In an article from our last print issue, Kevin Carey explains how Democrats have gotten education reform wrong:
Democrats have been stumbling on education policy for years, fracturing the progressive coalition, tainting the party brand, creating undeserved political opportunities for Republicans, and, worst of all, standing in the way of school reforms that primarily benefit low-income and minority children. Until Democrats reclaim education reform as a progressive cause, the embarrassments are sure to continue.
And in an online extra Carey argues that teachers need to sacrifice some autonomy to become respected as professionals:
Unfortunately, teacher autonomy historically has been interpreted to mean much more: not just how to teach but what to teach and how to assess the results. This was part and parcel of the American tradition of local educational control: thousands of districts and tens of thousands of schools, each deciding on their own what students needed to learn. That discretion was often passed down the line to the classroom, where teachers were presented with a room full of children at the beginning of the year and only a few vague directions about what to do with them.
And if you're in Washington and want to learn more join the Prospect this Friday at the New America Foundation for a discussion of education reform moderated by Dana Goldstein with Carey, Rep. Artur Davis, and education policy consultant Bella Rosenberg.
--The Editors