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This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by editorial page staff and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers

Saturday, December 16, 2006

A Mayoral Coup of APS Won't Improve Education

By Ellen Bernstein
President, Albuquerque Teachers Federation
    Innovative ideas— including mayoral involvement in school districts— must be implemented to solve our most pressing problems in public education, from dropout rates to structural and operational shortcomings of school districts.
    But what level of mayoral involvement produces the best results?
    Mayoral takeovers of districts in major U.S. cities have not produced the best results. Since 1991, these interventions have helped quell some problems in urban districts such as Chicago. The district had continually failed to pay teachers on time and distribute supplies to schools equitably.
    However, after 15 years of experience to draw on, there is mounting evidence the mayoral takeover movement has not lived up to optimistic predictions of closing the scholastic achievement gap among ethnicities, consistently lowering dropout rates or fixing other major problems.
    For example, after a decade of mayoral control in Boston, the district still faces a growing achievement gap. According to statistics in the Summer 2006 Harvard Education Review, the gap in math scores between black and white eighth-graders grew between 2003 and 2005, as did the gap in reading scores between white, black and Hispanic fourth-graders.
    Mayors have authority over the multitude of agencies that affect the lives of children and families. That's why it makes good sense for the mayor in Albuquerque and the school district to align forces to improve the lives and education of our city's children.
    Educators remain unconvinced that our mayor's imminent proposal to eliminate or appoint school board members will amount to little more than a superficial reorganization, and one that runs a high risk of ushering in more political patronage than currently exists.
    Over the last year, Mayor Martin Chávez has continually cited dropout rates to help build his case for a takeover.
    Let's take a closer look at the numbers. While it's true that 53 percent of first-time Albuquerque Public Schools ninth-graders graduated in 2004, it's also true that 18 percent transferred out of APS and 10 percent were still enrolled. That leaves 19 percent who did not graduate.
    APS has the country's third-highest graduation rate for large urban school districts of more than 50,000 students. That's not perfection, but it is nothing to discount.
    Clearly, more needs to be done to boost graduation rates. More needs to be done to address some of the operational inefficiencies in the district. No APS official, employee or school board member would argue that this isn't the case.
    But meaningful change in our school district will require a broad agenda untainted by the ideological battles between the mayor and school district. Ideological battles present false choices based on the premise that there are simple solutions to complex issues. Such is the premise that a school board appointed by the mayor, rather than one elected by the people, is the answer.
    Parents, children and educators deserve a broad agenda, not a false choice. The mayor should be involved in education to ensure the long-term prosperity and livability of our city, and the preparedness of our workforce.
    The Albuquerque Teachers Federation proposes the following mayoral roles, most of which were contained in a guide published by the U.S. Conference of Mayors in 2006. The mayor can:
   

Establish programs that enhance community involvement, such as student employment and internship programs, and other activities with the private sector;
   

Negotiate with state lawmakers for more programmatic flexibility and regulatory waivers to meet statutory requirements;
   

Meet regularly with stakeholders, including district officials, the school board, parents, communities and unions and reach consensus on the top two or three goals for improving schools and district operations;
   

Ensure and practice constructive problem solving with all education partners, including (but not limited to) parents, students, education employees unions, administrators, faculty and staff;
   

Work with the district and the unions to uncover and fix bureaucratic obstacles that leave poor kids without good teachers, including hiring and transfer policies.
    The Albuquerque Teachers Federation stands ready to work with the mayor in good faith to find and implement innovative ways to increase mayoral involvement in a manner that will truly help solve problems in the school district, better prepare our kids for the workforce and give businesses the confidence they need to invest in our local economy.