Joel Klein Should Not Be Secretary of Education

Last week's buzz about the possibility of New York City Chancellor Joel I. Klein's appointment to the post of Secretary of Education has prompted a groundswell of anti-Klein sentiment from New Yorkers all too familiar with Klein's effect on their school system.

These parents, teachers and education administrators overwhelmingly denounce the market-based solutions that dominate the Klein-led Department of Education. They do not wish to see Klein's model applied on a nationwide basis.

You can read more and sign the petition here.

But this is only the beginning of a story that promises to be increasingly common in the "Era of Obama." Obama's campaign successfully harnessed the energy of a rising grassroots activism whose slogan is Yes We Can. This movement shows no sign of dying down now that Obama is the President-elect. Teachers hamstrung for the past eight years by budget cuts, poor administration and policies like No Child Left Behind began working together on a national level three years ago, forming a coalition called Teacher Activist Groups (TAG). They are poised to make an impact on the future of education by speaking in unison with a voice loud enough to reach the White House.

You can read their statement on the selection of the US Secretary of Education here.

Please use the comments field below to let us know what you think about Klein's potential appointment and to suggest other possible candidates for the job.

--By Habiba Alcindor

Comments (11)

1. As a retired administrative analyst, who worked for the New York City public schools for 33 years--mainly in the area of testing, I call attention to the manner in which Chancellor Klein has used the annual testing program to present an exaggerated politically-motivated picture of the system's "progress" under his (and Mayor Bloomberg's) administration. An educational leader should be concerned with the implementation of meaningful testing procedures and the truthful presentation of data to evaluate the status of student achievement. Chancellor Klein has failed to pass both of these tests.

   The misleading reporting of the 2005 reading (English Language Arts) test scores is a case in point. This was the year in which the mayor was seeking reelection. Having obtained control of the school system (which prior to the advent of Mr. Bloomberg was a non-mayoral agency governed by a board of education), he appointed Mr. Klein to run the system and pledged that test results would improve. In 2005, at the outset of the election campaign, they jointly and conspicuously announced that 4th grade student achievement had increased by 10%--an astonishing accomplishment.

   After I FOILed for data pertinent to these results (and waited nine months to receive the data--long after the mayor had won his second term), I was able to analyze two unacknowledged factors that went into the increase: Over 5,000 students had been excluded from the test population. They consisted of 3rd graders who were held back in 2005 and didn't take the 4th grade test, as well as a larger than usual number of students classified as Limited English Proficiency.

   The net effect was to remove thousands of low-scoring students who, in prior years (such as, 2004) would have been included.

   Posted by Fred_Smith at 11/13/2008 @ 08:16am

2. Their absence accounted for half of New York City's widely ballyhooed but spurious 10% gain. That is, had they been tested the major improvement trumpeted by Chancellor Klein would have been approximately 5%. The results were simply a case of addition be subtraction. None of the chancellor's press releases or interviews mentioned the changes in the composition of 2005's 4th grade test population or explained how large an impact they had on the inflated results.

   In my opinion, such blatantly dishonest treatment of the data, coupled with obstacles being placed in the way of anyone trying to obtain specific information are reasons to disqualify Mr. Klein from further consideration for a high level education post in the Obama administration. This single incident reveals much about Joel Klein's questionable character and leadership skills. In short, it is unlikely that he is capable of providing the kind of educational changes we can believe in.

   Of course, beyond this indictment of Mr, Klein, looms the larger question of NCLB and the pernicious effect its over emphasis on testing has had on the education--what students learn, what teachers teach, what unions will go along with and how administrators get rewarded. Mr. Klien is committed to keeping this shell game going.

   Posted by Fred_Smith at 11/13/2008 @ 08:26am

3. If Linda Darling-Hammond has Obama's ear, which is clear taht she does from several statements made recently by Obama - then Joel Klein will not be the nominee. It will most likely be Darling-Hammond herself or some dark horse such as former Rhode Island Education Commissioner Peter McWalters.

   Posted by jmd360 at 11/13/2008 @ 09:41am

4. If Linda Darling-Hammond has Obama's ear, which is clear taht she does from several statements made recently by Obama - then Joel Klein will not be the nominee. It will most likely be Darling-Hammond herself or some dark horse such as former Rhode Island Education Commissioner Peter McWalters.

   Posted by jmd360 at 11/13/2008 @ 09:42am

5. Over 100 NYC parents since last Friday have signed the following letter to President-elect Obama on the subject of candidates for Secretary of Education.

   Dear President-elect Obama,

   First of all let us congratulate you on your election. Many of us worked ardently to advance your cause, and today we celebrate the bright and hopeful years before us under your leadership.

   We write now as parents (and recent parents) in the New York City public school system. We would like to urge in the strongest terms that you select a Secretary for Education with deep practical experience in teaching and learning. We feel that there is a fashion now for placing school reform in the hands of leaders outside the field. In our experience in New York this trend is catastrophic; in our view the administration of Chancellor Joel Klein has disastrously neglected the fundamental needs of children. To lead in education one must understand something about children, about human development, about the history of successes and failures in pedagogy.

   Please appoint an experienced educator, a person close to the lives of children, to lead our nation's education system.

