Obama In Madison: What The Trip Really Meant

SETTING THE SCENE
Speaking in front of a blue backdrop with words "Race to the Top" scrawled in white letters, Obama spoketo about 250 students as well as hundreds of parents, teachers, staff and local dignitaries packed into the an auditorium that normally serves as the school's lunchroom. (Obama pushes education reforms Tribune)

POLITICAL CONTEXT
Mr. Obama’s visit to Madison, which is the first by a sitting president to this city in 59 years, comes as the Republican National Committee is running a radio ad in Madison criticizing the $787 billion stimulus package..(Political Punch ABC News)

A CHARTER SCHOOL, YOU SAY?
Wright is a charter school with the highest population of minority students in the area. (Race to the Top and Higher Goals Fox News)

PRESIDENT WONK
The president's speech moved from a brusque defense of his time in office to a turgid review of his education proposals, replete with terms such as "firewall laws" and four-point measures for reform. Students yawned.  (Obama marks election anniversary by talking education Washington Post)

RTTT=NCLB
He spent a large chunk of the speech trying to educate people about those four "assurances" in the stimulus law, which are clearly becoming the education reform vision of the Obama administration. (Politics K-12 EdWeek)

PIMPING OUT MALIA
The president went off script for a few moments, telling of a C grade that his 11-year-old daughter, Malia, brought home from school recently. It didn't meet the standards at the Obama home, he said, and Malia knew it. (Obama calls for end of 'firewall' rules that shield teachers LATimes)

YES, KIDS ASK TOUGHER QUESTIONS THAN THE PRESS
All right. Okay. Now we're going to kick out everybody so I can let you -- you guys can ask me all the really tough questions without having the press here. (Transcript of President Obama, Secretary Duncan with Students WBAY)

DUNCAN LITERALLY NEEDS NEW WORDS
"We have lots of written comments come back -- literally thousands.  Our staff has been staying up literally all night going through all those." (White House Press Gaggle by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan Forest Park News)

Quotes: A Super - Reformy View Of Yesterday's Elections

"Teachers unions are only as powerful as we let them be." ( edspresso)

Obama: White House Background On Madison School Event

Click below to see what the White House says the trip to Madison is all about - a revealing little peek into what they think is going on (and hope that you will think, too).  

Chicago Science & Technology Guy Heading To USDE

Mike Lach, longtime science curriculum guru at the Chicago Public Schools, is heading to DC to work on STEM issues.

Watch out, DC.

Congrats, condolences. 

Lach is the most recent of several Chicago education insiders who have flown the coop since Arne Duncan left and Ron Huberman came in. 

Travel: Why Duncan and Obama Are Going to Wright Middle School

President Obama and Secretary Duncan are ostensibly going to Wright Middle School to talk about strengthening America's education system.  You know:  Stimulus this, Race to the Top that.  But insiders tell me that there's a much more specific purpose to the visit.  And it's not a Plaza Burger with extra Plaza Sauce. 

The state legislature is on the verge of deciding whether to give Milwaukee public schools mayoral control, a favorite Obama/Duncan reform strategy.  And Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett might be running to replace Gov. Jim Doyle.  So it's a policy/politics two-fer for the Obama team.

Whether Barrett got them to come or they decided to come in and wave their big sticks is unclear.  So too is the eventual outcome.  Obama and Duncan went to Stockholm, too, remember.  But this is yet another example of the Obama administration's willingness to weigh in heavily on state and local issues and wag their fingers at local leaders. 

Money: Controversial ED Staffer Raised More Than $100K For Obama

Little noted in the debate surrounding Kevin Jennings is the fact that the beleaguered USDE official known as the 'safe schools czar' raised between 100 and 200K for the Obama election campaign, according to this USA Today story about staff jobs and diplomatic posts. Jennings is among the 54 big donors and bundlers who've gotten top jobs, a fact that will no doubt give critics extra ammunition when it comes to attacking Jennings (or explaining why the Administration has defended him instead of dumping him overboard).

Malkin: Moderate Republicans Fooling Themselves About Duncan

"There are some delusional mainstream conservatives who think Arne Duncan is a friend because he pays lip service to charter schools. Wake up and smell the radical socialism!" (Malkin blasts moderate GOP Chicago Sun TImes)

Quote: Something More

“Will we do something more than the Race to the Top? Will we revisit the Elementary and Secondary Education Act? Will we revisit the Higher Education Act?” (Chris Edley in GothamSchools)

Caption Contest: What Were They Saying?

Come up with your own captions for this recent picture of Duncan, Sebelius, Rhee, and Fenty.  Or, check out my lame ideas below. And then come up with better.

