Connecting the Dots

Mike Petrilli, writing at Flypaper, has an interesting take on why Ed Sec Arne Duncan spoke last week to the National Charter School Conference attendees about turnaround schools. Duncan's remarks about working with teacher's unions, even unions that organize within charter schools, brought confusion to the audience of entrepeneurial charter school leaders. But spending the majority of his allotted time talking about turnaround schools was even more perplexing. Petrilli's assessment after connecting the dots makes sense.

I was there and heard Duncan's entire speech. It makes sense to me that he was trying to engage the charter school community in his turnaround work because he needs the shining example of high-performing charter schools to eliminate the excuses made in traditional public education for "certain" types of students that "can't achieve like other kids." Michelle Rhee, the Chancellor of DC Public Schools, said high-performing charter schools in eastern portions of her district eliminated traditional public school leaders from making excuses.

It also makes sense that Duncan wants the charter school community to step up to the plate and offer more high-quality options, especially in urban areas that are in dire need of improvement. A more robust charter school community will take the pressure off districts failing to turn around underperforming neighborhood schools.

What doesn't make sense is to assume collaboration with any teacher's union will allow any education reform to be meaningful. When the conversation shifts from what's best for kids to what's best for the adults, the students lose.