   [see pspac.wetpaint.com for signatures]

   Posted by Ann_Kjellberg at 11/13/2008 @ 10:19am

6. Klein's disastrous mauling of NYC schools is yet another excellent reason why Bloomberg should not be allowed to buy his 3rd term.

   Posted by sloper at 11/13/2008 @ 10:48am

7. This buzz about Klein seems to me to be one more bit of evidence that Obama is nothing more than a street hustler for the DLC. First Rahm Emanuel, then Larry Summers and the other members of the Economic Transition Cabal that includes hustlers and theives, and then going to bed with cold war hawks. And now this morning the call for a $50 billion bailout of the American auto industry. This is all a mockery of the very concept of "change." Looks like we've been had again. What was that line about the new boss being the same as the old boss? I'm getting ready to expatriate to Venezuela.

   Posted by Masaniello at 11/13/2008 @ 11:25am

8. As a NYC public school teacher in a high needs and low-performing school for the last four years, I've witnessed firsthand how Joel Klein has yet to have any direct and meaningful effect on the most essential aspect of education, that being how and what students learn. Klein has implemented immense amounts of testing, reports, and accountability, yet that has only helped to put a new set of numbers to a failing educational system. He has done nothing to change or modernize teaching and learning in the classroom. For example, teachers still use outdated and ineffective curricula, schools still have unsafe learning environments, and the usage of technology is still a novelty in the classroom. Before Klein arrived, we all knew the NYC school were failing too many of our students, we didn't need a new set of numbers to show that. What the schools needed, and still need now, is to drastically improve the way schools teach and the way students learn. - Roni Gold, NYC Public School Teacher

   Posted by ronigold at 11/13/2008 @ 9:36pm

9. Klein seems to be challenged in precisely the areas I want my kids to thrive; social skills, creative thinking, teamwork. He storms out of meetings when people disagree with him. He makes decisions unilaterally, behind closed doors. He values data points over relationships, does not seek input, takes offense when he should be listening. Is this the man to develop the Change You Can Believe In for our national education system?

   Joel Klein has demonstrated his values by financially rewarding schools which show continuous academic acceleration- improvement as an ever-receding horizon. Why are my children being pressured to demonstrate 2 years academic growth in a single year? Because it is developmentally appropriate? Or because our school's A rating will drop to -gasp!- a B - and the school and staff will suffer financial repercussions if we do not "improve" at this speed-? My children are not falling behind, why do they need to speed up? Where is the definition of "improvement?" Is this the model for preparing the versatile, creative worker for our global economy? Does Barack Obama, with his unique and influential family history, realize how little geography and social studies are taught in our NYC public schools?

   Klein has not supported real education but has merely enforced a level of "accountability" which reads well on paper but does not succeed in inspiring, challenging, or educating students. If we aspire to develop socially aware youth, to encourage teamwork, enthusiasm, creativity and maturity among students and teachers, don't be fooled by fancy charts showing "progress", hire an educator (!) who understands child development, who has experience in schools, who demonstrates creative thinking. Klein is not your man!

   Posted by kateyourke at 11/13/2008 @ 9:57pm

10. For more on why NYC parents believe strongly that Joel Klein should not be appointed as US Sec. of Education, see our NYC public school parent blog at http://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com

    Two entries deal with this issue:

    "One mother's letter to Obama"

    and "Our letters to Obama about Joel Klein"

    see also the two petitions, both started just a few days ago, and linked to from the first posting, one with 2676 signatures of parents and teachers, a and the other signed by over 2100 educators nationwide over the last few days

    The reality is that while Barack Obama has promised to move our country forward in a positive fashion, by working together iand bridging differences, Joel Klein represents the opposite approach: a dictatorial and dismissive attitude, shutting out the voices of parents, teachers, and all others who disagree with his rigid, ideological approach. You can do better, Barack!

    thanks,

    Posted by Leonieh at 11/14/2008 @ 7:04pm

11. In 2004, the 10th grade at my school successfully carried out a 311 phone blitz in order to draw attention to the crack house next door to our school. A few weeks later, after jammed phone lines, significant media attention, and a public request that couldn't be ignored, Mayor Bloomberg had the eyesore torn down ("High school crack-down", Daily News, 12/8/2004). Soon after, following the aggressive outreach of the 10th grade, Chancellor Klein came to our school to congratulate the students for their organizing efforts. He promised the students that the now empty lot would become theirs--he would make certain that our small, overcrowded school would benefit from its community activism by the creation of an auditorium and gymnasium. Now four years later, it seems that EBC H.S. has been long since forgotten in Klein's mind: the 10th grade graduated in 2007 and a "For rent" sign hangs on the fence surrounding the overgrown lot. The Chancellor's promise has become an empty one, seemingly made for the media and not for our kids. As an educator, I believe this behavior is indicative of Klein's overall educational policies: empty promises and a blind eye to what really matters in the education of NYC's students.

    I feel very strongly that Klein is NOT a sound or just choice for the next Secretary of Education. The above anecdote is only one of many that I could cite in order to discourage his nomination for the position. The students of NYC's public schools have not benefitted from his leadership--let's not give him the chance to disappoint and frustrate the entire country.

    --Lisa Bensing, Teacher, Brooklyn, NY

    Posted by violasse at 11/17/2008 @ 4:15pm