Photo Op: Read, Read, Read Read!

Here, the POTUS talks to some kids at Viers Mill Elementary School.  [Silver Spring, October 19. Image via Getty] Via Jezebel.

PRINCIPAL DEVAN: Viers Mill, what's our goal?
STUDENTS: Read! Read! Read!
PRINCIPAL DEVAN: Viers Mill, what's our goal?
STUDENTS: Read! Read! Read!
PRINCIPAL DEVAN: Because great readers have?
STUDENTS: Great choices!

Obama & Duncan: Whirlwind Tour Of New Orleans

McDonogh students tell Duncan what it's like NOLA.com
Duncan chose John McDonogh, a non-charter school in the state-run Recovery School District, partly because he had heard of the school's sharp turnaround over the last two years.

Obama in New Orleans: 'It's clear how far we have to go'  LA Times
Paul Vallas, the head of the city's Recovery School District, spoke of the hundreds of millions in rebuilding funds he was still hoping to receive from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

PLUS:  Obama Speaks to Students at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School
Courtesy of CQ Transcripts Wire

White House: Back-To-School Controversy Crystallized Issues For Gibbs

The White House Takes on the Press TIME

Teen Violence: Maybe It IS A National Problem After All [For Black Boys]

"Between 2002 and 2007, the number of homicides involving black male juveniles as victims grew by about 30 percent and, as perpetrators, by more than 40 percent, says James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University in Boston. At the time, overall crime rates were going down or staying flat."  (Christian Science Monitor)

Cartoon: What Some People Think When They Think Of Public Education

Ouch.  This is pretty harsh (and not necessarily funny):

At least the SNL skit about Obama's lack of accomplishments was funny.  Via Slate.

White House Announces Duncan/Holder Youth Violence Trip To Chicago

Earlier today I wrote a mocking post titled White House Promises Youth Violence Response (Once Chicago Wins Olympics).  It seemed like, yet again, everyone was just going to push the issue under the rug.

So I was happy to read just now that an unnamed reporter badgered White House press secretary Robert Gibbs about the relationship between Chicago's youth violence problem and its Olympic bid. 

At a briefing earlier today, Gibbs said that President Obama was prepared to address the issue if it came up in Copenhagen.  Gibbs also revealed that Arne Duncan and US AG Eric Holder are headed to Chicago next week to address the issue. 

It's not a ton, this little exchange at the White House, but at it's not nothing either.  Click below for the transcript. Thanks to DA for catching it.  

WH Promises Youth Violence Response (Once Chicago Wins Olympics)

"This is not just a Chicago specific problem, obviously youth crime and gang violence are something that this administration takes seriously and we'll have more on that soon," Gibbs said at his daily press briefing. (Obama Will Address Derrion Albert's Death NBC Chicago)

Jennings: A Mystifying About-Face From The USDE

The Department or the White House decided that this was necessary, but I hate how weak and ridiculous it looks to have Jennings put out a statement of regret (along with Duncan's defense of Jennings' qualifications.

Jennings Expresses Regret for Controversial Incident Political Punch
Jennings today issued a statement saying, “Twenty-one years later I can see how I should have handled the situation differently. I should have asked for more information and consulted legal or medical authorities."

Obama official regrets advice to gay student AP
Conservative psychology professor Warren Throckmorton unearthed an audiotape of Jennings' comments to the conference and posted it on his Web site recently.

Obama's 'Safe Schools' Czar Admits Bad Handling of Teen Sex Case FOX
Obama’s Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said he is  “honored” to work with Jennings, whom he defended as "uniquely qualified for his job."

What's the deal?  They knew what they were likely getting into when they picked Jennings, and not much has really changed since then. So why give the other side everything they want (short of a resignation)? I don't get it. 

Obama: Who's The President's "Education Czar"? [updated]

The latest silly discussion in Washington is whether Barack Obama has too many policy "czars" working for him -- covering various areas often from the White House (and without Senate confirmation). 

In the case of education, however, there's no one who's commonly referred to as Obama's education czar -- besides Arne Duncan, the Senate-confirmed Education Secretary. 

But Duncan isn't really all that deep into policy ideas and wasn't with Obama on the campaign so I guess you could consider DPC staffers like Heather Higginbottom or Melody Barnes Obama's education czar(ina)s. (There's also Robert Gordon, Carmel Martin, Roberto Rodgrizuez in there.)

UPDATE:  Fritz reminds me not to forget Mary Ellen McGuire, the former Dodd staffer who's at the DPC, and that Carmel's at the USDE not at DPC.  Thanks, Fritz!

