Yet Another Education Reform Organization

There is yet another Education Reform Organization forming. Aren't there enough already? Apparently not. And what do you think this one is doing? There are putting together a coalition. Aren't there enough already? Apparently not.

The new group is called Community Center for Education Results (CCER), and is led by Mary Jean Ryan.

The coalition they are building is called the Education Results Network and you'll never guess who is in the network... all the usual suspects. Don't these people network together enough already?

I'm already bored with it. Their web site has a blog, but it's strictly one-way communication. All this group appears to do is allow the Gates Foundation to have another seat at the table, to have another puppet voice in their chorus, to create the illusion of more consensus.

Blah, blah, blah.

Comments

dan dempsey said…
Not to be missed is that Mary Jean Ryan, Seattle, is a State Board of Education Board Member. Appointed 2006.01 Term expires 2014.01. She was the chairperson of the Board last I heard.
dan dempsey said…
Wonder how the State Board of Education is doing on producing results during the four years of Ms. Ryan's current term?

I would settle for some better reporting of results. Then maybe actions for improving results could begin. So perhaps Ms. Ryan can begin with a presentation of the present state of results in education in WA State.
dan dempsey said…
Let us not miss P-21 when looking for more ed reform organizations.

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (known as P-21) announced the other day that it has entered into a “strategic management agreement” with the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) under which the chiefs will house the P-21 team and provide them with diverse management services.

.... Got to ....Make sure of what other groups think

So we can all Group-Think .. correctly together
joanna said…
Yes, enough, enough reform groups. Anti reform will become the new reform.
wseadawg said…
I just refer to them as the Confederated Tribes for education reform at this point. Like Duff, Duff Light, and Duff Dry Beer, they all come from the same tap.

This latest, and all the other paper organizations who's total substance and membership could fit in a VW Beetle, are already being lost amongst their peers like one kernel of corn in a silo. But that's probably not what they're about. Inquire as to the purpose of the group? What do they do? Why are they needed? Why does the Gates Foundation feel they're needed? To lobby whom? To "represent" whom?

Somewhere, somebody must have seen a crack with light showing through and quickly cobbled together another org to fill it.

These groups are so utterly and transparently puppets of their masters, it's hardly worth mentioning them. Except, of course, to mention that they are ruining our schools, for those who care to notice.
another mom said…
Hmmm. I wonder if this new group will be at the press conference detailed here:

http://www.seattleschools.org/area/news/releases.htm


I know that I should provide a real link, but cannot for the life of me figure it out even with a cheat sheet. Sorry.
First, thank you Another Mom. I would have missed this otherwise and I wouldn't want to miss it. I'm sure we will see the usual suspects including Mary Jean Ryan.

As to the point of this thread, for pete's sake how many more of these groups can there be? I note that this is really for groups to join and not necessarily parents. You ever notice that none of these groups really want parents around? Odd, huh?

Hey and if Mary Jean is leaving, maybe there will be an open place on the State Board of Education.
dan dempsey said…
I was WRONG - WRONG - again.

"It’s time to really amp up education in our region. We must accelerate the pace of improvement – a whole generation of kids is at risk!"

— Mary Jean Ryan,

Executive Director, Community Center for Education Results
=======================

Here I thought they were talking about results based on finding out which instructional materials and practices actually work and which are ineffective. BUT no these are BIG PICTURE FOLKS who seem to think that attempting to have classroom practice be as efficient and effective as possible is unimportant.

The organization CCER explains so much ... RESULTS ... apparently they have little idea how real results are produced.

Perhaps we can get Gates funding for the Community Center for Educationally Efficient and Effective Materials and Practices.
(CCEEEMP) C squared E cubed M P
Josh Hayes said…
I think we can probably come up with a simple algorithm for generating future group names.

1) The group must have the phrase "For Education" or "For Children" in the name, despite the fact that it will be neither.

