STOP THE PRESSES!!! #2  I am DELIGHTED to report that Joel Klein has agreed to be Chairman of Education Reform Now, which is affiliated with Democrats for Education Reform and, like DFER, is run by Joe Williams.  This takes ERN to a whole new level and great things will come of it – mark my words!

Ex-Schools Chancellor Joel Klein Named Chair Of Education Reform Now

BY Celeste Katz

www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2011/01/ex-schools-chancellor-joel-klein-named-chair-of-education-reform-now

Former NYC Schools Chancellor Joel Klein is busy making big bucks at News Corp., but he's apparently not too busy for some extra-curricular activities: Namely, serving as chairman of the board of the advocacy group Education Reform Now. 

 

In his first statement in his new role, Klein is coming out in favor of changing the rules on the "last in, first out" procedure for teacher layoffs -- a position that keeps him in line with his old boss, Mayor Bloomberg, and his successor at the Education Department, Cathie Black.

"We have a tremendous opportunity this year to change the way we make decisions about our teaching workforce, and we cannot let this opportunity go to waste," said Klein.

"Teachers are the most critical element in a student's education, and the process for retaining them should be based on their impact—not the number of years they've spent in a classroom."

Education Reform Now -- which pushed hard for raising the state cap on charter schools as part of last year's fight for federal Race To The Top school funding -- also plans to "focus its efforts in 2011 on expanding successful school models, like high-performing public charter schools, encouraging states anddistricts to develop and adopt value-added teacher evaluations, and ensuring that proven reform programs remain funded at the federal, state and district levels."

The group clashed with the United Federation of Teachers during the push to lift the charter cap, with the union saying ERN ran misleading ads to sway the public to their side.