Stimulus: Districts Being Told To Plump Up Job Numbers?

State School News Service wonders whether districts in Illinois are now being told to lie about the impact of the stimulus funding on saving jobs. After reporting that few jobs were saved or created by ARRA, districts in Illinois are now being told to "clarify" their numbers.  See below.

Speechy: Controversy Creates Attention For Obama Message

Maybe the controversy was all a sinister plan by Cunningham and Axelrod to gin up interest in an event that would otherwise have passed by without much attention and make conservatives look bad.  I wouldn't put it past them.

It's Elementary, My Dear Jezebel
Obama Lectures to Students on Virtues of Hard Work Washington Post
President Obama Urges Students to Stay in School PBS
Fla. Principal On Showing Obama's Speech NPR
Controversy over Obama's school speech fizzles Salt Lake Tribune
Obama's message came in more clearly than broadcast LA Times
Obama to kids: 'You can't drop out of school and into a good job' USA Today
Obama School Speech: Every Student Has Something To Offer Huffington Post

Nontroversy: Obama Speech Coverage and Reaction

I'll post reaction to the speech here.  Meantime, check out the pool report about the school visit below, describing a handful of protestors, the President's admission that he was kind of a goof off in high school, and a joke about Ghandi.

Obama Coaches Students to 'Get Serious' and Study Hard NYT
Education Secretary Arne Duncan visited the school in February and was “struck by its sense of urgency,'' he said in an interview.

Look who's opposing President Obama's speechs Small Talk
It's none other than WaPo's Jay Mathews.

2 speeches Tom Vander Ark
Young people need adults that believe in ability to succeed in school and life.

On Politicians and School Visits Curriculum Matters
In Iowa, there's a long tradition of national political figures paying visits to schools.

Jay and Valerie Debate The Speech Washington Post
Class Struggle and colleague Valerie Strauss, of The Answer Sheet, staged a head-to-head debate over President Obama's speech at Wakefield High.

Duncan Hangs Tough on Obama's Speech EdWeek
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said today that the controversy surrounding Obama's speech has “absolutely not” undermined the president's intended

Cartoon: The Wingnuts Are Winning...Or Are They?

Via Slate

"Conservatives, happy to fight about anything this man does, came out swinging against the President's "socialist" intentions. And they're winning! (Right's Asinine 'Indoctrination' War Hurts School Kids Gawker)

"People should chill out a little -- they don't have to criticize [Mr. Obama] for everything he does," said Frank Luntz, a onetime strategist for Republican candidates. Conservative critics, he said, need to "pick your battles," or "at some point the public will stop listening." (School Choice: To Air Obama Talk or Not? WSJ).

Schedule: Tuesday Will Be A Hot Mess

Still no word as of Saturday night as to Secretary Duncan's weekly press events, but the Department did send out this advisory that Deputy Secretary Tony Miller will be in California on Tuesday for the big "Get Schooled" thing being held by the Gates Foundation et al.  Frankly, it seems like a hot mess having all this stuff go on at basically the same time.  Am I supposed to go to school, listen to the President talk about going to school, take my kid out of school in order to avoid any chance of being contaminated by the Presdident's words,  or ooh and ahhh at all the celebrities?  I'm not sure.  What're you going to do?

VIDEO: Obama Talks Funding Equity In Damon Weaver Interview

Florida elementary school student Damon Weaver finally got his interview with President Obama:

   

Funny moments:  Damon suggests that Obama gets bullied a lot as President.  Obama throws in a mild surprise talking about getting states to fund low-income schools more fairly - an issue noticeably missing from the priorities in "Race To The Top."

DUNCAN: The Secretary's Media Schedule August 17-21

Here it is, the thin gruel that passes for the Secretary's schedule these days -- media events and appearances, by and large.

Plus one of those godawful "Read to the Top" events, this week including Valerie Jarrett and Janet Napolitano.

Enjoy!

OBAMA: Hypocrisy In His Choice-Or Just In His Ability To Choose?

To me, it's more objectionable that President Obama gets to send his kids anywhere he wants than the particularity that he's chosen to send them to progressive-minded Sidwell Friends. But to others, like this EdWeek commentator, the pedagogical differences between Sidwell and more structured schools that might receive Title I funding is galling in the extreme (Obama’s School Choice).  What do you think?

