Georgia’s Dream Team: Perdue, Cox and Wilbanks to mount our Race to the Top case next week in Washington
State School Superintendent Kathy Cox tells Education Week that the Georgia Dream Team dispatched to Washington next week to sell Georgia’s Race to the Top application will include, her, the governor, his policy director and former teacher Erin Hames, Office of Student Achievement director Kathleen Boyle Mathers and Gwinnett Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks, whose district is among the 23 that signed onto the application.
Kathy Cox
Each of those folks can make a compelling case. Wilbanks has the sheen of leading a large, diverse district recognized outside the state for its programs and efforts to close the achievement gap — although the school system has its critics within Georgia and certainly within Gwinnett.
Mathers and her small staff have just pulled off a massive review of CRCT test sheets, a probe that has garnered national attention and accolades from U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan. An attorney, Hames is articulate on all aspects of education, and can speak to the governor’s education agenda. (Insert your wisecracks here about what agenda.)
And the governor himself is increasingly sure-footed on education matters, leading many longtime observers to believe that he has never been stronger than this year. Perhaps, adversity brings out the best in him. And don’t forget Perdue co-chaired the national initiative on common core standards, which were released this week in draft form, and is well schooled on curriculum and global standards.
Cox is also a great champion of the state and its schools. I have seen her at two public events in the last few weeks with her data-filled PowerPoint presentation and her “We can do it” enthusiasm. I think she would impress the panel of judges.
What I did not like in the Education Week article was this information:
And some finalists are turning to outside experts to help them dress-rehearse their presentations. A select group of states— Colorado, Illinois, Rhode Island, and Tennessee are among them—have been invited by the nonprofit Aspen Institute to do a dry run of their presentations before the real thing.
Gov. Sonny Perdue
The Aspen Institute, which has headquarters in Washington and works in many public-policy arenas, is an influential player in education circles. Judy Wurtzel, the deputy assistant secretary for planning, evaluation, and policy development in the Education Department, served as the executive director of Aspen’s education program until she was tapped by U.S. Secretary Arne Duncan last spring to work in the department. Paul G. Pastorek, the state superintendent in Louisiana—one of the finalist states—serves on Aspen’s No Child Left Behind Act commission.
Ross Wiener, the executive director of the Aspen Institute’s education and society program, declined to name the states that will rehearse their Race to the Top presentations or say how many of the finalists were invited to receive Aspen’s feedback.
“We told the states that we would do this off the record and with confidentiality,” Mr. Wiener said.
Asked how Aspen selected the states, Mr. Wiener would only say that the organization had offered its help to those that it has “been in conversations with” for several months about Race to the Top.
Education Week queried several finalist states to see if Aspen had extended the invitation to them. Kentucky received no such offer, said Lisa Gross, the spokeswoman for the state department of education. Neither did Georgia, said Kathy Cox, that state’s schools chief.
“They didn’t contact me,” Ms. Cox said.
On the other side of the ledger, there is the fact that Duncan spends a lot of time in Georgia and his aides told me during his MLK visit that he has a great interest in the efforts under way here and plans to spend even more time in the state. (Of course, they may say that to all the states.)
But Georgia has already begun down the reform path that Race to the Top criteria favor. We are far ahead of several of the other 16 finalists in our efforts on many fronts.
Of course, where that path will ultimately lead – better outcome for kids or millions of dollars down the drain — is still uncertain.
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61 comments Add your comment
Understanding Now
March 12th, 2010
9:11 am
This is Georgia’s Education Dream Team??? That explains a lot about the state of education in Georgia.
at this point in the game
March 12th, 2010
9:21 am
second the motion. You can put Cox and Purdue in the same sentence as “dream team’. . . . I think I just threw up a little in my mouth . . .
at this point in the game
March 12th, 2010
9:21 am
oops – you can’t put Cox and Purdue in the same sentence as “Dream Team” . . . coffee hasn’t kicked in yet . . .
