Ford Initiative: The Antidote For Race To The Top

It's not all Duncan and Gates out there in school reform land.  Last week the Ford Foundation announced a $100M initiative to revamp secondary education in seven cities including Chicago (LATimes). The Ford Initiative is relatively big and challenges Race To The Top and NCLB in several regards.  Jeannie Oakes is leading it and is a big proponent of comprehensive services, funding reform, and value measures beyond standardized testing.  I'm not sure it's big enough to make a dent at the national level, or focused enough to make concrete changes.  But it's a clear sign that the old guard isn't gone yet.  Here's the press release for more details.