Just Asking
Has Joel Klein Lost the Confidence and Trust of the New York City Teacher and Public School Parent?
"Joel Klein's 200 Club", an article published in New York magazine February 17, 2003, suggested that perhaps the designation of 200 schools which would not use the standardized curricula because they were already "successful" may erode support for the reforms.
The mandated curricula imposed upon 1000 New York City public schools at the beginning of the Bloomberg/Klein 'reign', while a few more than 200 "got away", led many teachers and parents to question the school reforms pushed into the system by Joel Klein and his team. No explanation was ever given to the public concerning how these schools were chosen. Then public school parents heard from various groups including NYCHOLD.com that the curricula was also decided upon in secrecy. Closed government does not make for good democracy, and perhaps Mr. Smith in his Feruary 17, 2003 article "Klein's 200 Club" is right,
"Even if thousands of parents can't bail out, physically, to Brearley or to the 'burbs, Bloomberg and Klein risk driving out their spirit. Getting that spark back would take more than clever restructuring." |