One Big Happy Edu-Family
Doesn’t America have a love affair with The Godfather? I mean who doesn’t count it as one of their favorite movies of all time?
It’s really an amazing thing when you consider the fact that it’s about a group of murdering, sociopathic criminals. According to Wikipedia, “it is ranked as the second greatest film in American cinematic history…”
Wow. So how do we account for our attraction to a movie that depicts such unbridled greed and violence?
One of my professors in college made the argument that Americans love the movie because , despite its violent nature, the film is actually about belonging to a big, powerful family. And who doesn’t want to belong to such? I’m not completely sold on his arguments, but don’t many of us dream about being a part of such a close-knit, powerful group of individuals?
So, speaking of close-knit, powerful families, there seems to be a big one whose members are literally dominating the education field lately. Since they’ve been getting so much publicity, I thought I’d take a look at who they actually are.
I love mysteries, don’t you?
I’m always suspicious when a supposed “educational” site or group takes a strong stand towards privatization or against teacher unions. In all of my years of education, I’ve met very few educators who actually take this stand. Once I start hearing about them, I always dig a bit.
I’m never disappointed.
So, since the website, Eduwonk keeps coming up in association with concepts such as the above mentioned, I just had to see who they are. Do you have some patience for me? I hope so, because it’s worth it.
Eduwonk
Eduwonk.com is “a blog written by Andrew Rotherham, co-founder and co-director of Education Sector,” the self described “think tank that challenges conventional thinking in education policy.” Rotherham is also “a member of the board of directors of the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ).
National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ)
According to SourceWatch, NCTQ supports “a more market-sensitive approach to the structure of the [teaching] profession..” (market sensitive,hmmmm) SourceWatch also lists a source of funding for NCTQ as “The Smith Richardson Foundation” an organization that is listed as having become “active in supporting conservative causes,” and whom Forbes estimates “to have a net worth of $870 million, which makes it one of the U.S.’s richest families.”
The Advisory Board of NCTQ counts some of the following as members. (Get ready, because it gets really incestuous now)
Wendy Kopp
Wendy Kopp is the founder of Teach For America, the organization who sends individuals with no education background into urban public schools for a commitment of two years.
Mike Feinberg
Mike Feinberg, former Teach For America Teacher, who is the co-founder of KIPP Charter Schools along with David Levin, brother of Jessica Levin, leading researcher for the New Teacher Project.
New Teacher Project
Organization best known for their stance about urging ‘Schools and Teachers Union to Address Costly Problem of Salaried Teachers Who Cannot Find Jobs” and who is behind the New York City Teaching Fellows Program, another organization that sends in individuals who have no educational background to teach in urban public schools for a short period of time.
Lisa Graham Keegan
Close friend of John Mcain; who served as superintendent of Arizona’s Public Schools and who is described by her relentless push in Arizona to launch charter schools.
Deborah McGriff
Executive Vice President, Chief Relationship Officer of Edison Schools, a “for profit education management organization,” who partners with Teach For America.
(Are you getting a headache yet? I know I am)
Michelle Rhee
Chancellor of DC Public Schools, former Teach for America member and president of “The New Teacher Project.”
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I’m going to stop at this point, because the genealogy is never ending.The relationships go on and on..
So I guess the real question is, what do you have to do to be a part of this family?
You don’t think it’s anything like the Corleones had to do, do you?
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Comments
And good ole Wendy is also on the TNTP board. Will one day Wendy become chancellor? Then we’ll really see the chancellor’s new clothes.
You know, maybe if we offered the mafia a deal to come in and compete with these characters we might actually get better run schools – after the vigorish, of course. Can it be more than Alvarez and Marsal?
Norms last blog post..Deborah Meier Nails What Teaching Is All About
I don’t think that Kopp could be chancellor-unless she could do it from her dorm room or maybe the very safe office of a think tank group.
Anyone can be chancellor. You need a license and training to become a manicurist in NY State, but they grant waivers if all you want is to run the largest school district in the country.
NYC Educators last blog post..Those Goshdarn Educational Think Tanks
Hey, you guys are really good at research. Great digging. For instance, I never would have known that Jessica Levin is Mike Feinberg’s sister. I would have thought that if she were the sister of a KIPP founder, it would be David LEVIN. Who knew? Thanks, inspector!
You forgot something — Wendy Kopp is married to Richard Barth, formerly of Edison and now head of KIPP!
And let’s not forget that Michelle Rhee was appointed by Mayor Adrian Fenty who met with Mike Bloomberg and Joel Klein because “Bloomberg, with the blessing of the state legislature, took over the New York City schools six months into his tenure, established a city Department of Education, hired Klein as chancellor and reduced the city’s boards of education to advisory panels — a model that Fenty has admired.”