Look, the AUW guy was politicking.
The driving factor behind all the education reforms are two fold.
The second factor a white middle class (and above) parents. They heard that EC programs helped, so they needed them. They heard about all the bad teachers in high school, they had them. *That's* why little Heather and Hunter aren't in AP everything by 10th grade. EC programs help low SES kids, not the Heathers and Hunters of the world. And "low SES" in edu-speak is usually dog-whistle for "minority."
We've always had crappy schools. But it's only in the last 40 years that it's become a racial/equal-rights issue. Many crappy schools are in nearly all white rural areas. We hear about minority-majority urban schools most of the time and, on rare occasion, rural schools in the Black Belt in the South. This is the first factor driving teacher evaluation innovations.
Simply put, we're out of excuses. Tripled education budgets; highly qualified teachers in reduced-size classes that are integrated, mainstreamed and detracked; teaching aligned to curriculum and tests aligned to state standards aligned to national standards; well-managed classrooms that are flipped and inquiry based; kids hearts that are nurtured and won; differentiated instruction that is brain-based and student-centered for diverse learning styles; districts that are data-driven. Campuses that are 1-to-1 with schools that are new and egonomic. Well-fed students that are in bully-free zones. Not every state or school is like this, but enough are to see the results.
The test scores move a lot for a year or two and when the dust settles they've moved a few points. What's left? Well, it's a school: A school consists entirely of the buildings, administrators and teachers. That's it. Like they say, "... teachers account for over 50% of the variance in student achievement." So if there's any problem, that is where we have to find the solution. We can inspect the buildings. The administrators? Well, they're not directly involved with the students. Most of that "stuff" really involves teachers. Maybe their instruction really isn't brain-based, multimodal, student centered, properly aligned with standards using all and only the best practices in nurturing, well-managed classrooms. So let's blame them.
Never, ever ask what the "..." is replacing, what's left out of that quote. Never. To do is to suggest that schools are more than teachers and principals and buildings. To suggest that there may be some problem outside the school's control.
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