Accountability for thee but not for me…
By Joe Nashville
During EduShyster’s last visit to the Volunteer State, we were left to wonder if the sword of punitive accountability cuts both ways. Fortunately, if you’re a Tennessean who puts students first, the answer is still no. In fact, Kevin Huffman, aka the TNeduCommish or K-Huff, seems to be competing with Louisiana’s John White for the honor of most excellent excellence. Continue reading →
Should what’s good for the goose be good for the gander?
Reader: it is one of the tragic ironicalisms of our time that the same education officials who are so eager to impose strict accountability measures on the teachers in their states are denied the experience of being held accountable themselves. In state after state, a persistent culture of low expectations means that officials continue to earn hefty paychecks even if they aren’t good at their jobs. Which raises a fiercely urgent question: is it long past time to hold our education officials to the same standards of excellence to which they have never before been held?
Saddle up the reform ponies, reader. We’re headed to Tennessee—home to the Smokey Mountains, Dollywood, Graceland and a boldly innovative new way of paying teachers. If this bold new approach works, and studies already show that it has, Tennessee’s bold new approach will likely be coming to a state near you. Continue reading →
Teach for America has raised nearly $1 billion in the last five years to build a pipeline of excellence into the education rephorm movement.
Today’s $1 billion question: how much excellence does $1 billion buy? The answer is muchos, muchos excellence—if you happen to be Teach for America. $1 billion is roughly the amount that TFA has managed to raise in the past five years, earning it a spot on Forbes list of the 200 largest US charities. Even in today’s union-stifled climate of non-innovation, that’s a lot of excellence. A little perspective: $1 billion is enough to pay every one of TFA’s 28,000 alumni a bonus of $35,000, just for being outstanding. It’s even enough to pay each of TFA’s 16 officers six figure salaries—and still have a cool $300 million left over for additional excellence.
Continue reading →