bellcurve
March 12th, 2010
9:36 am
More like the clueless team
D2
March 12th, 2010
9:46 am
Perdue will tell how he supports teachers and Cox will brag about the new standards she has done. All will be lies of course. He has cut QBE formula every year on top of regular cuts. He constantly tells lies how Education was the last to cut, but does not mention his QBE cuts that has been going on. He will forget to tell how he cut the salaries of the teachers who are national certified. He will forget to tell them how he tried to raid the teachers retirement, he will forget to tell them about the withholding of the tax relief grant and it took the general assembly to give it back to the counties, he will forget to mention how he tried to raid the HOPE scholarship to pay for other programs, the closing of RESA centers, he will forget to tell the how education is really the last thing on his Mind–there are more important things such as the new Vet building, kicking Veterans out of a home, building a horse arena, having little league center in his hometown, spend money on the GO fish program over several years. As for Cox she will forget to tell them how she destroyed the math curriculum in high school, how she messed up the social studies standards and it did not align with its CRCT so most student failed the test, how she has cost the taxpayers millions of dollars over the past several years in Unnecessary testing, and conitue to do so, how she never spoke up for teachers while Perdue was cutting her budget, how she changed the Math standards in eight grade and left the big gap of standards needed between the seventh grade and eight grade, how she enrolls the state with paid bloggers, how she blew taxpayers money on the requirement of new material for the new standards, how she wasted money on studies that went against what she is is try to ram through the schools, how she just sits by agains with another 101,000,000 in cuts, how she has created tons of lawsuits with the Charter system she created, how she doesn’t stick up for the Special Education teachers when it comes to testing, and how she has created unecessary work for teachers such as posting all standards of the subject in the classroom, how she promotes merit pay without doing in of the research, how she just went along with Perdue even though she is an elected official. Then when the lying is done, we will suffer again because we will get the funding (Bill Gates) and all the strings that go with it and watch the trickle spread.
old teacher
March 12th, 2010
10:15 am
No one needs more federal interference in education. The federal regulations are drowning schools now.
Mac
March 12th, 2010
10:29 am
Maureen,
Are we ever going to find out who the people on the 4 committees that drafted this document are? Why is this not easily accessible? How many building level (teachers, principals etc.) people were included?
Interventionist
March 12th, 2010
10:35 am
Federal intervention brought us integrated schools; that’s a good thing. Without external [implicitly or explicitly applied] pressure, Georgia’s backward school boards would not have likely moved (or continue to move) the state beyond a 19th Century rubric.
HOLY MOLLY
March 12th, 2010
10:39 am
GOD help us Sonny and Cox on the same team! All school systems run for your lives!!!
part of the plan
March 12th, 2010
10:39 am
All these policitans want is to get their cut, the end game is not about the students and people of GA; it’s about what can I get out of it. We need to elect strict Constitutionlist that will uphold their OATHS.
Mac
March 12th, 2010
10:41 am
This is from an AJC article: “State vies for school money in Race to the Top
AJC Exclusive: Pursuit of up to $400 million in federal funds has high-level support, no teacher group input” By Nancy Badertscher
“Applicants are to be judged on a 500-point scoring system, and that’s where some say Georgia has lost an opportunity.
Jeff Hubbard, president of the Georgia Association of Educators, said the state, based on the contest rules, will be penalized for failing to involve major teacher groups.
“Sadly, the exclusion of our voices could cost Georgia’s application up to 50 points, or 10 percent, which could spell the difference between acceptance and denial in a highly competitive process,” Hubbard said. ”
This tells me that no teacher voices were present on the committees. Is this the case?
http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/state-vies-for-school-252001.html
General Sherman
March 12th, 2010
10:42 am
One suggestion….Leave Sonny at home.
clueless
March 12th, 2010
10:42 am
Will we get enough out of RttT to make up for what they’re putting in trying to win it?
Mac
March 12th, 2010
10:50 am
If you look a the table of contents checklist of the “complete’ application posted at http://gov.georgia.gov/vgn/images/portal/cit_79369762/155733684Race%20to%20the%20Top%20App.pdf you will see that it is not posted in its entirety.
from the document:
Section III.
Race to the Top Application Assurances – Signatures
Included separately (original, copy, and on CD)
Section III.
Race to the Top Application Assurances – State Attorney General Certification
Included separately (original, copy, and on CD)
Section IV.
