The Failed RSD and White Lies
February 10, 2013
Revised on February 26, 2013
Revised on February 26, 2013
Column - 550 words
One of the greatest mysteries of Louisiana politics is a recent phenomenon:
The Recovery School District.
The RSD, created under Governor Kathleen Blanco in 2004,
began as a way for the state to wrest control of "failing"
schools from local districts. Now it serves as the model for Governor Bobby
Jindal’s unwise education “reform” agenda.
Let’s address some key facts about this failed agenda.
According to the latest Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) District Rankings Based on 2011 District Performance Score, the RSD is the second worst district in the State of Louisiana. It is ranked number 61 out of 62 districts listed. Zachary School District is ranked first, and St. Helena Parish is last.
According to the LDOE’s own ranking, the Failed RSD is a district at the very bottom of Louisiana education achievement, and Louisiana as a whole is at the very bottom of the U.S., and this makes Superintendent John White’s model district one of the worst school districts in the developed world.
According to the latest Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) District Rankings Based on 2011 District Performance Score, the RSD is the second worst district in the State of Louisiana. It is ranked number 61 out of 62 districts listed. Zachary School District is ranked first, and St. Helena Parish is last.
According to the LDOE’s own ranking, the Failed RSD is a district at the very bottom of Louisiana education achievement, and Louisiana as a whole is at the very bottom of the U.S., and this makes Superintendent John White’s model district one of the worst school districts in the developed world.
Please don’t forget, White was head of the RSD before he was
promoted to State Superintendent. This alone is a scandal.
Sponsored by Louisiana Progress and the Daily Star, an Education Policy Forum was held in Hammond on January 29th. While at that forum, which was well-attended by concerned citizens, I had the misfortune of asking panelist John Ayers, Executive Director of Tulane’s University’s Cowen Institute, about the Failed RSD and the fraud of Bobby Jindal’s education “reform” scheme.
Sponsored by Louisiana Progress and the Daily Star, an Education Policy Forum was held in Hammond on January 29th. While at that forum, which was well-attended by concerned citizens, I had the misfortune of asking panelist John Ayers, Executive Director of Tulane’s University’s Cowen Institute, about the Failed RSD and the fraud of Bobby Jindal’s education “reform” scheme.
What proceeded from Ayers was a series of arrogant statements with no connection to the real facts. It was Jindal-White education “reform” spin faster than a new Maytag.
[On February 26, 2013, the video was made available to me, and I have posed it below.]
First, Ayers denied that the RSD was indeed a failed district or even one of the worst in the state. But he never countered the data as stated above using the LDOE’s own District Performance Score.
Second, his chief argument for showing the vitality of the
RSD was that New Orleans
has half of the number of failing schools now than they did prior to Hurricane Katrina.
Nice spin, Mr. Ayers. But New Orleans has about half the student population.
It sure makes claiming victory easy.
Third, Ayers bloviated about the great parent satisfaction of the charter schools. However, that very night, parents from across thecountry and New Orleans appealed to the U.S. Department of Education about the civil rights violations of such education programs.
Third, Ayers bloviated about the great parent satisfaction of the charter schools. However, that very night, parents from across thecountry and New Orleans appealed to the U.S. Department of Education about the civil rights violations of such education programs.
Fourth, later during the forum Ayers denied that the goal of
the charter school movement was to make money for corporations. This, however,
is a fairy tale. Just last week, an expose from In the Public Interest was released
with thousands of e-mails showing that Jeb Bush’s pro-charter educational
foundation was all about benefiting its corporate funders, not the children.
The Failed RSD is not a miracle. It is only magic, a sleight
of hand shell game run by corporate profiteers and their well paid lackeys. The
taxpayers, parents, and school children of Louisiana deserve better than the Cowen
Institute's duplicitous spin. The Failed RSD, the Cowen Institute, John White, and Governor
Jindal’s unconstitutional education “reform” package are a disgrace.
Louisiana would do well to find a better approach to education “reform” and better people to lead our state.
Dayne Sherman lives in Ponchatoula and is the author of “Welcome to the FallenParadise: A Novel.” His website is daynesherman.com.
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