On Wednesday, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported on the release of our new report, Needles in a Haystack, which highlights the achievements of eight high-performing, high-need urban schools in Ohio?and then draws lessons from the common denominators that make these schools so successful.
But the Plain Dealer's coverage also included mysterious and ambivalent quotes from leaders of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, who suggested that Fordham had ?an end goal in mind? and then chose schools to fit that agenda?all while saying the OFT supports most of the characteristics we point out as important.
This statement about our methodology was all the more surprising given the Plain Dealer's excellent coverage of how we arrived at the schools we did.
As far as this report is concerned, there is only one end goal that matters.? We must find ways to best encourage achievement among those students whose educations are put in jeopardy by poverty and poor-performing schools.? That's what we tried to do?and there are plenty of opportunities for the OFT to get involved, too.
Teachers in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (who are unionized within the AFT) are in the midst of a debate over how teachers should be re-assigned as part of the district's broader ?transformation? plan.? The Plain Dealer reports that many of these teachers feel their performance is being blamed, when in reality family poverty is a main obstacle.
As our Needles report shows, poverty is an academic obstacle but it is one that can be overcome.? If the OFT shares our concerns, we look forward to seeing it push for the reforms necessary during this difficult transformation process in Cleveland.
?Tim Hoffine, Fordham Columbus intern