Comments on: Bloomberg: Schools Can’t Be ‘Patronage Mills’ Or ‘Run For The Benefit Of The People Who Work In Them’ http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/04/21/bloomberg-education/ Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:42:01 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: jerry http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/04/21/bloomberg-education/comment-page-1/#comment-152699 jerry Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:56:40 +0000 http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/04/21/bloomberg-education/#comment-152699 I understand why Arne's in favor of mayoral control, Daley appointed him. But mayoral control in Chicago has been an abject failure. Arne was a disaster. I cheered his promotion to DC if only because it gets him out of Chicago. He is a crappy Schools Administrator. A complete twit. And Daley made the schools a bigger patronage mill than ever before. I understand why Arne’s in favor of mayoral control, Daley appointed him.

But mayoral control in Chicago has been an abject failure.

Arne was a disaster. I cheered his promotion to DC if only because it gets him out of Chicago.

He is a crappy Schools Administrator. A complete twit. And Daley made the schools a bigger patronage mill than ever before.

]]> By: ForStudentPower http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/04/21/bloomberg-education/comment-page-1/#comment-152665 ForStudentPower Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:43:13 +0000 http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/04/21/bloomberg-education/#comment-152665 Ben: No, Rhee and Klein aren't beholden to teachers unions - they're beholden to an entirely different set of monied interests, while removing any interest in the voting public. Watching what Rhee does here in DC, it doesn't look like a step forward. Ben:

No, Rhee and Klein aren’t beholden to teachers unions – they’re beholden to an entirely different set of monied interests, while removing any interest in the voting public. Watching what Rhee does here in DC, it doesn’t look like a step forward.

]]> By: Ben http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/04/21/bloomberg-education/comment-page-1/#comment-152622 Ben Tue, 21 Apr 2009 21:43:37 +0000 http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/04/21/bloomberg-education/#comment-152622 <blockquote><em>Mayors have their hands full...</em></blockquote> The point isn't that the mayor him/herself personally takes over running the school system, it's that they appoint one reform-minded individual (Rhee in DC, Klein in NYC) to do it for them. Say what you want about Rhee and Klein (and people have), but no one accuses them of running patronage mills for teachers unions. <em><blockquote>Also consider the south </blockquote></em> Also consider that it's only suggesting mayoral control for the 400 biggest school districts. If lots of parents are sending their kids to private or religious schools, then that district probably isn't one of those districts. No one's saying this should be instituted everywhere in the country.

Mayors have their hands full…

The point isn’t that the mayor him/herself personally takes over running the school system, it’s that they appoint one reform-minded individual (Rhee in DC, Klein in NYC) to do it for them. Say what you want about Rhee and Klein (and people have), but no one accuses them of running patronage mills for teachers unions.


Also consider the south

Also consider that it’s only suggesting mayoral control for the 400 biggest school districts. If lots of parents are sending their kids to private or religious schools, then that district probably isn’t one of those districts. No one’s saying this should be instituted everywhere in the country.

]]> By: Gordon Bryson http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/04/21/bloomberg-education/comment-page-1/#comment-152618 Gordon Bryson Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:51:37 +0000 http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/04/21/bloomberg-education/#comment-152618 If the aim is to get the process less transparent and more top-down, this will do it. Mayors of large cities are actually in charge of many small townships, none of which have the same curricular needs or provide the same support for their schools. In a society in which the community is unimportant and the federal government should have all control, this is an ideal solution. Please God, let us not have such a system in the United States. If the aim is to get the process less transparent and more top-down, this will do it. Mayors of large cities are actually in charge of many small townships, none of which have the same curricular needs or provide the same support for their schools. In a society in which the community is unimportant and the federal government should have all control, this is an ideal solution. Please God, let us not have such a system in the United States.

]]> By: Richard Wang http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/04/21/bloomberg-education/comment-page-1/#comment-152617 Richard Wang Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:50:45 +0000 http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/04/21/bloomberg-education/#comment-152617 Bad idea. Sure appoint a school Czar and streamline the bureaucracy, but the mayor has so much on his/her plate, voting on educational achievement alone is very unlikely and a bad school system in a thriving economy will not have much effect on a mayor. Also consider the South, where many people send their kids to private or religious schools. What is the motivation for a mayor to build a great school system, especially funding schools at an appropriate level, when voters don't send their kids to those schools. Lets start by losing the factory model of schooling and decentralize and personalize the educational experience for students. No more 2000-3000 pupil middle and high schools. Bad idea. Sure appoint a school Czar and streamline the bureaucracy, but the mayor has so much on his/her plate, voting on educational achievement alone is very unlikely and a bad school system in a thriving economy will not have much effect on a mayor. Also consider the South, where many people send their kids to private or religious schools. What is the motivation for a mayor to build a great school system, especially funding schools at an appropriate level, when voters don’t send their kids to those schools.

Lets start by losing the factory model of schooling and decentralize and personalize the educational experience for students. No more 2000-3000 pupil middle and high schools.

]]> By: stateofthedivision http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/04/21/bloomberg-education/comment-page-1/#comment-152616 stateofthedivision Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:06:44 +0000 http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/04/21/bloomberg-education/#comment-152616 Dang, this seems a supremely bad idea. Mayors have their hands full with crumbling public infrastructure, patching holes in the healthcare safety net, and arranging financing for long term projects. Adding public education to their staple of responsibilities is ludicrous. Politicians pander in patronage mills. How will a Mayor be any different? It's not who's leader but the management theory they apply. Obama/Orzag/Duncan/DeParle's pay for performance will do the same for education and healthcare that CEO incentive pay did for Wall Street. Our current leaders operate from bad management theory. Look up Dr. Deming folks. Dang, this seems a supremely bad idea. Mayors have their hands full with crumbling public infrastructure, patching holes in the healthcare safety net, and arranging financing for long term projects. Adding public education to their staple of responsibilities is ludicrous.

Politicians pander in patronage mills. How will a Mayor be any different?

It’s not who’s leader but the management theory they apply. Obama/Orzag/Duncan/DeParle’s pay for performance will do the same for education and healthcare that CEO incentive pay did for Wall Street.

Our current leaders operate from bad management theory. Look up Dr. Deming folks.

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