Ms. Spellings Comes to See Governor No Show

By Jim Stergios
May 6th, 2008

Margaret Spellings, Secretary of the US (I repeat, the US) Department of Education, came to town to discuss accountability and also in concert with National Charter School Week. She came to visit the Edward Brooke Charter School in Boston and probably expected that during her visit, there would be, as was past practice, a charter school proclamation from the Governor. Or at least a greeting from the Governor.

Not this year. And not from Governor No Show. No proclamation. No show at the Brooke Charter this morning. No show at a roundtable discussion held at the State House.

No proclamation for charters even though they are closing the achievement gap the Governor so often talks about. Take these stats from the Brooke Charter and stick ‘em in your graduation cap:

• 76% African-American, 21% percent Latino
• 75% of our 8th grade students scored advanced or proficient in Math, making us the 4th-highest ranked non-exam public school in all of Boston, ahead of Boston Latin Academy and John D. O’Bryant.
• 45% of our 8th graders scored advanced and proficient in science, making us the 4th-highest scoring school in Boston, placing us ahead of all three Boston exam schools Boston Latin School, Boston Latin Academy, and John D. O’Bryant School.

Shall I interpret those numbers for you? They. Mean. That. Brooke. Charter. Is. Dramatically. Outperforming. Both. Boston. And. The. State. In. ELA. Math. And. Science. (2007 MCAS.)

What’s all that mean? Why won’t the Governor embrace the choice he so benefited from? Ahem, ahem. Not for me to ascribe motives. He just happened to be out of the building when Secretary Spellings came for a visit. Probably out talking about the achievement gap…