Accountability, Transparency, Reporting, and Other Assurances and Certifications
Included separately (original, copy, and on CD)
Now why would this information be withheld? Aren’t they proud of their work here?
Lisa B.
March 12th, 2010
10:52 am
Maybe Georgia will luck out and fail to be selected as a final participant. I don’t think our cut of the money would make-up for the expenses incurred to implement the RTT requirements. Also, I agree there are problems with out current standards, but are we seriously going to go to national Core Standards NOW, after spending tens of millions to roll out GPS? OMG!!!
Teacher&mom
March 12th, 2010
10:53 am
We will win the RttT money because the Gates Foundation, Duncan and others see GA as a state that can be manipulated. Wait and see…
Mac
March 12th, 2010
11:05 am
Also left these sections out. Pretty telling.
Section VIII.
Budget
Included in the Appendix (separate file on CD) as Appendix A30: Budget Narrative.
Appendix A30 also includes the Indirect Cost page (p. 64 of the RFP Notice)
Section IX.
Participating LEA Memorandum of Understanding
Included in the Appendix (separate file on CD) as Appendix A16: Participating LEA Model MOU and Exhibit 1
Note: All MOUs signed by participating LEAs were identical, therefore we only include one example
Section XVIII.
Appendix
Included separately (on CD)
Contains full table of contents and all appendices
A1-A40, B1-B6, C1-C2, D1-D20, E1-E5, F1-F10,
STEM Appendix
I_Teach
March 12th, 2010
11:07 am
As a teacher in one of the districts who’ve signed on to this “Race to the Top…” all I can say is: has anyone really READ the ins and outs of this mess?
I am truly hoping we DON’T get selected. Merit pay, from what I understand, is a key component. Along with some other unsound practices.
Ah yes, just what we need-more pressure!
zoe
March 12th, 2010
11:10 am
I_Teach, I too am hoping we don’t get chosen. I was actually excited to see the Aspen Institute didn’t invite us. What I found interesting is that Connecticut was invited. Didn’t that state opt out of NCLB at some point?
D2
March 12th, 2010
11:13 am
The RTTT money will not be all in one lump sum, it will trickle over a few years. The cost of implementing the program will exceed the amount we get. Perdue said he would use the money to fund merit pay. What happens once the RTTT money runs out if we receive it? Counties will be stuck with the bill. Maybe that why he suggested merit pay for 2012. It is hard to believe we come to this.
Be wary of Government
March 12th, 2010
11:17 am
I teach in a “government school” and I am constantly reminded of that a government big enough to give you every thing is a government big enough to take it all away.
I work in a RttT participant system and I think its astounding that these counties are trying to rely on RttT to help fill their budget void. This county is counting on it! Thats scary to think that a county as relying on a Federal Government Educational Bailout to offset their top heavy Central Office Budget. I guarantee that not all of that money will never see a classroom.
The imperial federal government would love to get its hands on Georgia, a weak state government with Perdue and Cox as the “dream team” and its a Red State so a Blue Federal Government can exercise its power over a Red state.
I hope we dont win this money…I am weary of the fact that all of it will never see a classroom and that more Federal Government intervention means more pressure on teachers and kids to succeed.
Anyone want to teach in Georgia?…Any one?
D2
March 12th, 2010
11:24 am
I guess that is why the Teachers are getting a new assessment model CLASS keys. It amazes me how Perdue preaches about limited government but does not mind the intrusion of Federal stipulations in the school system. Just when we thought the NCLB was bad…..
teacher man
March 12th, 2010
11:31 am
“Dream Team”.hahahahaha. Oh my god did you really just write that? Perdue, Cox,…..I almost spit my drink everywhere. Sonny the do nothing money swindler and Cox idiot of ed. in chief. Oh, by the way…remember when Sonny prayed for rain? Unbelievable he is our governor. Maybe he should pray for money.
