Chris Barbic published an op-ed article in the newspaper today that portrays his actions as noble... except some teachers and parents are being meanies. They won't let him steal their neighborhood schools and give them to charter operators (who have dismal results). Um, really? Who is the real victim in this?
Even though the main-stream newspapers won't publish these responses, we felt the need to share the truth with our readers:
Even though the main-stream newspapers won't publish these responses, we felt the need to share the truth with our readers:
DEAR ASD, ITS NOT THE TONE THAT’S THE PROBLEM
- written by a Nashville Dad who supports public education
Chris Barbic of the Tennessee Achievement District has been out making the interview rounds of late. One of his primary themes has been the tone surrounding the conversation on education. People have lost sight of the kids and how they are the only ones that matter. People just say awful things about reformers and himself. Of course, there is not a single mention of the role the tourists, as I’ve not taken to calling reformers, play in this conversation.
Peter Greene was brilliant in labeling the reform movement as tourists.(http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2014/12/homeostasis-tourists-stability-and-feds.html?spref=tw) Just like tourists they go into an area and impose their agenda and views on the natives and then get indignant when the natives snap back. Think about how the French react to American tourists. Where do you think the term “ugly American” originates? Instead of trying to understand the ire of the native, the tourist just labels them as uncooperative and hostile. Hmmm…sound familiar?
The other caveat in the tone discussion is the lack of honesty on the tourist side. I get labeled as obtuse and acting like a bully on occasion but the truth is I’m just tired. I’m tired of the condescending rhetoric. I’m tired of the parlor tricks and most of all I’m tired of the lying. Sorry Chris, but you just happen to be one of the worst offenders.
Lets take a look at this past week. The ASD was set to announce their next round of takeovers. Do they do it on a Monday morning when we can all read about it and discuss? Do they even do it in the middle of the week? No, they do it on a Friday at 5pm, a time traditionally reserved for delivering bad news. The reason being that nobody reads the paper over the weekend and by Monday something else has replaced the story in the news cycle. Hence the name, Friday afternoon news dump. You’re not supposed to know that though.
How about Chris’s lament about not focusing on the kids enough. It wants you to forget a few things. Public education is not just about immediate needs i.e. reading on grade level, generating test scores etc. Schools should be reflections of our society. If schools are being rigged so that society is further stratified how are we watching out for the kids? If we demand that all kids go to college even though the job market doesn’t support that, how are we watching out for the kids? If we narrow their focus to just the measurable and deny them the life broadening experiences of art, music, industrial arts, how are we watching out for the kids? All you’re supposed to know is that he cares and the rest of us are out representing “adult interests”.
Their is another part of Peter Greene’s article that really hit home for me, the part about reform is being about leaving something behind. Charter’s constantly tout themselves as a means to leave poverty behind but what happens to what’s left behind? Are those communities left to languish? Do we use our commitment to the kids as an excuse to do nothing about the ever widening income gap in America? Its interesting that in underdeveloped countries we focus on educating females because they will stay in the village and raise the level of education for all while in America we preach abandonment.
Barbic says its all about the kids, but the ASD is only taking over one class a year starting with the incoming class of fifth graders. So all those kids who he’s lamenting that we’ve failed, he’s just written off. The only kids the ASD is concerned about are the ones coming in that can generates numbers to justify his savior complex. The others will be left to languish and try to find their own way. MNPS probably won’t divert more resources to their school because, well that’s an ASD school now. Forgot to mention that part huh?
I was always taught not to judge people on how they interacted directly with you but to judge them on their interactions with others when they thought you weren’t watching. Barbic has touted LEAD schools for their experience with the EL population. Well I was at the Neely’s Bend meeting and not only was there an insufficient number of translators but initially they were very selective with what they translated. None of the speakers that were critical of the ASD were translated. Hmmm…is this a sample of that LEAD school experience or just something else that was forgotten?
In a recent Op-Ed piece Barbic called out critics for misleading people about Charters being privateers.
We saw fliers handed out with false data about ASD schools. We heard charters being called profiteers, even though all of our charters are nonprofit public schools. State law prevents for-profit charters from serving students. This false information leaves parents angry and confused, and even sadder, it drowns out parent voices.
Well lets look closer. Rocketship is an ASD partner right?(http://tn.chalkbeat.org/2014/09/08/rocketships-nashville-debut-highlights-tennessees-place-in-the-charter-landscape/#.VI8G62F0xnI)
Rocketship buys buildings under a private corporation that in turn leases to the “school”.
