted here when it becomes available. Some choice excerpts leave little question that this is the most significant and direct challenge the status quo has ever faced from a Democratic administration:
“…let’s also be honest: school systems pay teachers billions of dollars more each year for earning PD credentials that do very little to improve the quality of teaching.”
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“We don’t need a study to tell us that chronically under-performing schools do not have the best principals and teachers.”
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“But if we agree that the adults in these schools are failing these children then we have to find the right people and we can’t let our rules and regulations get in the way. ”
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“And I’m telling you as well—that when inflexible seniority and rigid tenure rules that we designed put adults ahead of children—then we are not only putting kids at risk—we’re putting the entire education system at risk.”
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“These policies were created over the past century to protect the rights of teachers but they have produced an industrial factory model of education that treats all teachers like interchangeable widgets.”
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“America’s teachers are yearning to be partners in reform and change. They want teaching to be a respected profession that has high standards for performance, rewards excellence, provides opportunities for advancement, and promotes real collaboration. They are tired of being demonized, blamed, and disrespected. They want to get on the train.”
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“The President understands that the nation that out-teaches us today will out-compete us tomorrow. ”
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“It is an economic imperative and a moral imperative. This is the civil rights issue of our generation—the fight for a quality education is about so much more than education. It’s a fight for social justice. And he’s counting on you to lead that fight.”
At times during the speech, Secretary Duncan was heckled by NEA members in the audience. Secretary Duncan’s response to hecklers: “You can boo. Just don’t throw any shoes, please.”
Funds Restored for New Charter Schools
Published by June 25th, 2009 in Charter Schools, Federal Government, Great Leadership, Legislature, Mayoral Academies, Mayors, Obama and Race to the Top. 1 CommentAt 1:38 am this morning, the Rhode Island House of Representatives passed a budget article that restored funding for new charter schools as its last order of business for the night. After a heated debate, the measure to restore $1.5 million in funding for two new charter schools passed on a 47-26 vote. (Click here for a tally of the votes)
Majority Leader Gordon Fox deserves much of the credit for speaking passionately in favor of this on the House floor, and for leading efforts within the House Leadership to restore funding initially cut by the House Finance Committee. However, the struggle highlights the need for Rhode Island education reformers to remain vigilant.
The issue gained national attention, garnering press coverage for Rhode Island charter schools in hundreds of media outlets across the country after US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan made his position on Rhode Island charter schools “very, very clear.” Those comments generated a front-page story on the charter issue in the Providence Journal, and lead editorials in support of charter schools appearing in the Providence Journal and the Valley Breeze. The stories and editorials echoed statements by the Board of Regents and RIDE through Angus Davis’ remarks on restoring charter funding last Thursday and Chairman Robert Flanders’ op-ed on charters this Tuesday. Excerpts of Secretary Duncan’s speech were played on radio more than a dozen times throughout the week, as talk radio hosts such as WPRO 630’s Dan Yorke and WHJJ 920’s Helen Glover devoted more than 8 hours of non-stop coverage to the debate. The most popular excerpt heard on Rhode Island airwaves was this one, where Secretary Duncan describes the education reform movement as a train that’s leaving the station and urges everyone, everywhere to “get on board.”
Much of the national interest in Rhode Island can be attributed to the work of Nelson Smith at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools opening Secretary Duncan’s speech to questions, and to Seth Andrew, leader of Democracy Prep, for asking the first question and putting Rhode Island in the national spotlight in front of an audience of more than 3,000 people in Washington, DC on Monday morning:
Across Rhode Island, hundreds of education reformers reached out to their elected officials, joining the calls of mayors representing more than half the state, the House Majority Leader, Governor Carcieri and countless others to stand up for children. National supporters in the effort included the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, The Center for Education Reform, and Democrats for Education Reform, a national PAC.
To local advocates the lessons are clear: nothing is ever off the table if you are willing to fight, and if we work together, and we never give up, we can win, and we will grow the strength of our movement to improve educational outcomes for all Rhode Island children. This is our moment, and the time is now. Welcome aboard, Rhode Island.
How Your Representatives Voted on Charter Schools
Published by June 25th, 2009 in Charter Schools and Legislature. 1 CommentA “Yea” vote means a vote in support of charter schools, and a “Nea” vote is against charter schools.
