SCHOOL FOR THOUGHT

Measuring UP Makes Some Waves

SQE’s board would like to thank all those who attended our Measuring Up Seminar on School Accountability in Toronto.  Here are some brief highlights.

The event kicked off with the Canadian premiere screening of The Cartel.  While the award-winning documentary was a sobering look at a New Jersey school system that is largely unaccountable, it elicited many ohs and ahs of recognition to our own.   The film also caused a few tears to be shed by audience members at the sight of the tears streaming down the faces of a little girl and her mom who were desperate to get into a charter school.

After the film, pundit Gerry Nicholls moderated a panel discussion response to some of the realities and challenges faced by parents and educators who are looking for better school choices.  Bob Bowdon, The Cartel’s director; Virginia Walden-Ford, DC Parents for School Choice; Andrew Thomas, Principal of Crawford Adventist Academy; and Spider Jones, Believe to Achieve, shared their experiences.  Ms. Walden-Ford told us about her successful fight with President Obama to retain and enhance the Washington DC opportunity scholarship program, which provides vouchers to low income families.  Spider talked about how school choice is necessary to get at-risk kids into safer learning environments.  Crawford Principal Thomas busted the myth of private schools as elistist bastions who would waste funding—far from it.

Theo Caldwell, new host of SUN TV News, The Caldwell Account, gave spirited keynote address on what education system can learn about accountability from the private sector.

The afternoon panelists, moderated by Michael Coren, reflected on the effectiveness of accountability measures that are currently in place in Ontario:  EQAO, College of Teachers, and school councils.   John Snobelen, former Ontario Minister of Education; Andrea Mrozek, Institute of Marriage and Family Canada; and Dr. Paul Bennett, former trustee, educator, school reformer, and current director of Schoolhouse consulting all came to the same conclusion. While we have institutions that measure and provide transparency, there is ultimately no accountability.  There is no incentive for meaningful reforms to take place and that school choice is necessary to drive real improvement.

For those of you who asked where you can get your own copy of The Cartel, the DVD can be ordered through Amazon at www.thecartelmovie.com. 

Measuring Up panels and the keynote address will be streamed over our website in the weeks to come. Stay tuned!