CARE - Not "Anti-Education" - Part 1

Many of the Racine Journal Times weblog postings to The Schools Report blogs have been critical of CARE - Coalition to Actively Reform Education. I feel that the JT education reporter, Brent Killackey, has not fairly represented CARE’s positive message of accountability. CARE advocates having a measurable plan, both academic and financial, before supporting the upcoming June 6th referendum.

Some have criticized CARE because they are not “educational experts”, but school reform does not need to be rocket science. When the Independent Commission on Education released its report in January 2006, the community applauded and overwhelmingly agreed with these “non-educational experts” on their findings. Knowing the recent history of RUSD, I believe the Independent Commission’s report will not be acted on without pressure from the public and citizen’s advocacy groups like CARE.

Apparently, it is Unified’s modus operandi to ask for help and then fail to act on those suggestions. CARE believes that RUSD needs to better communicate its mission to the public it serves. The Independent Commission agrees and states:

The District has a limited communications function but significant communications needs, both internally and externally. Virtually everyone we spoke to commented on the District’s failure to communicate successfully important information to the people who need it. Without focused information delivered in a timely way, employees are stymied in their ability to meet job responsibilities effectively and are not meaningfully connected to the greater purpose and direction of the District. Externally, strategic communications efforts are needed to build public understanding of, and confidence in, the District’s long-term strategies and goals for
improvement.

CARE believes that this is one of the reasons why RUSD has not been successful in implementing Dr. Hicks’ school reform plan, the Quality District Model.

Why is CARE being attacked as being anti-education when CARE is advocating some of the very things The Independent Commission has stated are necessary?