ONLY IF YOU WANT THEM TO EDUCATE:

Reading, Writing, ROI (James Nevels, 03.14.05, Forbes)

Should a public school be run like a business? In Philadelphia the answer is yes. When I started chairing Philadelphia's School Reform Commission three years ago, schoolchildren, parents and teachers greeted me with threats and protests. I won't forget the sign hoisted by a grade-schooler that read, "We Hate You Nevels--Go Home."

Why such animosity? My commission was making a controversial proposition: to run the nation's eighth-largest school district like a business.

After two years of dramatic reforms we're showing striking results. Between 2003 and 2004 the percentage of the city's public school students scoring "proficient" or better on state exams increased an average of eight percentage points in reading and math for fifth grade and an average of eleven points in reading and math for eighth grade. Our gains are among the largest posted by any of the 50 biggest urban school systems in the country, according to the Council of Great City Schools.

How did we--teachers, principals and our chief executive, Paul Vallas--do it? We defined the district's "customers" exclusively as the 200,000 children we serve. Not interest groups. Not adult constituencies. We held adults accountable for results.

Schools run to educate kids instead of benefit adult hangers-on? Shocking.

Posted by Orrin Judd at March 7, 2005 6:01 PM