November 2014
This note is for all those committed to and interested in how California can improve its education performance statewide over the next four years—improvements across the entire system and all of its levels. We believe that there are enough forces aligned to make this result a distinct possibility. The actions and coordinated efforts we outline in this paper are practical and realistic. Our team is working in partnership with a number of groups at all levels of the state. It will be the internal leadership within the state that will lead and cause the change to happen. We are fortunate and proud to be participants in this unprecedented endeavor. This is indeed a golden opportunity for system transformation that occurs once in a lifetime at best.
Please explain the difference between “negative accountability” and “internal/external accountability”. What characteristic of making someone or some institution accountable becomes a wrong policy driver versus a right policy driver? Also, please explain how moving away from individualism will still hold students accountable if collaborative team work is the new measure – human nature of one is bound to frustrate performance of another. Won’t there be some breeding of anymosity if a team member feels “wronged” or overworked? How can you not have some indivudalism measure? Also, why is technology a wrong policy driver? In the same educational magazine article for which you were recently interviewed, there was an article about how San Mateo middle school has turned around by focusing on STEM curriculum — Science, Technology, Engineering, Math. If there is proven track record of technology’s success in eduction as well as the growth produced in our economy, why not teach and incorporate technology and have it as a measure or requirement for staff? Additionally, as the API index changes to incorporate different measures one being “parent involvement” – why haven’t you included any parent organizations in your “agencies of change”. The listings that you include seems to only include government agencies that are more removed from the day to day classroom. It would seem logical to incorporate the advice, input and participation of organized parent groups from the local districts that have organized 501c3 groups to make up for the shortcomings of the State as well as the parent advocacy groups to truly have a “whole system change” that wants to make an effective change (especially if parent involvement is a component of the new rating system – they should be given a voice).