Education: Demand better
A few weeks ago, I spoke in Jacksonville, FL – here's what I wrote at the time (http://edreform.blogspot.com/2010/01/jacksonville-presentation.html):
I was in Jacksonville last Thursday to give testimony to the city charter commission, which is considering a proposal to switch away from a school board to mayoral accountability. I presented 100 slides: the first 49 were from my regular school reform presentation (which is always posted at: www.tilsonfunds.com/Personal/SchoolReform) and the rest of the slides (posted at www.tilsonfunds.com/Jacksonville.pdf) had data on Jacksonville, the experience with mayoral accountability in many cities (esp. NYC), and rebuttals to arguments against it. The second half of the deck was created by the ED of the new KIPP school (opening in Aug) in Jacksonville, Tom Majdanics. Thanks to those of you who helped provide the data and arguments!
This was the AMAZING lead editorial in today's local paper, which cites my testimony:
If the Florida Gator football team isn't playing at a top level, fans will demand - and get - a new coach.
Yet, with the future of Jacksonville at stake, we've been willing to settle for a losing record when it comes to local public education.
Duval County's dreadful graduation rates are crippling the community - and the community has accepted poor results for too long.
…The status quo is unacceptable.
Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals says, based on his research, it's not the system, it's the leaders. Sort of like the saying a great coach can win with anyone's players.
But something major must be done to produce better results.
Devastating stats
Consider these statistics from the Florida Department of Education, as presented by New York education advocate Whitney Tilson during a recent Charter Revision Commission presentation:
- Duval's 2009 graduation rate of 64.5 percent ranks at the bottom of the state's 40 largest school districts.
- The rates are at or near the bottom for all socio-economic groups (African-American, white, Hispanic, low-income children, non-low income children and students with learning disabilities).
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Education: Demand better
Lead editorial, Florida Times-Union, 2/7/10
http://jacksonville.com/opinion/editorials/2010-02-07/story/education_demand_better
posted by Whitney Tilson at 9:01 PM
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