Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Broad Superintendents Academy

I just had to do a quick post about a topic of some concern to me. I was minding my own business commuting to work this morning when I heard the underwriting pitch for an NPR segment. The underwriter was the Broad Foundation Superintendents Academy. The purpose of the program is to train CEOs and other senior level executives from the business world to be school superintendents.

Why?

Why not train social workers, or nurses, or policemen, or librarians to be school superintendents? At least those professions are care giving, service oriented professions.

In the best of times making CEOs into superintendents would be suspect, but these are not the best of times. American big business has been plagued with incompetence, corruption, greed, and lack of vision in recent years. Our economy continues to struggle because of this legacy.

I have never understood why making a lot of money as a business executive should entitle one to run our schools, our charities, our city councils, our foundations, our government commissions, etc. Why is plutocracy a preferred form of governance for society?

Well, that's my rant of the morning. Thanks, for your patience.

3 comments:

  1. Amen, Tim. Broad's influence in public education is destroying schools from coast to coast.

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  2. Broad has become synonymous with interfering. May I start a Master Educator to CEO Academy?

    I was equally surprised when I heard the same underwrting message the other day on NPR. And, I thought that they had standards! LOL

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  3. There are aspects of the plutocracy invading education everywhere. Gov Patrick in MA is championing the lifting of caps for charter schools. And the billionnaires club (hedge fund managers) in NY is buying the Legislature to raise charter school caps from 200 to 460, see NY Times article: http://tinyurl.com/3a8xh28. Obviously not all charter schools are bad, but they are not accountable. It is suspect when hedge fund managers get interested in education--for what purpose? How long before they go back to their yachts and polo clubs? Can I be blamed if I'm suspicious about them being interested in getting their hands on federal money?

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