Omari Todd is no longer the Executive Director of Teach For America - Baltimore. A simple google search would have shown that. Before you start connecting more frivolous "dots," worry about connecting that one.

If you aren't making accusations or connecting dots, then what are you doing/

@Thoughtful: What I am doing is sharing what we know of the background of the two leaders involved,which is of interest because they represent crucial partners and leadership positions in the system.

The "connecting the dots" comment was ensure that no one interpreted it as saying that the agencies the two principals are connected to were implicated in the cheating.

BS Paper @ "Connecting the Dots on attendance records cheating. BCPSS leaders of cheating schools."

The findings of cheating regarding the accuracy of the districts primary/secondary School Attendance Records deserves far more attention at the level of City Schools school community and family councils, and by all the (14) Networks leaders assigned to district site schools for connections to principals.

I almost don't want to respond here because it seems like this post was written for the sole purpose of being inflammatory, despite the attempt to say "no dots are being connected." It is irresponsible journalism - but hey, this is a blog so the same journalistic principles don't apply and we are free to write and say anything.

The path of guilt by association has a terrible history in our country (it may be over the top, but Red Scare anyone?) Why single out TFA and New Leaders? Because it is easy. Insinuations are powerful things,and you should know that.

Keep connecting the dots Erica as these folks are only peeved because their prescious Teach4America crew are being exposed for what they truly are...a highly paid, do nothing for our children group who want to infiltrate the poorer black communities and get paid off of our children and then run for office in the lower turnout districts such as the 9th, to take over OUR communities! They get caught stealing and then simply imply no fraudulent resposnsibility on their part? Come on, let's be real! Thank you Erica for doing your part in exposing these folk and writing about education better than any damn news reporter or journalist in this town! Point blank and period!

It is deeply upsetting when any administrator or staff members feel the need to cheat. It only hurts OUR kids and OUR community..... and I don't mean OUR like some people do. If you are really about kids and making a difference than stop making those references. As upsetting as cheating is, it's equally horrifying when people maintain segregation.

Additionally, two of the three recent cases of MSA cheating were found at schools not led by principals with TFA or New Leaders connections. I suspect that any other cases that come out in the near future won't either. TFAs and BCTR teachers are still teaching our kids and trying to increase student achievement - just like any other teacher in the district. Those who keep making reference to TFA for having any other agenda than student success have other personal roadblocks that they need to work through.

Many TFA members leave the profession within two years (as soon as their contract is up). So they can pursue other political careers. Communities are destroyed by the influx of TFA teachers every year. Did you know that BCPSS has a contract with TFA so TFA members has to be hired BEFORE someone who actually majored in education in college? (TFA members often did NOT study education).

Anyway, two important figures cheated on tests they probably helped to vote in.. ironic. Fire them both.

And what will be said when the graduation scandal story hits the news. All those "early" graduates to boost old AAA's numbers. Waiting for that shoe to drop....

I've read the comments and I can honestly say that the majority of TFA teachers that I have met in the eight schools I've taught in Baltimore City Schools have served their two mandatory years and left. How can a teacher who has limited background knowledge on the subject of teaching be so outstanding in two years that they create geniuses in such a short period of time? If they are so great, then why do they leave so soon? How can teaching be so effective when they can't control their students' behavior? I don't care how good a teacher someone is, students cant' learn when they don't listen or focus on the teacher!!!

@ Insider...not just the graduation scandal. There are a lot of questions that North Ave. should answer. Why is it that administrators who were caught fudging numbers are still in positions of power and influence at BCPS? With claims of transparency, why is it that when schools are honest about their attendance, test scores and suspension rates, higher level administrators insist that the numbers are not good enough and penalize school principals? Enough is enough! Please keep digging Ms. Green, you have just scratched the surface

Folks, we are seeing the results of high stake testing. We don't know the pressures that the folks in these schools are under. We need to celebrate the growth of all of our children
regardless of what large or small. High stake testing is robbing our children of a rich opportunity to learn and robbing our
teachers of joy of teaching.

Try It InSide Ed Readers @ Public Comment Period School Board Meeting Show Up And Speak Up In Person

School Board Meeting Calendar by Date

•July 12, 2011
•August 9, 2011
•August 23, 2011

Board meetings are held on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month

Public Comment Period Policy
1.Subject Matter
◦All Business of the Board
2.Registration
◦First Come - First Serve
◦Sign up begins one hour before start of School Board meeting
3.Procedures
◦Three-minute maximum for each speaker
◦Up to ten speakers per School Board Meeting
◦Only persons signed in will be allowed to speak
◦Speaker cannot allocate his/her time to another speaker

The School Board reserves the right to modify the policy for good cause as determined.

