Wasn’t 2010 supposed to be the Year of Education Reform? ‘Race to the Top’ was going to transform the education landscape, ‘No Child Left Behind’ was to get a facelift, school turnaround options were going to transform our lowest achieving public schools…
How’d all that work out for everyone?
– Maryland and Hawaii winning ‘Race to the Top’ money? For what, exactly? They’ll be battling their unions until 2015 just to move the dial slightly on any of their promises.
– ESEA reauthorization during an election year? Good luck.
– At least we learned a few things about turnarounds, namely that they aren’t going to work unless the culture of a failing school is turned on its head.
Before we get accused of ending a year on a sour note, though, allow us to throw ourselves into the group of hopefuls looking to 2011 as a year that gets things done for our kids and for our schools.
Why the positive change of heart, you ask?
November.
Beginning next Monday, a new Congress just might leave substantive education policy decisions in the hands of those who have been getting the job done all along – Governors and state legislators.
And so, we end 2010 as many began, hopeful that substantive changes will come to our schools in the form of greater choice for parents, real rewards for our best teachers and accountability for those who steer the ship.
To help this process along, we offer up these 10 Education Reform New Year’s Resolutions for state lawmakers:
1. Increase the ability of higher education, mayors and other independent entities to authorize charter schools so more children have access to quality public school options.
2. Eliminate arbitrary and unnecessary caps on