(http://www.shesellsnashville.com/2014/12/11/andre-agassis-fund-acquires-murfreesboro-pike-building-murfreesboro-tn-real-estate/)
They kind of move the money around a bit so they look like non-profits.(http://www.tnledger.com/editorial/article.aspx?id=72653)
So Chris is this another something you forgot or….oh yea I’m working on tone.
Lastly but certainly not least, is the ASD’s focus on data. Chris is out championing his data but when confronted with it, well it doesn’t exactly tell the complete story. Both School board Members Amy Frogge and Jill Speering confronted the ASD on their data at the recent meeting. By the way Chris, this is what elected officials do. They dig into arguments and make sure that the people who elected them have their voice heard. This democracy thing is really a pain in the butt.
Well the scores the school board member’s presented didn’t jibe with the ASD’s. Barbic’s answer. Frogge and Speering were using the raw scores. You didn’t get an accurate picture until you added some good old value added voodoo, which by the way has proven to be highly unreliable. (http://nepc.colorado.edu/blog/problem-value-added-measures) Oh well, so much for data.
Are you starting to get the idea of why the tone has gotten so ugly? If you had a friend who was constantly giving false information and when confronted about it just shifted the parameters of the conversation, would you spend much time hanging out together? Would you continue to give them the benefit of the doubt when they spoke? Would you introduce them to new people? Its time to supply the same criteria to Chris Barbic and the Tennessee Achievement School District and actually the whole tourist movement. Stop lying and we may want to hang out more.
I don’t think that’s going to happen though. At least not with out the intervention of elected officials. Chris Barbic doesn’t believe that he has to answer to anyone. He believes that he has unchecked power to take what ever school he wants and the only accountability is internal “We’re going to hold ourselves accountable for results. There will be no such thing as slow failure in the ASD. If after three years our schools are not improving at an acceptable pace, we will replace them.” That’s not acceptable and we should demand that our lawmakers review the ASD’s Charter. That’s what I’m going to do and I hope all of you will join me. This predatory entity needs to be reigned in.
Originally published HERE. Shared with permission of the author.
- written by a Nashville Dad who supports public education
Chris Barbic of the Tennessee Achievement District has been out making the interview rounds of late. One of his primary themes has been the tone surrounding the conversation on education. People have lost sight of the kids and how they are the only ones that matter. People just say awful things about reformers and himself. Of course, there is not a single mention of the role the tourists, as I’ve not taken to calling reformers, play in this conversation.
Peter Greene was brilliant in labeling the reform movement as tourists.(http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2014/12/homeostasis-tourists-stability-and-feds.html?spref=tw) Just like tourists they go into an area and impose their agenda and views on the natives and then get indignant when the natives snap back. Think about how the French react to American tourists. Where do you think the term “ugly American” originates? Instead of trying to understand the ire of the native, the tourist just labels them as uncooperative and hostile. Hmmm…sound familiar?
The other caveat in the tone discussion is the lack of honesty on the tourist side. I get labeled as obtuse and acting like a bully on occasion but the truth is I’m just tired. I’m tired of the condescending rhetoric. I’m tired of the parlor tricks and most of all I’m tired of the lying. Sorry Chris, but you just happen to be one of the worst offenders.
Lets take a look at this past week. The ASD was set to announce their next round of takeovers. Do they do it on a Monday morning when we can all read about it and discuss? Do they even do it in the middle of the week? No, they do it on a Friday at 5pm, a time traditionally reserved for delivering bad news. The reason being that nobody reads the paper over the weekend and by Monday something else has replaced the story in the news cycle. Hence the name, Friday afternoon news dump. You’re not supposed to know that though.
How about Chris’s lament about not focusing on the kids enough. It wants you to forget a few things. Public education is not just about immediate needs i.e. reading on grade level, generating test scores etc. Schools should be reflections of our society. If schools are being rigged so that society is further stratified how are we watching out for the kids? If we demand that all kids go to college even though the job market doesn’t support that, how are we watching out for the kids? If we narrow their focus to just the measurable and deny them the life broadening experiences of art, music, industrial arts, how are we watching out for the kids? All you’re supposed to know is that he cares and the rest of us are out representing “adult interests”.
Their is another part of Peter Greene’s article that really hit home for me, the part about reform is being about leaving something behind. Charter’s constantly tout themselves as a means to leave poverty behind but what happens to what’s left behind? Are those communities left to languish? Do we use our commitment to the kids as an excuse to do nothing about the ever widening income gap in America? Its interesting that in underdeveloped countries we focus on educating females because they will stay in the village and raise the level of education for all while in America we preach abandonment.
