School Reform... Just Give Me the Money!

I recently read the article from the Baltimore Sun entitled , “Several senators oppose Grasmick's school reform plan," (http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/md-education-briefing0121,0,5383465.story) which outlined Nancy Grasmick’s plan to change tenure policies and compensation plans in order to become “more competitive” for money being awarded by the U.S. Department of Education. This money is awarded to states with the most progressive school policies. But one must question the “cart before the horse” mentality that Superintendent Grasmick has created as it relates to school reform. The importance for school reform is not rooted in money being awarded for said policies, but for the necessity of Maryland students to walk away with a quality education. Superintendent Grasmick was quoted in saying, “"We need to show tangible efforts, not just good intentions.” She deemed these efforts necessary now when money is at stake; however, the grassroots of Urban reform efforts and polices are rooted in the necessity that students need quality education to become quality citizens. Money should not inform the efforts to propose a better quality education to our resident students, it should just aid in the transition that schools need to become more competent.

Maryland was one of ten states that did not apply for the federal funding during the first round of applications; this says to me that even if reform efforts are sought in order to get this funding, we are less than prepared to offer a convincing reform plan to the U.S. Department of Education. Reform is not an overnight analysis and revamping. It takes time, identification, and attention to detail in order to effectively maneuver a change within a school district drastically in need of providing quality education to its substituents. With Nancy Grasmick missing one deadline, and needing to meet another, her attention to detail will have to be sacrificed for the necessity to meet deadlines. Is this not counterproductive to very essence of school reform?

With so much money at stake for convincing, progressive school plans, is a slight revision in two or three policies enough to convince the decision makers that we are worth the investments they are offering?