USDE: So Much Coverage, So Little Real News

Last night, suspiciously close to the official 11 pm release time for the new RttT backgrounders, the mainstream papers and EdWeek all posted pieces:

Teachers could earn more under plan USAT
Obama to Unveil Guidelines for New Fund WSJ
States to compete for extra stimulus dollars AP
'Race to Top' Guidelines Stress Use of Data EdWeek
CA told to use scores in evaluating teachers LA Times
Administration Takes Aim at Laws on Teachers NYT

The Post played its cards smart and insisted on 20 minutes of face time with the POTUS (President Obama Discusses New 'Race to the Top' Program) in exchange for their story (Obama Uses Funding to Pressure for Change). ABC News comes off worst, not realizing that Duncan talked to pretty much everyone (EXCLUSIVE).

But still, most of these stories are heavy on what the regs hope to accomplish and thin on whether they're going to take effect or make much of a difference in the real world.

No surprise -- what's been released are only draft regs and no one's had much chance to review them yet.  Hardly worth a story, really.  What's absent, however, is much about just how small the RttT's $5B is, just how small the stimulus is looking to states right now, and just how unlikely it is that, at the end of the day, most states that want them won't get RttT funds.  Seriously.  The education press corps is following the Obama narrative pretty damn closely these days, even as the national press corps is asking increasingly skeptical questions on other issues. I can't do much about it, but I can point it out.

DUNCAN: The Secretary's Schedule July 20-24

The big event of next week's schedule is a Tuesday White House event focused on the arts and -- yes -- country music.

Mystery event is an appearance at Abbottston Elementary in Balto -- anyone know why he's going there in particular?

Left over -- ADA event, NASTID event.

More TK about my request for more information about the Secty's non-press events.  

REFORM: Obama Touts Sharpton At NAACP Event

"If Al Sharpton, Mike Bloomberg, and Newt Gingrich can agree that we need to solve it, then all of us can agree on that. All of us can agree that we need to offer every child in this country the best education the world has to offer from the cradle through a career." (Full Text: Obama remarks to NAACP)

STIMULUS: Biden Jumps The Gun Praises USDE

“I’m pleased to announce today that the Department of Education will be making over $2.5 billion in Recovery Act funds available to states in the coming days to support state education budgets, thereby helping states in fiscal distress...I applaud Secretary Arne Duncan and his team for moving so quickly, and will continue to press the Cabinet to find ways to accelerate the pace of Recovery Act spending.”

HIGH SCHOOL: Nerd, Or Jock?

It's the eternal high school question:  nerd, or jock?  John Hodgeman tries to get to the bottom of the Obama mystery.

Hodgman and Obama nerd it up.

CARTOON: "He's Barack Obama, He's Come To Save The Day"

Lyrics from the latest Jib-Jab cartoon (He's Barack Obama):

Fix the schools! 

Go to space! 

Punch a robot 

in the face!

AMERICORPS: Obama, Kevin Johnson, and The Inspector General

It probably won't matter -- did you see Obama kill that fly during a TV interview yet? -- but check out this Gawker post (Obama's Firing of an Inspector General) about the President's questionable firing of an Inspector General who had been looking into the alleged misuse of $850K in AmeriCorps funding that went to Kevin Johnson's St. HOPE effort.  There was no prosecution in the case, but Johnson's nonprofit had to repay about half of the amount to AmeriCorps.

OBAMA: Word Cloud Reveals What He's Really Thinking

Thanks to Wordle and Paul DiPerna.

DFER & EEP: Not Quite As Powerful (Or Unusual) As Presented

Kudos to The American Prospect's Dana Goldstein for following the money and connecting the dots that link Joe Williams, Democrats For Education Reform, former NYC chancellor Harold Levy, and Al Sharpton (The Selling of School Reform).  It's an informative and data-rich piece, whether you admire or question EEP or DFER's approach.

My only real objection is that DFER and its allies aren't quite as all-powerful as Goldstein makes it seem -- and their efforts aren't all that unusual.

*Two million dollars is a drop in the bucket compared to what labor and industry PACs (including the NEA and AFT) raised and spent in 2008. 

*DFER abandoned Joel Klein for Secretary and failed to get Schnur and Rotherham coveted education spots in the Administration, which is instead full of more traditional Democratic types. 

*Rhetoric (and wishful thinking) aside, the vast majority of Stimulus money supports existing schools and programs.

Things may be changing in ways that are startling or unpleasant to traditional Democrats and public education advocates, who indeed need to get their act together.  But the real world still tilts heavily towards them for now. 

POOL REPORT: Toppo Does FLOTUS "Education" Event

Education's own Greg Toppo was in charge of doing the pool report for a FLOTUS education event today -- well, planting vegetables -- and did a much more conscientious job than most. 

He describes her outfit, the kids' little speeches about the history of the carrot, and more.  Check it out. 