Rhode Island House of Representatives Charter Schools Vote FY2010
What It’s All About: Results
Published by June 24th, 2009 in Charter Schools, KIPP, Mayoral Academies, Middle Schools, New York, No Excuses and Urban Schools. 0 CommentsAt the end of the day, it doesn’t matter whether a great school is operated as a district or a charter public school. All that matters is whether the school succeeds in educating children: the student outcomes, or results. If Democracy Prep’s Harlem school operated in Rhode Island, this school, comprised almost entirely of low income children of color, would be the top-performing school in the state for math performance, ahead of Barrington and East Greenwich. Note that when kids at Democracy Prep Harlem are first assessed by New York state in 6th grade, they under-perform peers, but as they progress to 8th grade, they rise to the top, outperforming even those students in Westchester County (New York’s equivalent to Barrington). This is the very same school operator that some are trying to block from opening its doors to serve Rhode Island children this September:
Lead ProJo Editorial: “Save These Charters”
Published by June 24th, 2009 in Charter Schools, Legislature, Mayoral Academies and Mayors. 1 CommentOn a day where many controversial issues will be debated on the Rhode Island House of Representatives Floor, many ranging into the tens of millions of dollars, it’s quite telling that the Providence Journal chose one issue to highlight for the lead editorial in today’s paper: saving $1.5 million in funding for new charter schools: “This is a tough year, and cuts must be made. But slashing these funds — a tiny part of a proposed $7.76 billion budget — makes little sense.”
The editorial cites the risk of losing federal dollars: ” … freezing out charter schools would put in jeopardy federal aid under the Race to the Top Program, a $5 billion Washington initiative that rewards innovation in education. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said on Monday that Rhode Island may be putting itself at ‘at a huge competitive disadvantage’ for the money.”
It talks about demand from families: “The public clearly wants more charter schools in Rhode Island. No new ones have been authorized since 2004, yet students are clamoring to get in, with a waiting list nearly as long as the number fortunate enough to attend. A ‘Lottery Day’ held this spring by eight charter schools showed just how much pent-up demand there is, especially in poor neighborhoods: 3,545 applications for 559 new openings.”
It underscores the bipartisan support: “The Mayoral Academy enjoys strong bipartisan support from citizens and their representatives, including: Cumberland Mayor Dan McKee, Central Falls Mayor Charles Moreau, Johnston Mayor Joseph Polisena, Lincoln Town Administrator Joseph Almond, Smithfield Town Administrator Paulette Hamilton, Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian, and state Representatives Peter Kilmartin (D.-Pawtucket) and Kenneth Vaudreuil (D.-Central Falls). These advocates for better schools, who represent hundreds of thousands of constituents, deserve to be heard at the State House, not just well-funded and well-organized economic interests.”
And finally, it goes on to underscore the whole point, raising student achievement: “A similar school in Harlem has done wonders in helping minority students achieve at a level comparable with students in excellent suburban schools.”
Read the Providence Journal editorial on saving charter schools.
Rhode Island in National Spotlight
Published by June 24th, 2009 in Charter Schools, Federal Government, Great Leadership, Legislature, Mayoral Academies and Obama. 1 CommentYesterday, readers in communities across the nation opened their local paper or logged on to their local news Web site to read about the fight for new charter schools in Rhode Island.
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan chose to speak about Rhode Island in his interview with AP reporter Libby Quaid, after he spoke out for Rhode Island charter schools on stage earlier in the day before an audience of more than 3,000 people in Washington, DC. In a story that crossed the national news wires on Monday evening and was picked up yesterday in cities across the nation, the story reads:
Charters usually operate free from restrictions like tenure and other rules found in union contracts. Many supporters of charter schools don’t want that to change.
Duncan is pushing aggressively to expand the number of charter schools. He has threatened to withhold millions of stimulus dollars from states that put limitations on charter schools.
In an interview Monday with The Associated Press, he mentioned Rhode Island, where lawmakers have proposed to cut funding for charter schools.
“Anyone, including Rhode Island, who looks to underfund charter schools, they’re going to hurt their chances and put themselves at a disadvantage,” Duncan told the AP.
The story was covered in hundreds of publications, including:
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