Today Joe Nathan and Deborah Meier discuss a 2011 speech by Children鈥檚 Defense Fund founder/president, Marian Wright Edelman. Joe begins, and Deborah responds.
In a , Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children鈥檚 Defense Fund, explained 鈥淚鈥檓 deeply grateful鈥� to people involved in the charter school movement. 鈥淐harters are an important part of the answer鈥� to what American children, especially low income and children of color need. She also stressed the importance of effective district, as well as chartered public schools.
Wright Edelman recalled growing up in rural segregated public schools in the South. Does she see charters as a perpetuation of southern forced segregation, as some charter opponents suggest?
Quite the contrary. Among other things, she told people working in chartered public schools: 鈥淵ou are doing God鈥檚 work.鈥�
Edelman stresses the importance of 鈥渂uilding bridges.鈥� She also criticizes 鈥減owerful greedy corporate pirates鈥� and urges, 鈥淟et鈥檚 build a broad voice for children.鈥�
Ms. Wright Edelman has been one the nation鈥檚 most dedicated civil, human and economic rights advocates for decades. She was speaking here at the 2011 Conference.
She eloquently describes the importance of working simultaneously to improve schools and improve conditions outside of schools. Not one or the other, both. I鈥檇 urge readers to watch this video of her speech.
Deborah Meier responds: Most of what Marion Wright Edelman says I would agree with. It鈥檚 an interesting family. Her son, Jonathan, has joined the 鈥渄ark side鈥�, and her husband remains one of my heroes: he broke with President Clinton over ending 鈥渨elfare as we know it.鈥� How rarely do people choose to give up prestigious positions for principled reasons?
Maybe her 鈥渂uilding bridges鈥� is a call for exactly what I鈥檓 proposing? I鈥檓 glad she recognizes that 鈥減owerful greedy corporate pirates鈥� are up to no good. Who is she hoping to 鈥渂uild bridges鈥� with? Is she not aware that these pirates lead the new 鈥渞eform movement鈥� in education--doing God鈥檚 work?
I鈥檝e been disappointed in the traditional civil rights leadership for not spearheading a movement for economic justice at a time when the Black middle class was been economically wiped out by the skullduggery of those greedy Wall Street hedge funders. How can they be so easily led astray by the very folks that betrayed their hopes.
More market place 鈥渃hoice鈥� will reproduce even more inequality. We need instead the kind of political unity that鈥檚 still lacking. Note the absence of traditional civil rights leadership in the race for mayor in Chicago--as an experienced Latino leader came close to defeating Mayor Rahm with his millions of dollars in support from Chicago鈥檚 wealthy, the same pirates who lead Chicago鈥檚 鈥渆ducation reform鈥� movement.
I think she is on this as well as many other things ignoring the thrust of what, why and who is leading this reform strategy.
I think it鈥檚 leading to privatization. She doesn鈥檛. And you agree with her
What am I missing??
Joe responds: Deb, you agree with 鈥渕uch of what she said,鈥� but it鈥檚 not clear what you agree with other than her comments about 鈥済reedy pirates.鈥�
As to what Wright Edelman means about building bridges - I鈥檇 encourage you and others to listen to her eloquent speech. She鈥檚 urging district and charter educators work together to help more students succeed. This means collaboration across schools, and collaboration with people working on community problems. In previous blogs, I鈥檝e cited examples of this.
You criticize 鈥渕arket place choice鈥� but seem to ignore the largest and most unfair publicly subsidized school choice program: exclusive suburban 鈥減ublic鈥� schools.Their admission price is the ability to purchase a home that most Americans can鈥檛 afford. Then suburban families can deduct real estate taxes and house payment interest from their taxes. Their real estate taxes often mean that much more is spent on the education of children from wealthy families, than of children from poor ones.
You criticize 鈥減rivatization.鈥� We should talk about what that means. Many exclusive suburbs are in effect, quasi-private, publicly supported and subsidized schools, open only to those can afford to live there. Some of those suburbs hire detectives to insure that only people living in the district can attend those schools.
You criticize 鈥渢he failure of the traditional civil rights movement for not spearheading a movement for economic justice.鈥� Wright Edelman has been doing that for decades.
You criticize her son as having 鈥渢he dark side.鈥� Deb, some African American educators have encouraged many of us to avoid equating 鈥渄ark鈥� with 鈥渂ad.鈥�
Another civil rights legend, Rosa Parks also understood the potential value of chartering to help create more strong options for inner city youngsters, and students from low-income families. She spent the last few years of her life .
Another long time civil rights activist, , former Milwaukee superintendent has pointed out, 鈥淲e鈥檙e not having a debate about school choice for all. The wealthy already have it. We鈥檙e only debating what options will be available for low and moderate income families.鈥�
Like you and me, Wright Edelman is deeply committed to building a broader, stronger, more effective coalition to advocate, act on behalf of and work young people from low-income families and communities of color.
Fuller, Wright Edelman and many terrific leaders of charter schools so far from 鈥済reedy pirates鈥� that you condemn. And while I sometimes agree, and sometimes disagree, with the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, I would describe their staff, headed by Nina Rees, as deeply committed to a more justice, equitable America.
Are there some extremely wealthy people involved with charters? Absolutely. But there also are similar people who鈥檝e helped support district public schools. Some of them have been huge supporters of exclusive, quasi-private exclusive suburban schools.
Like Howard Fuller, Wright Edleman wants to build the widest, strongest most effective coalition for work for justice. And, as noted above, she sees the charter movement as 鈥渁n important part,鈥� along with district educators, of that coalition.
Joe Nathan has been an urban public school teacher, administrator, PTA president, researcher, and advocate. He directs the St. Paul, Minn.-based , which works at the school, community, and policy levels to help improve public schools