Item 5, the final edition of the Bracey Report is most highly recommended.
“A close look at the two most visible exemplars of mayoral control, Chicago and New York, yields results that counter the image created by those in control. “Reforms” that are supposed to help children do better are primarily used to make the adults who control the schools look good.”
– http://www.scribd.com/doc/22379384/BRACEY-2009, page 14 of 24
Lots of props to Haimson, Kjellberg, Ravitch, Pallas, Jennings, and.. GothamSchools.
I want to thank you for your ever-present insights and information with respect to the bringing attention to NYC’s education issues, mayoral control, and the travesty of those empowered to dupe the public with their fuzzy stat.
I read page 14 of the Bracey Report and found Bracey’s perceptives of the two mayors (Chicago and New York City) on target. This report should be a reading requirement for all those individuals who enter college to study urban politics and government. I would like to share another section from the Bracey Report that is also a reality which I read on page 15.
“Kirst’s comments lead to another concern about mayoral control: mayors don’t last forever. The current crop of mayors running the schools wanted control. Their successors might not evince such motivation. At the moment, both cities are in the hands of people holding the position l’etat c’est moi. That is not a condition that will likely last forever, but the end definitely is not in sight. Theoretically, of course, mayoral control need not look like those discussed here, but it is disturbing that the two most visible models appear to be simultaneously undemocratic and ineffectual. Benjamin Barber once referred to public schools as “workshops of our democracy.”
It does not seem that they are furthering democratic goals in New York and Chicago—nor improving achievement.”
Bloomberg publicly stated that he would not run for a 4th term. Does this mean that end is **finally** in sight? I hope in 2013 that Kirst is right!
Once again, thanks for the info.
Michael M.
INT…
You are too kind.
But the more pertinent quote, and excerpt from the Bracey Report may be:
“In the first place, God made idiots. That was for practice. Then he made school boards.”
– Mark Twain
Of course that was before Mayoral Control reset the bar.
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