Passing Notes

In the wake of the recent victory for education reformers in Rhode Island, I appeared on 10 News Conference with NEARI Executive Director Bob Walsh to debate the issue on the merits.

While Mr. Walsh debated in public, however, NEARI launched personal attacks behind the scenes. NEARI publishes an official newsletter called “Newsline,” to 11,000 current and retired teachers. In this month’s issue, NEARI President Larry Purtill devotes an entire column to attacking me personally.

Here is what Mr. Purtill wrote about me in this month’s Newswire (click here to read a scanned copy of the actual article as it appeared in the newsletter):

Angus Davis is a member of the Board of Regents and an advocate for high stakes testing, more accountability for teachers and punishing them when they strike. He was also a behind-the-scenes driving force in the passage of Mayoral Academies last week in the legislature. These are schools that wanted no accountability. (Does the word phony come to mind?)

Davis also was contacting legislators. The governor was making phone calls as well. One of the groups pushing for these schools was the Center for Education Reform, whose board Angus is a member of, along with Chris Whittle and others from Edison Schools.

Yes, these are the same Edison Schools that failed in Baltimore and other American cities. He also hosted a fundraiser recently for Representative Gablinske, who spoke for the academies on the House floor and harshly attacked critics of the new schools. Must be nice to be young and wealthy and, by appearances, able to throw your influence and money around. But…. isn’t this all a conflict? I guess it is only a conflict when labor is involved, not the governor and his buddies.

Speaking of Mayoral Academies, the Charter Schools Association and the Department of Education flip flopped from opposition to support. Makes you wonder what was promised. If I was [sic] a true charter school advocate, I would be a little concerned about promises made by private groups pushing for these academies. They are not your friends.

Isn’t it also wonderful that like many charters, students for these new academies will be picked by lottery? If these schools are so great, what happens to the students not chosen? Do they really care about all children? I think the answer is obvious.

I would be happy to be interviewed for Newsline, but I wasn’t offered that opportunity. It’s disappointing that Mr. Purtill resorted to smearing me personally instead of having an above-board debate on the issues. I won’t dignify his claims I am a “phony” who lacks ethical integrity, buys legislative influence and doesn’t care about children, but I will set a few things straight:

• The non-profits targeted by the Mayoral Academies legislation include KIPP, Achievement First, Uncommon Schools, Democracy Prep and similar non-profit organizations that are proven success stories nearly everywhere they operate, not Edison Schools (who can’t even apply for a charter in Rhode Island under current law)
• The Center for Education Reform board includes many dedicated reformers, such as Mayoral Academies supporter Kevin Chavous, who is Chairman of Democrats for Education Reform.
• The driving force behind the expansion of the charter school law was not the Governor, but rather the House leadership, including bill co-sponsors Gordon Fox (House Majority Leader) and Peter Kilmartin (House Majority Whip), and bill supporter Bill Murphy (Speaker of the House) — hardly “buddies” of the Governor. The bill’s most vocal opponent on the House floor was Rep. Jack Savage, a Republican from East Providence!
• Does the long list of Mayoral Academy supporters, which includes leaders from Rhode Island Kids Count, Young Voices, Progreso Latino, and others, look like a group of people who don’t care about children, as Mr. Purtill suggests?
• Yes, I contributed to Doug Gablinske, who represents my hometown of Bristol, Rhode Island. He is running unopposed in this year’s primary with the endorsement of the Democratic Party. I also contributed to Providence Mayor Cicilline (D), RI Treasurer Caprio (D), US Senator Reed (D) and I am maxed out in my support for Barack Obama (D). Such contributions are a matter of public record. I guess I must be a right winger! My contributions pale in comparison to Mr. Purtill’s NEARI PACE Political Action Committee, which had cash on hand of $133,858 at last count.
• With respect to lotteries, yes, it’s unfortunate there are so few educational options available to Rhode Island parents that the number of children on waiting lists to attend public charter schools in our state is up nearly 40% year-over-year, now at about 3,000 children. I wish we could supply the demand, making lotteries unnecessary. Nothing prevents our traditional district public schools from adopting best practices proven in these other schools, such as a longer school day for kids who need more time on task.

At the end of the day, I shrug off these attacks, but frankly it is disappointing to see such smear tactics employed by the President of Rhode Island’s largest professional teacher union. If I were a NEARI member eager to be treated like the professional I deserve to be, I would be disgusted by these unprofessional personal attacks launched by the President I elected to represent me and in a newsletter funded with my dues. For the record, I do not think Mr. Purtill speaks for all teachers, who I hold in high regard, when he acts in this manner.