This is rich. Alonso has the system careening into a major reform slated to hit in September (5 months away), and the board has not yet even agreed on the basic policy. Let us hope that some among that illustrious group have enough wits to put the brakes on this thing before it turns into a major fiasco.

An interesting statement I've heard from a couple sources: that Alonso is being wooed from several different locations, mostly in Florida, and many think he's her to make some lightning quick change and then leave right away.

At the school level, we're also operating under the assumption that what Alonso presented to the board will pass. Budgets are due from departments this week.

Put on the breaks? Forget that (I had another word before "that" but decided to change it)! the new per pupil numbers are supposed to be in on the 17th. This is major change and this is what we need. I don't think for a minute that Alonso will leave before he is done with real reform. He is set on winning a Broad award for Baltimore in 2010 and I don't think he will leave before that happens.

I work in a school and am joining a team that is starting a school and both places need their numbers. Having said that I am willing to wait until this board gets off its duff to vote on POLICY and not implementation.

If Alonso succeeds (and I for one NEED to believe-- I'm staking a career on it) then he can stay and will be a shoe-in for governor. After all, the one we have now has not done anything to reform anything... talk, comb his hair, blah blah.

That's interesting to call the funding formula one of the "finer points". The formula is supposedly the lynchpin of a funding de-centralization occuring at a pace and scale never attempted in any district. It seems kind of important. Kind of like where the rubber meets the road.

Reform itself is not a problem, it's the pace. We are not talking about a race car here. If "Alonso" succeeds, yippee (Broad prize, governor, master of the universe). If he crashes and burns, who else gets harmed?

Considering that he has never before been a superintendent anywhere, and has never before demonstrated that such a feat can actually be carried out, even on a much smaller scale, is it worth using Baltimore city kids as the guinea pigs?

Dmitri:

Do you think that the kids and families at Douglas High School, or Booker T Washington Middle (Where I worked for 2 years) or any of the other schools that are doing such a poor job believe we are going too fast? I doubt it. As for who else gets harmed, I am not sure that we could do a poorer job under these reforms than we are doing now - drop out rates, failure rates, the list goes on and on. The only people I see getting harmed are the people who cannot conceptualize what real reform means. Yes, I am frustrated by the fact that some reforms don't seem to be working (the budget numbers are one area, other things exist), but I would rather send Alonzo an email and call out what isn't working and wait for the people to catch up than simply throw up my hands and say that it can't be done. I too worry about BCPSS's capacity to deal with the pace of things AND the types of things that he and his inner circle are trying to push, but that isn't a reason to slow things down. I have waited 13 years (in this system) for real, meaningful reform to take place, for the people who have, for so long, profited from the failure of the students and teachers to get pushed out of the way in favor of people who believe that we can and will do better, not in small increments, but in huge, giant leaps, for the "leaders" who have have for so long been willing to simply go along with what ever plan is being pushed from on high to be replaced by those who understand what it means to have a true vision and mission, that I am salivating at the thought of being in the system for 5 or 10 more years. I am excited at the thought of people looking at BCPSS as a model for reform and for bringing people back to the city and the city schools.

Let's support this effort with all of our might and not sit on the sidelines pointing out where issues exist without offering help and solutions. This is the time, this is the team and this is the system.

Dmitri:

Do you think that the kids and families at Douglas High School, or Booker T Washington Middle (Where I worked for 2 years) or any of the other schools that are doing such a poor job believe we are going too fast? I doubt it. As for who else gets harmed, I am not sure that we could do a poorer job under these reforms than we are doing now - drop out rates, failure rates, the list goes on and on. The only people I see getting harmed are the people who cannot conceptualize what real reform means. Yes, I am frustrated by the fact that some reforms don't seem to be working (the budget numbers are one area, other things exist), but I would rather send Alonzo an email and call out what isn't working and wait for the people to catch up than simply throw up my hands and say that it can't be done. I too worry about BCPSS's capacity to deal with the pace of things AND the types of things that he and his inner circle are trying to push, but that isn't a reason to slow things down. I have waited 13 years (in this system) for real, meaningful reform to take place, for the people who have, for so long, profited from the failure of the students and teachers to get pushed out of the way in favor of people who believe that we can and will do better, not in small increments, but in huge, giant leaps, for the "leaders" who have have for so long been willing to simply go along with what ever plan is being pushed from on high to be replaced by those who understand what it means to have a true vision and mission, that I am salivating at the thought of being in the system for 5 or 10 more years. I am excited at the thought of people looking at BCPSS as a model for reform and for bringing people back to the city and the city schools.

Let's support this effort with all of our might and not sit on the sidelines pointing out where issues exist without offering help and solutions. This is the time, this is the team and this is the system.

Alonso committed to BCPSS for a decade?!? Let's break out the betting pool to see if he even makes it for two years!! Heaven help us all.

Joan: And you would rather go back to business as usual? High drop out rates, failure rates, sub par teaching, leaders who don't lead, teachers who leave in droves and a total lack of any hope?