by David Safier
Ann-Eve Pedersen has an incredible segment about Craig Barrett and the still-under-wraps scheme to change the way Arizona funds education on our latest installment of "Education: The Rest of the Story." Barrett is a heavy hitter on the state and national educational stages and a big political contributor. He's working on a state funding plan that would help charter schools and hurt school districts. This is information you haven't seen covered in the media because it hasn't been publicized, which appears to be part of the plan.
Common Core is not a curriculum. I really wish people would stop saying that. It’s not helpful to the cause of championing the standards as higher standards, which they are. The Tea baggers are already spreading this lie in order to de-legitimize the effort.
I respect Ann Eve’s passion for protecting the district public school system, but I think it’s a stretch to say that Chester Crandell’s plan is Barrett’s plan. Crandell’s plan is extremely ill-conceived and frankly unworkable. If you try to read the bill from last session (SB1293) that becomes readily apparent. The governor’s plan from last year was also deemed unworkable by the department of education (reported by the Capitol Times) and that, in addition to fierce opposition from district advocates, because of its redistributive nature, killed it.
I do agree that we need to be vigilant about the true motives behind school finance reform efforts, but I think in this case you might be seeing a conspiracy where there is none.
Although the machinations of the TUSD and SUSD boards are important news in our community and I am glad they are covered, wouldn’t it be something if the Star took a quick break from those stories to report on Barrett’s plan?