Quote of the day comes from a leading Ren10 school-closing supporter:Arne Duncan is not education's savior. Far from it, as Mike Klonsky points out above (and more at the link), as does his brother Fred.
"The quality of the school a kid attends matters," said Robin Steans, director of Advance Illinois, a nonprofit education group. "Obviously the focus and drive to make sure these kids ended up in better placements fell short.""Fell short"? Yes, but only by 94%.
I think common sense gets diluted the higher in management one rises. Shutting down neighborhood schools is a disaster for the neighborhood, as we see in Chicago. The charter movement, which aims to take over the public schools (I know charters are "public", but they aren't!) will simply produce the same effects that have been produced in Chicago. All the politicians are heading in this direction.
I fear for the future of public education now more than ever.