Garry Owen
March 12th, 2010
11:32 am
That’s all we need in education in Georgia – more Federal intervention in states rights. The race to the top is another example of the government takeover of the hearts and minds of Georgia’s students! How about merit pay for Washington? If Georgia wants to be #1 let the teachers in the trenches have some input. Also, give back to teachers and schools the authority to discipline. As a retired school administrator I talk to teachers who I worked with. All of them tell me teaching has become much more difficult because many discipline methods have been removed from the classroom. If a teacher could control every aspect of his/her classroom, from student ability to home life of students, maybe merit pay would make sense. But teachers do not have this ability
The money situation is anly going to get worse. Next years state budget will not have the stimulus funds to fall back on. More cut backs in hiring, prehaps job cuts, and we will still be stuck with continuing RTT!
D2
March 12th, 2010
11:33 am
Can you imagine being observed with 33 kids in a classroom, trying to have everyone of them engaged, coaching a new standard without any aligned textbooks, giving an assessment which will determine your pay, meeting both federal and local guidelines of documentations, and no support from your State school chief?
what's right for kids???
March 12th, 2010
11:35 am
at this point,
I DID throw up in my mouth, and it wasn’t just a little. The federal government has no business mandating educational policy on schools. It’s the schools’ jobs to address the community needs. If the school does not do that, then the individual should have the right to move to a school that does address his or her needs. It’s very simple, really. Now we just need someone in the superintendent position and other parts of the legislature to make it happen.
Vote them all out and start from scratch.
teacher man
March 12th, 2010
11:38 am
D2…I sure can…weekly!
Mac is correct - No Teacher Voices were heard!
March 12th, 2010
11:52 am
Mac – you are correct. Only three of the fifty-nine people on the Governor’s RTTT task force were classroom teachers and of the three, one was a non-traditional certified charter school teacher. Neither major education organization, GAE or PAGE, were invited to participate in the conversations. True reform cannot occur without those whom will be charged with implementing the needed reforms!
catlady
March 12th, 2010
12:10 pm
Please, God, don’t do us any more “favors.”
catlady
March 12th, 2010
12:11 pm
Did you notice how none of us are upset at the coaching “advantage” some of the other states have gotten?
BTW, will you file an Open Records request to let us know how much this application, trips, expert time, data analysis, printing, conferencing, etc. is costing the school children of Georgia?
catlady
March 12th, 2010
12:12 pm
Perhaps it can come out of the budgets of the counties who signed on for RttT.
HS Teacher, Too
March 12th, 2010
12:13 pm
Mac,
Can’t speak for everything, and certainly don’t want to appear to defend anything related to the RttT application, but I imagine that if the application pages are available for viewing online, the signature pages were intentionally withheld to keep digital copies of “important” signatures from being stolen, manipulated, etc. and eventually put to fraudulent use. It’s a small mesaure, to be sure, but every little bit counts.
wishful thinking
March 12th, 2010
12:21 pm
makes me want to walk up to some of these policitans and ask, WHAT THE _______ ARE YOU THINKING, i have decided to run for some office just to make some ppl angry. my platform
legalize weed and prostitution for the tax monies, build 2 nuke plants near the coast and pipe the cleasned water back to Lanier or the other water resorvior for the city of Atl
td
March 12th, 2010
12:59 pm
For all of you that do not like having the Federal government telling us how and what to teach our children then there is an alternative.
http://johnbarge.wordpress.com/2010/03/10/washington-wants-to-educate-your-child-from-cradle-to-career/
Go to the ballot box and let your feelings be known.
Happy Teacher
March 12th, 2010
12:59 pm
MAC – I work with a teacher who worked on the RTTT application and he doesn’t want his name out there because of the potential for harrassment.
As a teacher who has made the mistake of putting his name out there in support of Merit Pay, I can’t blame him, as I’ve received many harrassing e-mails since my name appeared in this blog.
Mac
March 12th, 2010
1:33 pm
HS Teacher, Too – Probably a good assessment – should still have the names out there. People should know if there are any potential conflicts of interest or such with these people. Makes one wonder why these “important” people don’t have the courage of their convictions or may perhaps benefit in some way if this goes through. Sort of makes a bad smell.
Mac is correct – You are correct “True reform cannot occur without those whom will be charged with implementing the needed reforms!” Without buy in and consensus from building level people this dead in the water before it starts. Any true leader worth his or her salt knows this to be true.
