The article in the Oregonian reporting the Chalkboard Project's latest four ideas for ed reform once again triggered exasperation among some of our friends. The ideas so far have been disappointingly trivial—reduce class size? create an education plan for each student? raise teachers' qualifications? n ed rainy day fund? re-do school budgets?—and a bit condescending to educators.
The folks I've talked to think it is turning into a waste of time, money and opportunity because it avoids talking about the underlying causes of the system design—a protected, government monopoly. Richard Meinhard thinks it needs help and discussion from folks who have studied and understand the problem of why change and improvement is so difficult in a system of government schooling—not "input" from a bunch of citizen meetings. A superintendent friend of his said, "I've given up on the Chalkboard Project."
So…what's wrong with it. What should it do? Is the process all wrong? Will it help or hurt reform efforts?
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