The Question Was...

"Writing an article on the community response to Cathie Black's appointment as NYC Schools Chancellor. Does ANYONE think she's qualified/appropriate for the position? (She's not...but I thought at least 1 out of the last 11 people would say she is)."

I responded:
I can barely articulate how inappropriate she is. And it's not even her, personally--anyone with her background being in this position just illuminates what giant, awful, glaring things are wrong with the larger cultural mindset in regards to education.

And someone replied:
A lot of what's going wrong in education is because the teachers unions are so powerful. It needs to be said we are expecting a top to bottom change and why not someone from outside the perennial education circle. So many excellent CEO switch industries on a dime and I can't see why not Black.

::sigh::

I don't like getting into public-forum debates, so I didn't reply. Maybe not the best move, because shouldn't there be discussion? But it didn't feel like the right forum. So I'm just ranting here instead.

Saying that teachers' unions are to blame for poor education--often defined as kids scoring poorly on tests--ignores the fact that we put more trust in these tests than in the teachers, who are systematically demonized and trivialized in their paper wake.
People are not products that can be consistently pumped out looking polished like magazines. Yes, there is a chance that Cathie Black can make positive changes. Yes, maybe she can work some budget magic. But budget magic does not change the underlying cultural disrespect and distrust of educators. Cathie Black's appointment effectively underscores that lack of respect: you can't do what you're supposed to do, so we're bringing in this businesswoman who can. Again, she might be a brilliant fit for the job. I'll be happily surprised if she is. But the message remains that educators can't educate.

I'm not a huge fan of unions: I think generally, they've strayed from the original task of protecting workers and have ranged farther and farther out into outrageous roadblocking. But when it comes to the UFT, they're pretty much the only ones even somewhat supporting teachers on a philosophical level (ie, competent, trained professionals). My problem is not with Cathie Black, her decision to leave Hearst and join the DOE. My problem is with Mayor Bloomberg, who offered her the job, and the undoubtedly millions of others who think business models are the solution for education.

People are not products: they don't just go away or get scrapped if they don't turn out right. You can't just put in another order for better ones and stop doing business if they come back unsatisfactory. People are an investment. We all need long-term support and proper care from our earliest days onward.