Erica:

Thanks for being willing to write about things the powers that be would like to see swept under the rug.

Now I know why some say TFA stands for "Teach for a While" City kids need structure and continuity. How are they going to get it if there is a constant rotation of "young, idealistic, energetic teachers " in and out of their lives? It takes more than youth and good intentions to be an effective classroom teacher.

I don't understand why cheating has to become a conversation about the merits or lack thereof of Teach for America. It's really old.

@Sarah
I'm assuming you are a Teach for America alum? It's amazing the number of Innocent Bambis TFA is able to recruit! That's the real success of TFA if there is any!

This blog conversation, my dear, isn't really about Teach for America, it's about Cronyism and corruption. Where there is cronyism and corruption, there is cheating on testing. Baltimore City Schools used to be run by a good old boy network (or two-- one white, one black) made up of long-time Baltimoreans. Those guys definitely didn't do the kids any good, and Alonso and friends were brought in to purposefully sweep them away to make room for...

TA DAAHHH! Teach For America, New Leaders for New Schools, and other Eli Broad/Wendy Kopp/ Walton Family Foundation disciples.

We were led to believe these people brought not cronyism but all the latest data and educational know-how. What we are seeing, however, is--- the newest form of Cronyism. Thanks, TFA. You're really about corporatizing education, not about reforming it.

Hats off, Erica Green, for documenting the connections of our latest cheaters. Lets hope this kind of reporting keeps our leaders doing the real work they are charged with doing, and not promoting lovers, friends, union busters and scabs into high positions.

@not old

It's nice to see that, in addition to cronyism, condescension is alive and well in Baltimore.

@not old - Some of us evil crony TFA alum haven't been "innocent bambis" for a while. We have been in Baltimore almost 20 years, are raising our children here and are committed to our city and all city kids, so please show a bit of respect and don't paint everyone with the same paintbrush.

Do some TFA leave? Yes. But so do many many traditionally trained teachers. Are some TFA frustrated with unions? Yes. But some are building reps and at least one is in BTU leadership as a member-at-large.

The problem isn't TFA or New Leaders or Unions, it's people who would rather be divisive and negative instead of focusing on solutions. Stop throwing stones at people who are trying to make things better for kids. Agree to disagree sometimes, but find the common ground, dig in and do the hard work together.

@ michelle et al,
I'd like to cut and paste a thread from another story-- this is what I'm talking about: as OverTheTop writes regarding Jonathan Brice's recent appointment to CPS,

@ Burnt -- no its just inbreeding.

From Chicagomag.com:
" Brizard is an admirer of Michelle Rhee, the controversial former head of the DC schools, and co-authored a Washington Post editorial on school reform along with Joel Klein (Brizard's boss in NYC), Huberman, and others."

From the Sun 2008:

"The board approved Alonso's first Harvard hire last night: Jonathan Brice, who is a doctoral candidate at Harvard's Urban Superintendents Program (where the CEO got his doctorate)"

So Brice was hired by a former professor to work for a former co-worker of his current boss, who may have connection to the professor.

I AM painting with a large brush. And you are probably a wonderful teacher. But it bothers me to hear one TFA person after another defend the practices of these organizations, even as they become more and more anti-teacher. The fact is, these organizations put forth a very specific theory of education that not all of us agree with, and that has not even been proven through educational research. This is a pro-testing, anti-union idea that discounts experience as a valuable trait, or the benefits of having a school full of teachers who are career-teachers, or the idea that outside factors may affect learning and need to be addressed. When people bring up problems with this every-22-year-old-can-do-it idea, they are told (condescendingly) that it's about the kids, not about the adults. Those who tow the TFA line get promotions. Those who don't, do not. It's a different sort of cronyism, but it is still cronyism.

@Michelle and Sarah
this essay about TFA could not have said it better. Another thing I hate about the 'innocent bambis' I talk about above is their refusal to see the big picture, and their lack of a critical eye while happily lumping TFA in with those who are 'digging in and doing the hard work together.' As long as we believe that TFA and New Leaders for New Schools as they currently define themselves are 'digging in and doing the hard work,' or 'working together' with other educators, we will get nowhere.

Please read the link attached:

http://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/2011/06/dr-mark-naison-teach-for-america-and-me.html

@not old
Across the country, there are thousands of TFA teachers are digging in and doing the hard work. To deny that the organization has brought thousands of amazing teachers who otherwise would not have been in classrooms across the country is beyond cynical. And to deny that lives of children are not being positively affected by TFA teachers is just a willful irrational desire to dismiss all things TFA. I respect the difference of opinion about TFA as an organization, but every time you drill down and attack TFA teachers (ex. calling them bambis), you are disparaging hard working teachers just because you hate TFA. No - not every TFA teacher is successful, but neither is every non-TFA teacher. Broad brushes do no one any good.

