Campaign 2012: Feisty Los Angeles vs. Cooperative Chicago

Districts like Portland and Los Angeles haven't been able to get union support for their Race to the Top grant applications, with LAUSD superintendent John Deasy pushing the envelope as far as possible in terms of reminding everyone that the obstacle is the union.  (He didn't really think that the USDE would accept an application without union support.)

Meanwhile, Chicago -- yes, Chicago -- has apparently come to agreement and is submitting a grant application with union approval (LA School Report).  Whether it will meet muster or not with the reviewers in Washington is another question.  Chicago's grant application that's being submitted is much different from some of the earlier versions, focusing on professional development and middle school instruction rather than performance pay and other signature RTTT elements. Just a few days before Election Day, with Mayor Emanuel making fundraising calls to labor groups, the political and financial priorities in Chicago are different from the ones in Los Angeles. 

Comments

[Bruce]

If John Deasy were more willing to listen to his critics among teachers, he wouldn't be in this situation. Focusing on in-service training is quite sensible, with the Common Core changes coming so soon. Focusing on linking teachers' appraisals and employment prospects to scores on tests that do not yet exist is sure to raise anxieties at a time when many teachers in California already feel a sharp sense of doom. Performance pay is still worthy of support, but "performance" needs to be defined carefully, not in the lazy, spreadsheet-glancing manner supported by Wall Street managers with next to no understanding of education. And again, middle school is a sensible place for focus, since students arriving several years behind by the time they enter high school can be so difficult to help.