I strongly object to the District donating resources for hosting Paul Vallas, a prominent privatizer of public education. He and his approach to education (privatizing public schools; de-unionization of employees; increased emphasis on testing; and reliance on private sector models) while lacking any credible evidentiary support, already has the backing of wealthy foundations and hedge fund managers. With backing not from the education community, but instead the rich and powerful, he needs not additional assistance from the Madison school district or legitimate non-profit organizations.

Vallas has left trainwrecks behind in the Philadelphia, New Orleans and Chicago school systems. These school districts have increased segregation, increased staff turnover and instability, and rendered no measurable credible improvements. While some attribute negligible increased test scores to Vallas’ tenure, it is quite likely that these questionable improvements are more from test “scrubbing” (see, e.g., http://washingtonindependent.com/110519/louisiana-school-group-alleges-new-orleans-scrubbed-testing-scores-to-inflate-results-state-officials-deny-claims) and weeding out challenging students (see e.g., http://americanindependent.com/190386/new-orleans-schools-a-nexus-of-poverty-high-expulsion-rates-hyper-security-and-novice-teachers) than real progress. Even cursory research about Chicago and Philadelphia will reveal widening achievement gaps, increased segregation, and other deteriorations either under Vallas’ tenure, or under systems he put in place.

Vallas’ approach is generally disdained by the education community, that sees the value in measures such as de-segregation and smaller class sizes. However, folks who lack an actual background (as does Vallas) like the “quick fix” idea that Vallas purports. If installing novice educators, increasing segregation, privatizing public schools, increasing staff turnover, and de-unionizing workforces actually rendered benefits, then the proponents would not be limited to wealthy groups without education experience. That is why the NAACP has taken a strong stand against the privatization of public education.

It is not just that Vallas’ ideas are wrong and destructive that disturbs me about the May 26 forum. The school district and Boys and Girls Club are giving voice to an idea that already has overhwhelming financial support. As parent groups and educators across the country seek to protect and improve public education, CEOs and privatization-friendly foundations push an agenda that has neither succeeded anywhere nor has credible evidentiary support. Vallas and other “reformers” already have resources on their side–I object to my taxpayer dollars or my school board giving more aid. That’s kind of like Microsoft passing the hat for donations.

I hope that in the future the Madison School District does not use its resources to disseminate a message that already has billionaires’ backing and that undermines public education.

Sincerely,

Ted Lewis
1910 Keyes Ave
Madison WI 53711

He wrote:

“Just like Vallas, I invited you to speak at the town hall meeting to challenge his record and you stated that you are busy. I invited you to meet with me one-on-one to talk about education reform and you stated that you are busy. I was willing to have you meet Vallas at another time and you stated that you are busy.”

Here is the relevant exchange (I’m not comfortable posting private conversations, but am making a partial exception here in order to correct. If anyone would like to see the entire conversation, please contact me):

One response becomes multiple refusals,; an assurance that if I attend I won’t be stopped from participating becomes an invitation to participate (in what is supposed to be an open Town Hall), a willingness to to arrange a meeting with Vallas at another time that I first heard of in this comment brings another imaginary refusal.

One other thing. Michael Johnson also wrote that:

Not to mentioned you failed to mention on your blog that he has closed achievement gaps, raised student test score and built hundreds of schools. Mr, Wetrz I cant believe you think we don’t need his advise

Here are some excerpts from the post he is commenting on, addressing two of the three things that I supposedly failed to mention:

What the CCSR found in general was that “Many of the findings in this report contradict trends that appear in publicly reported data. For instance, publicly reported statistics indicate that CPS has made tremendous progress in elementary math and reading tests, while this analysis demonstrates only incremental gains in math and almost no growth in reading.”The same pattern is true for the Vallas years, some slight improvement in some reading scores, and slight but more pronounced improvements in math scores. Large racial gaps grew, Chicago continued to lag behaind the state and “Despite progress, the vast majority of CPS students have academic achievement levels that are far below where they need to be to graduate ready for college.” It should also be noted that graduation rate improvements slowed under Vallas. The whole report is worth a read, especially the section on “Changes in School Climate and Organizational Supports,”

And on Philadelphia:

No equivalent analysis has been done for Philadelphia, but there is reason to doubt the reported double digit and even 20%+ increases in students meeting standards over Vallas’ tenure. With the latter there is some apples to oranges going on, the 2002 numbers cover grades 5.8 and 11; but by 2007 grades 3,4,6 and 7 have been added. Philadelphia did not participate in NAEP during the Vallas years, but the performance on the Terra Nova were not as impressive as it was on the state tests and even here there were problems. Still, it is likely that scores did rise significantly in real ways under Vallas, but also needs to be noted that when he left only 47.0% of tested students were proficient in math, only 40.7 in reading and that that the schools turned over to outside Educational Management Organizations were below these dismal numbers.