TFA alum are about as critical as they come and don't blindly defend anything - many of TFA's harshest critics are alums who push for it to continue to strive to be better.

As a counterpoint to the negative links (I know it will convince no one who already is a TFA hater), check out the energy and enthusiasm of just three classrooms:
http://showandtell.teachforamerica.org/videos Kids are learning and being pushed to achieve at high levels - not just on a test.

I think that its misguided to hate on TFA - they have infused talent (even if it is short term talent) where very little existed previously. At this point that movement is 20 years old - certainly within those two decades relationships are made and some people's work is acknowledged within a group more than outside it. I'm not sure if I'd call that cronyism.

The Brice thing - I dont think hes TFA and or a Harvard alum and the guy has been in the system's leadership for a while - I imagine he took the advice of his supervisor and went for the high end degree. A Harvard degree can get you in more places than just Baltimore City, right?

@not old - Do you really think that the system was going to get better with the previous cronyism (sororities, church affiliations, etc)? The Educational Industrial Complex, as Dr. Naison called it, in Baltimore was closed to anyone outside that select group for years. The power of grassroots movements - from some charters, non-profit care providers and the like - has only materialized over the past ten years and has only had a foothold in the power structure for the past five. I bring this up, not old, because there is plenty of history here and I invite you to check it out before riding the popular wave of criticism on two of the more successful organizations in the city. Certainly multiple parties deserve blame for this fiasco with the test scores and cheating - but to lay it on TFA and New Leaders alone doesn't hold water in IMHO.

@Michelle and Warren
ok-- you are right about differentiating between teachers who work hard and are engaging, and the organizations that brought them to their career. And Warren, you are absolutely right that it is silly to lay cronyism at the feet of any one organization, and I would even concede that one could argue that I'm not really talking about cronyism.

But in my defense, Warren, I DID reference the previous old-boy systems that we have recently been able to sweep away with the new reforms-- and I thought I had made it clear that I believe this is a good thing-- these old systems were hardly worth extolling.

What galls me, though, is what once at least had the form of democracy (if not the actuality) is quickly being replaced by a new-type of, well, if you don't want to call it cronyism, an ideology that is anti-career-teacher, anti-parent (because parental control in the new ideology is defined narrowly as school-choice, meaning, if-you-don't-like-it-go-to-another-school). The new ideolgoy is also extremely militant about things that not all of us agree are best-practices to the exclusion of good policy-- testing, merit-pay, etc.

What I think really made me jump into the fray was the continued un-critical defense of TFA that didn't even address the very real concerns about its participation in this.

Why is critical analysis of how TFA, New Leaders, etc. affect school reforms always met with some TFA person getting on the blog and whining that TFA teachers are good teachers, and the criticism is 'getting old?'

Why not simply address the concerns?

Michelle's link is a case in point. OF COURSE there's going to be great work that can be show-cased. What does that have to do with the organization's goals?

I'd really like to hear what you think about the questions raised by Mark Naison in the blog I posted, though. If you are not one of the 'bambi's' I'm talking about, what is your thinking on these concerns? Are they valid? Or are you just going to say the same-old, 'well some of us stay, and we're good teachers,' bs, which first of all, can't be proven because I can't watch you teach, and which is, well, not really addressing the concerns at all.

If the majority of these great talented teachers last 2 years and then don't just leave, but are ENCOURAGED to leave to sweep on to careers in law, business, admin, etc. and other things, and if the organization actively works against the idea that experience counts, is the organization really solving any problems? Or is it just contributing to the chimera that a few 22-year-olds from Harvard can solve poverty on the cheap, while letting our policy-makers and tax-payers (the big tax-payers being rich people and rich corporations) off the hook and turning teaching from a career into a peace-corps type option for people on their way to a 'real' career to boot?

What annoys me is the lack of critique of the real political agenda here-- get rid of public schools, get rid of the once-powerful political arm of the middle-class (i.e. unions), and turn every school into a franchise for 'more efficient' businesses to run without public oversight. Does this really help the kids? Or is it going to simply pad the pockets of a few adults, to use Michelle Rhee's over-stated axiom?

In the case this blog-thread started about, I'm just glad someone is pointing out that all these people who are moving these ideas forward are not only dependent on tests showing their success, (to the point of cheating to make sure they do) but that they are all cut from the same cloth, and very closely connected to one another-- through marriage, school-ties, etc. I'm glad someone is asking a few questions about whether or not that's what we want.