Why is media about "good education"ONLY about firing teachers?

Today's Wash Post has an interesting piece about Rhee resignation as DC School Chancellor and her interim replacement by her own number 2 -- who apparently shares her zeal for reform but -- unlike Rhee -- is considered an honest negotiator by the teachers.

All I've ever read about Rhee has made me think she and  the "all we have to do is fire bad teachers" school of public school reformers are more arrogant and contentious than they are real change-makers.

And then the article went on to report something I DO NOT THINK I HAD EVER READ BEFORE about the work Rhee did to improve early education, especially pre-K preparation  for "high risk" kids or "wrap-around" services for middle-schoolers not doing well.  Until now, I have only heard Rhee -- and other articles pro-and-con about her -- talk about firing; not about these "outside K-12 school" support systems.

"Rhee also dramatically expanded the number of spaces in preschool, pre-K and Head Start, and opened the Early Stages diagnostic center to help flag learning disabilities in children ages 2 to 5. She piloted a program of "wrap-around" support services for at-risk middle school kids and launched a program of "themed" schools focusing on science and technology, world cultures and the arts."

Why don't we want to discuss both bad teachers and neglected children?  Why won't Americans -- and propagandists like the makers of WAITING FOR SUPERMAN -- admit that not all the problems inner-city kids have can be solved by one teacher in their classroom?  



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Let's have a "Print a Koran" day

Would it be wonderful to have an Espresso Machine printing copies of the Koran near the site of the horrible book burning planned in Florida?

Shouldn't Korans be donated to all Public Libraries in the US on that day?

How better can we show our revulsion at the bigots among us than by publishing what they wish to destroy,  and drowning out the words of hate with tolerance and respect?

Progressive politics works!

Read today’s Washington Post recommending Michael Pertschuk’s new book:

THE DeMARCO FACTOR: TRANSFORMING PUBLIC WILL INTO POLITICAL POWER

A coalition builder's lesson for progressives

By Katrina vanden Heuvel

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Mike has been a friend since I worked with him on REVOLT AGAINST REGULATION, which he wrote while standing firm as Liberal on Regan’s FTC.

He has been a life-long anti-smoking advocate, someone dedicated more to improving public health and saving lives rather than scoring ideological points, but he has no illusions about the obstacles to common sense changes that progressives continue to face.

You cannot learn from a better consumer advocate who walks the walk as well as talking the talk, and one of his heroes is Maryland’s Vincent DeMarco.  As Katrina vanden Heuvel says:

Consider DeMarco's successful fight against the tobacco industry. After building strong health and faith coalitions in many states for the national Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, he and his colleagues mobilized the national Faith United Against Tobacco coalition to press for federal legislation to give the FDA expansive powers to regulate tobacco products and their marketing -- legislation that had languished for more than a decade.

The coalition spanned the religious and political spectrum, from the liberal United Methodists to the conservative Southern Baptists. And despite heavy opposition from all but one tobacco company (New York's Altria, formerly Philip Morris), it is the only major legislation on Obama's agenda that garnered close to a majority of Republican votes, even from conservative tobacco states.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/06/AR2010070602145.html?wpisrc=nl_opinions