Barbic says its all about the kids, but the ASD is only taking over one class a year starting with the incoming class of fifth graders. So all those kids who he’s lamenting that we’ve failed, he’s just written off. The only kids the ASD is concerned about are the ones coming in that can generates numbers to justify his savior complex. The others will be left to languish and try to find their own way. MNPS probably won’t divert more resources to their school because, well that’s an ASD school now. Forgot to mention that part huh?
I was always taught not to judge people on how they interacted directly with you but to judge them on their interactions with others when they thought you weren’t watching. Barbic has touted LEAD schools for their experience with the EL population. Well I was at the Neely’s Bend meeting and not only was there an insufficient number of translators but initially they were very selective with what they translated. None of the speakers that were critical of the ASD were translated. Hmmm…is this a sample of that LEAD school experience or just something else that was forgotten?
In a recent Op-Ed piece Barbic called out critics for misleading people about Charters being privateers.
We saw fliers handed out with false data about ASD schools. We heard charters being called profiteers, even though all of our charters are nonprofit public schools. State law prevents for-profit charters from serving students. This false information leaves parents angry and confused, and even sadder, it drowns out parent voices.
Well lets look closer. Rocketship is an ASD partner right?(http://tn.chalkbeat.org/2014/09/08/rocketships-nashville-debut-highlights-tennessees-place-in-the-charter-landscape/#.VI8G62F0xnI)
Rocketship buys buildings under a private corporation that in turn leases to the “school”.
(http://www.shesellsnashville.com/2014/12/11/andre-agassis-fund-acquires-murfreesboro-pike-building-murfreesboro-tn-real-estate/)
They kind of move the money around a bit so they look like non-profits.(http://www.tnledger.com/editorial/article.aspx?id=72653)
So Chris is this another something you forgot or….oh yea I’m working on tone.
Lastly but certainly not least, is the ASD’s focus on data. Chris is out championing his data but when confronted with it, well it doesn’t exactly tell the complete story. Both School board Members Amy Frogge and Jill Speering confronted the ASD on their data at the recent meeting. By the way Chris, this is what elected officials do. They dig into arguments and make sure that the people who elected them have their voice heard. This democracy thing is really a pain in the butt.
Well the scores the school board member’s presented didn’t jibe with the ASD’s. Barbic’s answer. Frogge and Speering were using the raw scores. You didn’t get an accurate picture until you added some good old value added voodoo, which by the way has proven to be highly unreliable. (http://nepc.colorado.edu/blog/problem-value-added-measures) Oh well, so much for data.
Are you starting to get the idea of why the tone has gotten so ugly? If you had a friend who was constantly giving false information and when confronted about it just shifted the parameters of the conversation, would you spend much time hanging out together? Would you continue to give them the benefit of the doubt when they spoke? Would you introduce them to new people? Its time to supply the same criteria to Chris Barbic and the Tennessee Achievement School District and actually the whole tourist movement. Stop lying and we may want to hang out more.
I don’t think that’s going to happen though. At least not with out the intervention of elected officials. Chris Barbic doesn’t believe that he has to answer to anyone. He believes that he has unchecked power to take what ever school he wants and the only accountability is internal “We’re going to hold ourselves accountable for results. There will be no such thing as slow failure in the ASD. If after three years our schools are not improving at an acceptable pace, we will replace them.” That’s not acceptable and we should demand that our lawmakers review the ASD’s Charter. That’s what I’m going to do and I hope all of you will join me. This predatory entity needs to be reigned in.
Originally published HERE. Shared with permission of the author.
Response by Jill Speering, Metro Nashville School Board Member, District 3:
I find it interesting that Chris Barbic, Superintendent of the Achievement School District, stated that elected officials who attended the Madison "parent" meetings had an "agenda". So I've been thinking.... what's my agenda?
Why am I working so hard for such a small salary? Why am I so passionate about this work? What's the bottom line? What am I trying to achieve? Why do I believe that Neely's Bend Middle should be left in the hands of the current principal and staff rather than turning it over to Chris Barbic?
