Order of the Phoenix Needed to Save Public Education

I just watched Harry Potter's *Order of the Phoenix* again with my youngest.

Fans -- which include most of the world -- will recall that this is the book where J.K. Rowlings introduces the horrifying "Professor" Dolores Umbridge, the Hogwart's instructor appointed by the Ministry of Magic.

At this point in the 7 book tale, the "Dark Lord" has returned, as have his "death eaters," and they have begun infiltrating positions of power. Umbridge's position at Hogwarts is unnerving for young readers and viewers as she "disrupts" -- rather violently -- the magical world of the school. The school is, of course, the center of the "wizarding" world, just as school Districts are, in fact, the center of many Michigan communities.


In retrospect, Rowlings is clearly satirizing education reformers in this episode, showing the nasty ways in which the state and its outside funding sources might impinge on educational institutions that were designed -- with good reason -- to have considerable autonomy.

I sat down to write a blog post about it only to discover, not surprisingly, a very good one recently had been written: http://chrisdier504.wordpress.com/2014/01/03/10-parallels-between-harry-potter-and-education-reform/ In my professional world it is something of a disaster to discover you have been "preempted" like this; in working on behalf of my kids' education, however, such a discovery is an enormous relief and delight.

Indeed, if you and your kids are struggling to understand what is going on with public education these days I urge you (in addition to Diane Ravitch) to read and watch Book Five of Harry Potter again in this context.

"Dumbledore really can't fired can he Dad? That would change everything at Hogwarts!"

"Oh, yes, son, even though it makes no sense, he sure can! In fact, in our state..." And then his eyes glaze over. Better to stick with Harry Potter to get at this stuff.

It is clear that in 2014 -- if elected -- education Reformers and Governor Snyder (and you really can't separate the two as they are joined at the pocketbook) plan to return to an "Umbridge" style attack on public education.

When the Governor tried a direct takeover and unbundling of public education and its Districts (includes BHSD -- no exemption clause) in 2012 that failed. And so he turned things over to a the hapless State Superintendent who began -- perversely -- "advocating" for public education by closing school Districts. (Rowlings knows her Orwell, too).

Technically, the State Board of Education -- a constitutionally called for elected body -- supervises the Superintendent in that he reports to them and they hire and fire that person.

Technically.

If the Superintendent knows what is good for him or herself -- and that certainly seems to be the case with Flanagan -- he or she tries to please the Governor, not the board.

Now the Superintendent does have to respond to the Board as Flanagan did in December's legislative session on the EAA. When Board President John Austin entered the discussion (belatedly) Flanagan stopped pushing just for the EAA and started including more "options" like ISDs, etc.

But the point obtains: school boards -- local, state, and university level -- matter, and they matter now more than ever.

For a variety of depressing reasons, BHSD residents know this now pretty well at the local level.

What they don't know so well is that in the battle with Lansing and their own Republican legislative reps to retain their schools is that other board races now matter, too.

While EMU faculty resisted the EAA, their Governor appointed board of regents supported it. Think the Ministry of Magic. Indeed, all universities and colleges across the state have Governor appointed boards -- other than the R1 universities (UofM, MSU, WSU) and thus can function as surrogates to feed disruptive charter programs. These boards are responsible to only the Governor. There was a time when that was not problematic. No more. This Governor, like others, has decided to "reform" preK-16 education and that means there needs to be greater democratic awareness of these structures.

But keep your eye primarily on the state board of education.

A few years ago, Todd Courser -- Michigan's Tea Party chief -- ran unsuccessfully for state board of Education, having worked with Tom McMillin to oust a moderate Republican from her shot at returning: http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/11/state_board_of_education.html
The Governor and his team will be looking to appoint a Dolores Umbridge style Superintendent in 2015 -- should they win.

Here, to give you a sense of how this gets played out in the media, is an attack piece in this morning's Detroit News/Mackinac Center Gazette by Ingrid Jacques, going after a current board member for supporting the efforts of Cesar Chavez Academy teachers who want to unionize.

According to this article, the Board is supposed to be a perfectly neutral body and nothing unusual has happened in education over the past years at all.
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140105/OPINION01/301050001/Trustee-gives-union-boost?odyssey=mo...

That is how the Dark Lord (Dick Devos?), you will recall, returns -- by insisting he is not returning until all the right positions at the Ministry of Magic are occupied.