Happy Teacher – Sad. Your friend should be proud enough of his work and his position to endure the slings and arrows if he honestly feels it is for the betterment of children and teachers, as you have done. BTW, while I don’t agree with you, I do give you props for putting it all out there. People should be able to argue and discuss in a civil manner. Unfortunately when they start feeling ignored or left out, as many do over this issue, they start becoming hostile. Human nature I guess.
I just want the information to help make an informed decision about this issue. As it stands I am against it. Not really because of the concept of merit pay, but in terms of the non-transparent and almost shady way the entire situation has been handled and forced through. Something with this much potential to impact thousands or hundreds of thousands of lived deserved much more explanation and debate.
Mac
March 12th, 2010
1:33 pm
filtered!
teacher mate
March 12th, 2010
1:42 pm
Hearing of Cox, Perdue, Wilbanks going to Washington, I can’t help but get a vision of the Three Amigos; Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, Martin Short.
Not so Happy Teacher :(
March 12th, 2010
1:48 pm
@ Happy Teacher; I used to be somewhat for a merit pay since it certainly makes sense to get paid for the job you do. However, I now realize there are way to many unintended consequences of this, not to mention the lack of feasibility. Can you tell what about merit pay you are for? Maybe I’m missing something.
teacher man
March 12th, 2010
2:03 pm
I wonder if Cox can find D.C. on a map?
Dunwoody Mom
March 12th, 2010
2:16 pm
Now, let’s see, RTTT promotes Charter Schools, but Wilbanks and GCSS is suing the State of Georgia over Charter Schools……..Wow, makes total sense that Wilbanks is part of the “dream team”.
Larry
March 12th, 2010
2:32 pm
Miss D’Ships goes to Washington?
Joy in Teaching
March 12th, 2010
2:46 pm
King Alvin, Sonny “Screw the Teachers” Perdue, and Kathy “Clueless B***h” Cox. Yeah, great Dream team there.
I hope they manage to screw it up.
Cobb County Voter
March 12th, 2010
3:06 pm
“Cox is a great champion of the state and of its schools.” How can you write this tripe, Maureen, and not throw up? I have seen repeatedly in your blogs that you are becoming more of Cox’ and GA DOE’s mouthpiece. It would be nice if you would use your “reporter” position and actually dig a little deeper instead of swallowing their story du jour. Maybe we should all contact the editors of the AJC and see if they will put an investigative reporter on educational matters… particularly the failed math curriculum and the CRCT cheating scandal, which you seem to gloss over.
E. Cobb Parent
March 12th, 2010
4:57 pm
To Cobb County Voter, AMEN!
why not
March 12th, 2010
5:36 pm
Why not investigate how much Gwinnett County spends on the Gateway tests? This would probably save the furlough days and some jobs and prevent class size increases. The totals should be public record.
Happy Teacher
March 12th, 2010
6:11 pm
Great article:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/234590
ScienceTeacher671
March 12th, 2010
6:37 pm
Dream team? Unfortunately, Georgia’s educational system is living in a nightmare.
RBN
March 12th, 2010
7:10 pm
Georgia’slan will not work because teachers were not involved, and unless something changes drastically in the future, won’t be involved in the future. Of the 23 systems which signed off on Georgia’s RTT application how many asked their teachers? Who signed off except the superintendent and school board. Gov. Perdue bragged about deliberately leaving out teacher associations. If anyone wants any form of pay-for performance plan to work, look at the common ingredient of successful models in Helena, MT; Denver, CO; many in Minnesota,and Portland, ME. All were negotiated with great enthyusiasm by the local teacher’s unions.
Democratize the schools and progress can be made. And, no – it does not have to be a strict contract, although I would prefer that, have representatives of the staff at each school fairly elected; set goals for the school/and or system that fit the school setting; have entire staff vote on plan and require a 67-75% majority vote by secret ballot to approve the plan; set significant rewards in addition to salary schedule. Implement mentor/master teachers to assist; build in meaningful professional growth component; get out of way and watch schools meet their goals.
Too simple?
RBN
March 12th, 2010
7:11 pm
Georgia’s plan (sorry)