Bill Graves
"Gov. Kitzhaber launches sweeping overhaul of Oregon schools, colleges and universities"
The Oregonian
February 11,2011
URL: http://www.oregonlive.com/education/index.ssf/2011/02/gov_kitzhaber_launches_sweepin.html
Topic: Gov. Kitzhaber launches sweeping overhaul of Oregon schools, colleges and universities
Summary: This article says that Gov. John Kitzhaber launched a reform effort today to consolidate control over half of the state budget and all levels of Oregon education in a single board that he would chair. George Pernsteiner, chancellor of the Oregon University System, said the governor is proposing a system that puts an important focus on student achievement outcomes. That means that more and more attention will be given to outcomes of students' achievement, in order to get budget support from the government. There is also a video in the original article.
Intended audience: Teachers, school boards
Key points: 1. Money will be allocated on the basis of education performance goals rather than enrollment, dramatically changing the system's structure and incentives.
2. The governor said he expects a three-year transition to a new system.
3. The governor said the more fluid, seamless system he proposes would ensure more students entered school ready to learn and arrived at college prepared to succeed, saving millions of dollars in remediation costs.
Relevance: It is said by the chancellor that it is a fundamental shift that will really move us ahead. Maybe it is the only way now to make the education system moving on. But let's see how it will work out.
Kitzhaber wants to change the State Superintendent of Public Education from being an elected position to an appointed position. NO WAY! As a parent, voter, person with thoughts and opinions, teacher to be, I want to be part of this process, I want to cast a vote - have some say here. I think different voices should be represented and by appointing a person ultimately its the voice of the Governor being represented. I worry about the direction of this board - so much power and authority in one place - how many of them even know what happens in the trenches?
ReplyDeleteReally though, what can we do? Short of marching down to the capitol building and demanding certain rights, nothing can be done. Even then, unless sufficient economic pressure is put on elected officials, they will not do what we want.
ReplyDeleteWe do not live in a direct democracy; we live in a representative democracy. We elect officials who are supposed to act in good faith on behalf of their constituents. Until campaign finance reform is instituted, however, politician's constituents are not the ordinary people who elected them. Rather, politicians answer to the dollars that enabled them to run multi-million dollar campaigns. Most of those dollars do not come from individuals but from corporations (who are for some terrible and bogus "constitutional" reason given the rights of personhood).
I agree with you entirely. No way should the government be in the business of appointing superintendents. Again, I state the question: what can we do about it? Most Americans believe it to be patently un-American to protest our government. And I certainly do not have the time to do much marching.
We're in a tough place. I hoped for more than disappointment from Kitz when I voted for him. All he has given me thus far is indigestion.
I join Jessica and Jeff's frustration as it just seems to be another shell game by politicians, well meaning though they may be. As long as it looks good and he sticking to his platform mantras, "Holding schools accountable" and "Focus on the student", then everybody is thinking the governor is taking charge.
ReplyDeleteThough I voted for Dudley, I held little hope that he would be able to end the frustration with politics in general. We need to call out the people who are giving incorrect statements and make sure people know about it and this last election seemed to point to the frustration of the electorate with the garbage they had already seen. Until we hold the politicians' feet to the fire for their ineptitude, they will continue to just sit and roast marshmallows.
A detailed definition from the Governor of what "student achievement outcomes" is would be nice before embarking on another rearrangement of deck chairs on the good ship Titanic...um...I mean Oregon.
ReplyDeleteTaking decisions out of the voter's hands seems more like a political power play/slight of hand than productive to me.