What's my agenda? As a retired career educator of 35 years, I know the importance of motivation in the learning process. I have had years of experience watching kids, talking to kids, listening to kids about what's important to them. In the many classes I've taught through the years, I've found this paramount to teaching. As I discovered the interests of my students, I could mold my curriculum and my teaching around those interest in such a way that school doesn't feel like "school". My classroom transformed into a place where everyone was learning at their own pace in their own ways about the same and different things. No one wanted to miss a day in fear they would miss some exciting science experiment or the gerbil babies might be born or they wouldn't get to hear the new book written by their favorite author.
There are many outstanding teachers who have this magic. But unfortunately we have focused so much on test scores that these magical moments are being lost.
In fact, the focus on test scores has become so important that our state makes decision about which schools should be turned over to an agency that is charged with improving the education of children. But the educators in ASD schools are often Teach For America (TFA) teachers who are motivated to put in a minimum of two years and then move on to more important work with the potential to make much higher salaries.
The ASD is run by an alumni of TFA. I remember my early years of teaching. I was wet behind the ears. I had so much to learn and it took years and advanced degrees to become the magical teacher I became. However, experience and advanced degrees don't seem to be important to TFA or ASD.
So what does the ASD offer instead? Teaching to the test. Skill and drill; drill and kill. Extended days: some weekend work. Students are taught strict compliance to rules. And if they don't follow those rules or if they don't seem to be making progress in this environment, they are encouraged to find another educational opportunity in a district run school.
Why I oppose ASD coming to Madison. Neely's Bend Middle already outperforms the ASD. Two low-performing charters already closed in Madison. Of course those kids were sent back to district schools which lowered the achievement of Madison schools. There is a new principal and motivated teachers at Neely's Bend Middle. Let's give them a chance. Let's support our schools, our students. Let's help our teachers and principals. MNPS needs to offer more wrap-around services to support impoverished kids. Let's not turn our backs on our students. Tell the ASD to go away. Embrace your schools. It's our community!
What's my agenda? Children who are happy, cooperative, able to think, discern, morally responsible with developed consciousness, who are becoming independent learners and the future of Madison!
I find it interesting that Chris Barbic, Superintendent of the Achievement School District, stated that elected officials who attended the Madison "parent" meetings had an "agenda". So I've been thinking.... what's my agenda?
Why am I working so hard for such a small salary? Why am I so passionate about this work? What's the bottom line? What am I trying to achieve? Why do I believe that Neely's Bend Middle should be left in the hands of the current principal and staff rather than turning it over to Chris Barbic?
What's my agenda? As a retired career educator of 35 years, I know the importance of motivation in the learning process. I have had years of experience watching kids, talking to kids, listening to kids about what's important to them. In the many classes I've taught through the years, I've found this paramount to teaching. As I discovered the interests of my students, I could mold my curriculum and my teaching around those interest in such a way that school doesn't feel like "school". My classroom transformed into a place where everyone was learning at their own pace in their own ways about the same and different things. No one wanted to miss a day in fear they would miss some exciting science experiment or the gerbil babies might be born or they wouldn't get to hear the new book written by their favorite author.
There are many outstanding teachers who have this magic. But unfortunately we have focused so much on test scores that these magical moments are being lost.
In fact, the focus on test scores has become so important that our state makes decision about which schools should be turned over to an agency that is charged with improving the education of children. But the educators in ASD schools are often Teach For America (TFA) teachers who are motivated to put in a minimum of two years and then move on to more important work with the potential to make much higher salaries.
The ASD is run by an alumni of TFA. I remember my early years of teaching. I was wet behind the ears. I had so much to learn and it took years and advanced degrees to become the magical teacher I became. However, experience and advanced degrees don't seem to be important to TFA or ASD.
So what does the ASD offer instead? Teaching to the test. Skill and drill; drill and kill. Extended days: some weekend work. Students are taught strict compliance to rules. And if they don't follow those rules or if they don't seem to be making progress in this environment, they are encouraged to find another educational opportunity in a district run school.
Why I oppose ASD coming to Madison. Neely's Bend Middle already outperforms the ASD. Two low-performing charters already closed in Madison. Of course those kids were sent back to district schools which lowered the achievement of Madison schools. There is a new principal and motivated teachers at Neely's Bend Middle. Let's give them a chance. Let's support our schools, our students. Let's help our teachers and principals. MNPS needs to offer more wrap-around services to support impoverished kids. Let's not turn our backs on our students. Tell the ASD to go away. Embrace your schools. It's our community!
What's my agenda? Children who are happy, cooperative, able to think, discern, morally responsible with developed consciousness, who are becoming independent learners and the future of Madison!
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