MEDIA: Coincidence Or Conspiracy?

The folks at Gawker struggle to figure out how the headline and the picture placement could be unintentional:



"Somebody at the WashTimes thought it made perfect sense to insert the image of the underage White House occupants into a story about murdered kids in Chicago."  (Gawker)

MONEY: Exploding Dye Packs Could Help Track Stimulus Funding

  Seems like everyone wants to help track the stimulus money pouring out of DC these days  --do-gooders and money-makers alike. 

Ever helpful, I've thought up some low-cost ways to help track the money, so we know where it's going (and can get there first):

1.  Exploding dye packs (like in bank heist flicks)

2.  Sequential serial numbers (on most forms of US currency).

3.  "Stimulus" stamp on designated bills.

4.  Call-in 800 number or website for taxpayers to note stimulus sightings.

See any stimulus money on your way to work today?

MONEY: Obama Staffers' Disclosure Forms Online

ProPublica has posted disclosure forms for lots of Obama education folks, including:

Melody Barnes
Russlyn Ali
Peter Cunningham
Arne Duncan
Carmel Martin
Charles Rose
ProPublica

GRADING: The Government's New "Pass Pass" Grading System

The opening of Saturday Night Live this weekend mocked the Treasury Department's watered-down standards on so-called "stress tests" for banks:

A ten-point grading system gets changed into a pass/fail system.  Then pass/fail becomes pass/pass* (with an asterisk).  The last and final version is -- you guessed it -- "pass/pass."

Sound familiar? 

Click below to watch the clip.

VIDEO: The Prez Shoots Hoops With College Players

Absolutely nothing educational about this video, but great footage and a lot of fun:

OBAMA: No White House Tix For Charter School Kids

Last week, I reported that, as part of its efforts to revamp NCLB, the Obama Administration had decided to give tickets to the annual White House Easter Egg Roll to 2000 DC-area kids whose schools made AYP.  Brilliant move -- I can't believe the Bush folks didn't figure it out.  Solves everything.  But, according to insider Jim Kohlmoos at the Knowledge Alliance, the folks at the White House forgot to include charter schools in the ticket giveaway.  Thereby renewing the debate about whether charter schools are public schools anyway.  Maybe next year!

OBAMA: Let The Wild Rumpus Start!

President Obama read from Where The Wild Things Are at yesterday's White House festivities. 
Watch a video clip here.

CARTOON: Words Vs. Deeds

 

OBAMA: Thousands Of Obama Wannabes All Irked At Kal Penn

 This Washington Post story chronicles the uncertain fates of thousands of campaign staffers and do-gooder types (including lots of TFA folks applying to the USDE): 

Would-Be Obama Staffers Hurry Up and Wait.

Meanwhile, actor Kal Penn (from "House" and "Harold and Kumar") skips to the head of the line. 

Irksome, I know. 

NCLB: Giving Schools Egg Roll Tix For Making AYP

"Monday morning, D.C. mayor Adrian Fenty, schools chancellor Michelle Rhee, and Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan will be at another school, this time in southeast D.C., to give out 200 free tickets to students at Plummer Elementary School...Last week, two Prince George's County schools received 500 tickets as a reward for making significant progress on their "No Child Left Behind" test scores." (Fenty, Rhee and Duncan to Hand Out Egg Roll Tickets Channel 8)

Maybe they should make this an official part of NCLB.

REFORM: The War Within The Democratic Party

I finally got the chance to read Dana Goldstein's piece in The American Prospect, The Education Wars. 

I can't say exactly what big new thing I learned from it -- this "war" has been going on within the Democratic party for a long time now -- but it's a good recap and update on the state of play.  

Check it out.  There's not really much else going on. 

OBAMA: Tearing Down US Education Achievement

Speaking of Obama, FactCheck.org is slamming the President for under-playing US kids' academic achievement:  "The high school dropout rate hasn't "tripled in the past 30 years," as Obama claimed. According to the Department of Education, it has actually declined by a third. Eighth-grade scores haven't "fallen" to ninth place compared with other countries. U.S. scores have climbed to that ranking from as low as 28th place in 1995."

OBAMA: Why The Contreras Learning Center?

President Obama is scheduled to visit the Miguel Contreras Learning Center in Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon, and the event is supposed to include a town hall.  Villaraigosa and Schzwarzenegger are supposed to be there, too.  

Why Contreras?  It's across the street from the Board's downtown offices.  It's newly upgraded, and it's beautiful looking.  It opened in 2006.

FLOTUS: First Lady (& Kermit) Read To Army Kids

Army Brats Astonish Michelle, Muppet via Jezebel