2) The group name must also include a word indicating inclusiveness, like "Citizens", or "Community", despite the fact that it is not inclusive.

3) The group name must have a vaguely action-related word that implies concrete plans for action, such as "Results" and "Effective".

I think we could probably just plug in a few more words and generate a couple dozen groups of our own. Of course, they'd all be the same underneath, but so are THESE guys. How about "Citizens United for Effective Education"?
dan dempsey said…
Josh,

That is exceptional .... one consonant followed by three vowels

CUEE

Need a CLUE then listen to CUEE

Have Gates Foundation cut us a check made out to: ""Citizens United for Effective Education"
hschinske said…
Sounds like "coo-ee" -- a spelled-out dog whistle?

Helen Schinske
Anonymous said…
I looked at the site, and can see the usual suspects. financial sponsers, seattle foundation, gates, the league of education voters and so on.
ex mayor rice is on the board. so yeah, another clog in the wheel.

jpr/seattle
Anonymous said…
have to wonder why the district needs civic leaders at a press conference detailing the teachers contract.
i would think the district would want a few real teachers there to anwser questions on how they feel. not some "civic leader", sound all political to me.

jpr/seattle
Sahila said…
the district certainly doesnt want real teachers there - they might not toe the party line...

and the district is counting on an uninformed public to be impressed by the fact that it has all these 'civic leaders' on board - after all, all these civic leaders know a thing or two about life and education and making money, dontcha know.... and there will be the token group of people of colour and low income minority communities...
Sahila said…
we really should pepper the media with our own made up organisations.... great acronyms with press releases announcing ourselves and our perspectives/mission statements...

one or two a week should do the trick...

confuse the hell out of people... and take the wind out of the sails of the astro-turf lobby groups...what fun....

Oh, and cooee is not a dog whistle... http://sydney.edu.au/arts/history/research/projects/rwhite_cooee.shtml

go here to hear the story:
http://new.music.yahoo.com/paul-taylor/tracks/cooee-lyrebird--12808701
seattle citizen said…
OSC? P-21? LEV? CCER? OSS?

"They're like their horses: Somebody sure trained 'em."

Butch Cassidy
Charlie Mas said…
I have been thinking of names for fake Ed Reform groups to seek funding from the Gates Foundation

Students and
Teachers
United for
Positive
Intervention and
Discipline
YourWhiningGetsOld said…
Maybe you should actually talk to Mary Jean before deciding it's just like the others. Did you go to any of the work group meetings?

I have.

There are oodles of on-the-ground non-profits there - those who usually aren't invited to the other sorts of groups. They are working on setting real and achievable goals - all data-based. They are reading out beyond SPS and forming a coalition between Renton, Highline, Tukwila, Federal Way and Seattle - where districts can learn from each other.

Maybe, just maybe, you might not want to whine about something just because you're read some information on a website.

Or if you're so tired of it all, make your own group.
hschinske said…
Sahila, I do know what "cooee" is historically. I was making a joke.

Holy cow. The word verification is "lingo"! I've never had such an appropriate one before.

Helen Schinske
Charlie Mas said…
I've called and left a message and I have sent an email asking for a time to talk with the folks at CCER.

I'll ask them directly about what they are all about.
Jan said…
Charlie: I hope they take you up on your request for a meeting. My understanding (from looking at their site a couple of days ago) is that it is aimed at improving/supporting/etc South Seattle and South King county schools where kids are achieving less well than at other schools (my words -- not theirs -- hope I am recalling correctly). ONE thing that might come from such a group would be analysis and comparisons ACROSS district boundaries with respect to what interventions, pedagogies, approaches might be working, and which aren't. If OTHER south Seattle/south of Seattle districts are using better math books than Discovery, or have longer school days or years, or targeted interventions to get kids working under grade level up to it -- it might be an interesting way to highlight better practices in OTHER districts, in case there are any board members, superintendents, who are either interested in, or could be shamed into, paying attention to such things.

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