REFORM has become a dirty word...to me. I can’t not think negative thoughts when I hear about Education Reform. And I have to admit, I do get a little skeptical in general when I hear the word “Innovative or School Choice or World Class Education, or even when I hear about Teachers, Principals and Superintendents“ Academys.” The Academys are a get rich, form them into what we want, quick “colleges” for the Reformers. Broad (pronounced like load) Academy or Regency, is the most notorious, but seem to have all but disappeared when their protégés were embroiled in scandals. They are popping up, even here in Texas.
On my journey into the darkness, I have stumbled across many interesting facts, articles, and questionable connections. Has Humble ISD become the new “ Blueprint for Choice?” Will we implement all the many programs formed out of Douglas County?
I see Grand Prairie ISD – A Model for Expanding Choice, and I see we are not far behind.
We have been ‘forced’ into becoming a “District of Innovation,” because we were denied a waiver for early release (elementary) and late arrival (secondary) for professional development, per Dr. Sconzo. Also, per Dr. Sconzo, “A third reason, that has nothing to do with the TEA waiver denial, is with our Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers. This is an area where because so many of the programs require a pretty substantial level of expertise in the field whether it is for auto body or engineering, it is becoming increasingly difficult to attract quality instructors to teach CTE classes who are also certified as a classroom teacher.” Because of the complexity and newness, and ramifications of the “Districts of Innovation,” I have given some important facts from ATPE here.
“DCSD has also developed an alternative licensure program in order to meet the ongoing challenge of rapid enrollment growth. According to National Center for Education Statistics, DCSD is the fastest growing district in the country. From 1998‐2008, Douglas County grew 427.3%. DCSD must hire hundreds of teachers every year. DSCD presented a proposal to the Colorado State Board of Education to streamline the state's current teacher licensure and endorsement procedures in an effort to better serve students. Waivers to current processes allow the district to create its own Professional in Resident (PiR) program to help high‐level industry professionals—like local aeronautical engineers, foreign language instructors, and nuclear physicists to qualify to teach Douglas County students on a part‐time basis. Additionally, the district would have the ability to fill hard‐to‐staff positions like special education, technology education, mathematics, science and vocational/technical education, by providing additional training for qualified licensed teachers.”
Being new to this reformers investigating, I don’t know what most know about it, which, apparently is not a lot. Public Education: Who Are the Corporate Reformers?
I have been afraid of the money to be made off of our children’s education, but it’s already here with the selling and reselling of crazy ideas that just add to the load given to the teachers.
Did You Know? “House Bill (HB) 1842 was passed in the 84th Texas Legislative Session in spring 2015 which provides this opportunity for Texas school districts to be designated as a DOI which may be exempted from a number of state statutes and will have greater local control as the decision makers over the education and instructional model for students, increased freedom and flexibility, with accountability, relative to state mandates that govern education programming and empowerment to innovate and think differently.”
Did You Know? North Carolina's evaluation team traveled to Colorado in June 2013 to examine Douglas County’s implementation of school choice options. The power point and some very interesting facts are there. Like, for instance, Colorado education law enabled expansion of school choice. Ummm...where have I seen that?
Did You Know? The search firm Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates we hired, is the same firm DCSD hired to fetch Fagen from TUSC? There is a lot of controversy, here, here, and here, surrounding this firm, to say the least.
Why is it when we hear about these Teachers or Principals or Superintendent's Academy’s they always seem to be entwined in controversy? Take Dallas ISD for example. Superintendent Miles resigned under controversy, which looks an awful lot like what Douglas County just went through with Fagen.
Douglas County Parents have a website that will give you good insight into what we can expect.
Did You Know? When Fagen joined DCSD, their board vice president said, “The board has a high level of confidence that we have made the right choice to lead the district as we continue to raise the bar and challenge ourselves to improve the quality of education we provide for every child.” But, we all see how that has turned out. But, our board has pretty much touted the same verbiage, “The vision of our school board is to continue the culture and climate we all enjoy as part of the Humble ISD family, and we could not be more excited about partnering with Dr. Fagen,” Sitton, board president, said.
I have just a few questions...
How many “pilot programs” does she plan on implementing? Like the Market-Based-Pay or Pay-for-Performance? Will she continue the “Reinventing American Education?” and STEP (Student/Teacher Emergenetics Profile)? And will we invest more than $86,000 in the program for children and spend more than $176,000 on adult profiles?
And will she be bringing programs like “World Class” Education, “World Class”Assessments, “World Class”Teaching Strategies, “World Class”Culture and Climate, “World Class”Growth and Leadership, “World Class”Student Growth to Humble ISD? The Blueprint for Choice, Choice Scholarship Pilot Program, CITE (Continuous Improvement for Teacher Effectiveness), salary bands, the Niche Approach, the 4C’s, GVC's Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum? Does she plan on using the InspirEd product, that was built in DOUGCO, here to Humble?
Will she implement a new strategic plan, “New Outcomes for a New Day,” where she said, “DOUGCO instituted sweeping reforms in 2011 in an effort to remain successful as it faced the emerging challenges of growing enrollment and changing technology.” The “New Day” plan outlined three major goals for following three years: expand school choice, provide a world-class education and improve on student and teacher performance.” Is she planning on doing that HERE considering we are growing rapidly? If not, why did she come here? We are half the size of DOUGCO, and still she is getting paid even more, much more than she was in Colorado.
Call me a cynic, but I find it a bit disconcerting that a superintendent who has only been in the field of education for 20 years, and that includes teaching, along with getting your masters and doctorate during that time, to be able to sell a house for $1.4 million, especially when she has only been a superintendent for 8 years, when most teachers have to have a second job, or use the summer to supplement their incomes. And they say there’s not money in education!!
Egberto Willies explains a lot more here.