August 27, 2009

School Board News – and Thoughts about Senator Kennedy and Governor Douglas

Dear neighbors,

The school board held a number of meetings in August, after taking a break for a few weeks in July.  Ongoing topics of discussion include infrastructure improvements, timing of the Edmunds elevator, strategic planning for the high school, progress at our new magnet schools, and procedures for teacher oversight and accountability. That last entry (and this is a very abbreviated list skewed towards my own curriculum committee) has been the topic of a lot of buzz nationally for the last couple of years. The Obama administration is putting a lot of stimulus money behind the idea of evaluating teacher effectiveness with new rigor and lots of data. Research studies consistently show that the quality of the teacher in the classroom is a preeminent predictor of student success – let me know if you have any thoughts on that (or anything else).

On to the latest political news.  As I was reviewing the incredible and poignant life story of Senator Kennedy in various obituaries, I was reminded that he was famous both for his assertive liberalism, and also for his ability to craft bipartisan legislation.  That’s not always pretty, but it is the ideal.  One of those bills though, probably won’t be carved on his tombstone.  Kennedy was one of the principal authors of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), which I have vilified on many occasions in my FPF postings.  But Senator Kennedy’s passing is a great time to remember why he supported this controversial legislation – the flaws of which stem entirely from its procedures and implementation, rather than from a lack of sincere and well-meaning intent. 

Kennedy’s liberalism prompted him to see – rightly -- the pervasive achievement gaps in American education as a social justice issue.  Too many public schools fail to provide students with the education they need to succeed.  NCLB was intended to spur states to fix the problem, and some stepped up to the plate with radical new innovations. We could argue endlessly about which of those innovations are a good model for our district and state, but for now I just want to remember that at the core of Senator Kennedy’s support for NCLB was a tough love message to all of us – we need to be held accountable for giving every child the opportunity to succeed.  Bravo Teddy – and thank you.  Farewell.

As for Governor Douglas – public schools are expensive, politically messy affairs, and I don’t think they were his interest or cup of tea.  It’s hard to think of any legacy he will leave behind in the field of education.  But I wish him well. He is a formidable politician. 

School commissioners across Vermont are ready now to hear some serious ideas from the next round of gubernatorial contenders.  We need vision from our state leaders to achieve the educational goals we all know need to be reached – goals that go beyond NCLB, but include its fundamental motivations.  Enough said.  Thanks for reading all this!

Enjoy the last, lingering breaths of summer,

Amy Werbel
Ward 5 School Commissioner