Yes They Can
Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin are the world-changing founders of the KIPP network of charter schools. KIPP started in 1994 with two middle schools, one in NYC and one in Houston. Today, the network consists of 66 schools serving 17,000 children in 19 states. In addition to providing a superior education to thousands of kids, they have provided the "facts on the ground" that have allowed the charter movement to flourish. In other words, as they like to say, "the actual proves the possbile."
Like most of the pioneering founders of charter schools, Feinberg and Levin have been careful to avoid statements that could rile the education establishment. I suppose that they have viewed it as counterproductive to their efforts to create "the actual" that will "prove the possible".
Today, though, the Washington Post published their editorial, "What 'Yes, We Can' Should Mean for Our Schools". Feinberg and Levin list five ideas to improve public education. As seems to be the required format for diplomatic education reformers, they put the most controversial point towards the end:
"Fourth, we should assess teachers on their demonstrated impact on student learning, not whether they hold a traditional teacher certification. At KIPP, we have the ability to hire, fire and reward principals and teachers based on their students' progress and achievement. If we are going to hold all public schools accountable for their results -- and we should -- we need to grant this same power to all public schools. Otherwise, public schools will not meet the goal of providing a world-class education to every child."
Before today, I had never read these brutal truths coming from Feinberg and Levin. First, they attack traditional teacher certification, which is perhaps the most under-covered and costly scam in public education. Second, they state the obvious-but-often-unspeakable truth that school leaders need flexibility with respect to hiring, firing, and compensating principals and teachers. These points are well-known, but reading them from school leaders as influential as Feinberg and Levin is great news.
Now let's watch the backlash that will occur for Feinberg and Levin, now that they've made those statements. They just joined the political fight! I am impressed by their discipline in having remained tight-lipped for so long.
Posted by: Macho | January 16, 2009 at 06:38 AM