To Reform or Not to Reform...Is that really the question?
Monday, August 29, 2005
No Child Left Behind has inspired reactions ranging from outright opposition and legal action (see here and here) to states passively aggressively refusing to comply. The latter approach, (see here) is being practiced in Seattle (and I have a sneaking suspicion that Seattle is not the only city reacting this way).
Mike Antonucci, education researcher and blogger, comments on the article's bigger meaning; "I believe this is the default position of any bureaucracy as large as America's public school system. The people who want reform institute it without federal insistence. The people who don't want reform won't institute it no matter who insists. If forced to reform, they will undermine it."
So then, are all attemps at federal reform pointless?
Maybe we just need a different approach...
Eduwonk's Andrew Rotherham might have the answer...
Background: An article about an alternative way to winning the war inIraq, author Andrew Krepinevich advocates for protecting civilians and setting up "safe havens" instead of attempting to kill the guerillas or "insurgents". Basically Krepinevich's point is by securing safe havens, true "buy-in" is created in the cities and neighborhoods, which in turn acts as a catalyst to empower the residents, which then simulataneously de-empowers the guerillas. An end result, is a changed community, without the hostility and resistant that would have occurred from just killing isolated "insurgents".
Rotherham equates this approach to education. He states;
Isn't this basically the same strategy that education reformers should pursue in the cities? Instead of just supporting often isolated politicians who are constantly under attack or fighting hopeless guerilla warfare inside bureaucracies, establishing some [safe havens] in big cities, winning victories, and establishing some proof points (and in the process expanding opportunities for disadvantaged kids) seems like a more promising strategy. Opening new schools would certainly be part of such an effort but also leveraging successful initiatives like Teach For America, The New Teacher Project, New Leaders for New Schools, the Broad Residents, etc...to drive broader change and win hearts and minds.
Just some food for thought as classes begin...