No, I didn’t write about school construction and I didn’t write about achievement gaps in Philadelphia. There are lots of things I didn’t write about, the Special Education lawsuit in New Orleans filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center being the biggest one in my mind.. On achievement gaps in Philadelphia, numbers aren’t easy to come by, but for the record it appears there has been some overall progress. From the 2002-3 and 2007-8 District Report Cards the district-wide African American/White Gap in % proficient or above for Reading went from 27.2 to 24; in Math from 27.3 to 26; the White? Hispanic-Latino gap for Reading went 32.8 to 26 and for Math from 22.8 to 24. To me what is more important than gap movement is that for all sub groups there is evidence that (as I said) “it is likely that scores did rise significantly in real ways under Vallas, but also needs to be noted that when he left only 47.0% of tested students were proficient in math, only 40.7 in reading.”

The last thing I want to address is this statement:

I’m struggling with the comments you have left on several face book pages and other sites and your claims are not coming from credible sources.

Credibility does seem to be an issue here, but references to unspecified sources lacking credibility doesn’t help. If Michael Johnson, or anyone else wants to raise issues about the credibility of any specific sources I’ve cited, I’d be glad to have that discussion and maybe I’d end up agreeing. But without specifics, I don’t find the reference credible.

Paul Vallas is coming to Madison to reform your blog like he has reformed many school district’s during his tenure!! Mr. Mertz I’m struggling with the comments you have left on several face book pages and other sites and your claims are not coming from credible sources. Paul Vallas is a mentor of mine and awarded me my first professional assignment working in the public school sector and he is a great guy who is making a difference for kids, Here is a guy who is coming to Madison on his own dime to give our community advise on how to close the achievement gap and you don’t want to hear him speak. A guy who was mentioned in two presidential state of the union addresses and you don’t want to hear him speak. A guy who was invited by the government of Haiti and Chili to reform their schools and you don’t want to hear him speak. A guy who was invited by elected officials in Louisiana to reform their schools and a guy who has been featured in New York Times, Education Week, CBS World News, CNN and hundreds of other publications and other news outlets and you stated “his advise is not needed.” Really?

Paul Vallas has accepted awards from people like President Clinton, the United Negro College Fund, the Manhattan Institute, several college and universities and so many others for his work in urban schools. A guy who has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for public education without any teachers strikes or contracts delays during his tenure. I would be happy to have you talk with the presidents of each teacher union Vallas worked with. He provide me their names this afternoon and I would welcome the opportunity for us both to talk with them. So please stop misleading the public.

Not to mentioned you failed to mention on your blog that he has closed achievement gaps, raised student test score and built hundreds of schools. Mr, Wetrz I cant believe you think we don’t need his advise.

Just like Vallas, I invited you to speak at the town hall meeting to challenge his record and you stated that you are busy. I invited you to meet with me one-on-one to talk about education reform and you stated that you are busy. I was willing to have you meet Vallas at another time and you stated that you are busy. However, you have time to talk to the newspapers reporters and create blogs about Vallas record but don’t want to come before the public to address your position. I respect your decision but please help be part of the solution and lets stop this divisive behavior. If we cant be united and cant respect each other opinions and be willing to meet and talk. Our kids will suffer because of this behavior. Again, I hope you will find time in your busy schedule and speak up and challenge Vallas record and offer solutions that can help our community kids. Thanks for all you do and thanks for highlighting a different view point! Vallas record is well documented and find another urban school district chief that has an the array of government, education and international education experience that he brings and I will personally finance your blog for one full year.

Michael Johnson, MBA
CEO for Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County

Says a lot about why not asking what is right in public education undermines the community’s will and capacity to address what is wrong. Lessons for Madison here.