Posted on 05/19/2004 9:34:30 PM PDT by mvpel
To the Editor:
On May 17th, 2004, I attended a conference called, “Real World Learning,” sponsored by the State Board of Education. The purpose of this conference was to “rethink the delivery of public education.” One important theme of the conference was how to give students credit for real world learning, i.e. credit towards a high-school diploma for non-academic, life experiences. There is an inherent contradiction between No Child Left Behind’s specific academic requirements and Real World Learning experiences that are difficult to define and even more difficult to measure. However, my letter is about another purpose of this conference.
At a senate hearing for HB 727, the Parental School Choice Voucher Bill, Sarah Browning read a note written by Fred Bramante, Chairman of the State Board of Education. Paraphrasing this note: Fred Bramante was opposed to the Parental School Choice Voucher Bill because on May 17th the Real World Learning Conference would allow for exploring school choice options.
Not realizing that this conference was an “invitation-only conference,” The School Choice Center: NH, representing hundreds of parents desiring school choice, wrote Fred Bramante asking to participate. We did not receive a response. Through contacts, I was able to get my hands on an invitation and a few of our board members were able to register and attend.
One of the conference’s work sessions was called, Choice, Charter, and Home School. In attendance were known voucher opponents, Senator Jane O’Hearn, Dr. Mark Joyce, Executive Director of the NH School Administrator’s Association, and other Department of Education employees. At the end of the brainstorming session, there were 31 votes cast on 11 categories of ideas. In spite of the attendance of Dept. of Ed. employees, the private school choice and voucher categories received 10 votes combined. The next most popular category had 4 votes.
At the end of the conference, Nicholas Donahue, Commissioner of the NH Department of Education, gave a presentation and spoke about the most popular ideas resulting from all 18 work sessions. Surprisingly, nothing was mentioned about private school choice/vouchers.
I find it disturbing that, although the impression was given that this conference would seriously explore school choice issues, the private school choice issue/vouchers, though most popular, was eliminated in the conclusion.
I also find it disturbing that the impression is given that this was an “open” conference and that the conclusions represent statewide opinion. The conclusions, in fact, represent the opinions of the State Board of Education and the NH Department of Education.
Kathy Getchell, Director School Choice Center: NH PO Box 373 Rumney, NH 03266 603-505-1911
It's disturbing, but not surprising, that the subject of school choice was eliminated from the conclusions of a State Board of Education conference like a scrap of redacted paper tossed by Winston Smith into the nearest memory hole.
times 17.3.84 boe conf malreported schoolchoice rectify
“invitation-only conference
** as in tax payers not invited???
The conclusions, in fact, represent the opinions of the State Board of Education and the NH Department of Education.
I don’t know why the writer should be disturbed. There can be no doubt that the conclusions of the conference were decided prior to the start of the conference.
The people in power (especially in a bureaucracy) protect their power jealously. Any proposal that could threaten that power will be ignored or attacked.
The conference was political window dressing and excuse for the bureaucrats to meet and talk about new socialized teaching methods and to stroke the egos of their powerful allies.
They're good at what they do. And what they do isn't about education at all.
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