By

Ray Pinney

“So this is the civil rights imperative of our time. This is it. And for those who want to stand in the way of it, maybe they are going to block us and stop us like they have so many times before but they have to live with the result of that.”

Governor Chris Christie, September 30, Old Bridge Town Hall Meeting

“Well, during the civil rights movement, they didn’t work everything out by sitting down collaboratively and compromising.  Conflict was necessary in order to move the agenda forward.”

Michelle Rhee, former chancellor of schools, Washington D.C., Newsweek magazine, December 13

I was reading Michelle Rhee’s Newsweek article when I came across her words on civil rights and the education reform movement. They echoed what Gov. Christie said a few months earlier, comparing his education reform plan to the civil rights movement.  Besides Michelle Rhee and Gov. Christie, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has also been quoted as viewing education reform as the civil rights movement of our era. 

I have to confess when I first heard Christie make this statement I was shocked that it did not get more play in the media. Then again, when I first heard it, I thought that it was a bit of a political hyperbole. But now that several politicians of both parties are using this rhetoric there, it bears closer examination.    (more…)

By

Ray Pinney

Ever look back at a very old picture of yourself and cringe?   My kids came across some pictures of me from high school, and there I was in a brightly colored leisure suit probably thinking “I am looking good!”  That one was nothing compared to my prom picture with me in a bright rust-colored tuxedo, again thinking that I was hip when, in reality, I was a cross between John Travolta (The Saturday Night Fever version), the Karate Kid and Elton John.  It was rather embarrassing. 

These are the times when you realize how much the world has changed over the years.  Sometimes, however, the world changes almost overnight, and what was in fashion only a few months ago is now hopelessly outdated. 

Public education in New Jersey is changing so fast, it is hard to figure out what is in and what is out.  For example, the policy of teacher tenure has been around since 1909 and for a hundred years has remained a fixture of New Jersey public education. NJSBA has had issues with this institution since the time of President Gerald Ford, and state leaders have been reluctant to change the system.  Now, however, the talk on reforming tenure is very serious.  To me, nothing reflects how much the political landscape has changed more than a discussion of this issue.  Up to now, the lack of any serious discussion of teacher tenure has been a testament to NJEA’s political strength.

All that is in the past.  (more…)

By

Ray Pinney

“What we have here is …. a failure to communicate”

From the movie Cool Hand Luke 1967

Being the father of two teenagers, I sometimes wonder if I have lost the ability to speak or my children have some sort of hearing impairment that prevents them from hearing their parents’ voices correctly.  For example, if I ask my daughter in a calm voice if she has any homework her response – in an agitated tone that only teenage girls have is “Daaad please!  Why don’t you trust me?  You have nooo faith in me!  How come you aren’t bothering Evan (her brother).  You should trust me!”  My son doesn’t even react to something I ask until I repeat it for the third time. (That may have something to do with the ever-present ear buds.) You get the picture. 

The point is that I think my wife and I are pretty clear and direct when we communicate with our children but obviously what we are not saying what they want to hear.

This is what I believe is happening to boards of education and school administrators as they try to discuss the issue of superintendent salary caps. They are having about as much success with the public and state political leaders as I have with my kids – and sometimes less.

When a board of education states that they want to hire the best talent and are willing to pay for it to improve the educational outcomes in their district, what the public hears is that the board is willing to waste taxpayer’s money to overpay an administrator. (more…)