Subject: We Are Winning the Battle of Ideas
From: "Jeanne Allen" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:22:27 -0800

Dear Friend,

Do you want the good news or the bad news, first?

Well I'm a glass-half-full kind of gal so I'll start with the
positives:

We are winning the battle of ideas!  Each day of 2012 so far we
have seen, heard and read our words and phrases repeated over and
over again.  In the media, by policymakers and even the President
of the United States, whose State of the Union echoed the words
we first made popular 18 years ago - competitive education
reform.

While real victory requires more than just words, it starts with
an acceptance of ideas and an acknowledgement that we are in the
right.  I love that President Clinton adopted our commitment to
charter schools, that President Bush adopted our commitment to
competition and quality, and now, President Obama has endorsed
all of it. The next president will, likewise, up the ante. And
that's where I'll pause to tell you the bad news.

Rhetoric is winning the day.

Our movement is beginning to get so giddy about our widespread
agreement on the means, that we seem to be forgetting that a lot
of work, strife, disagreement, and yes controversy inevitably
follow the real path toward the end.

While some presidential candidates would like us to believe
otherwise, we cannot expect school boards to make choice happen
for all kids in need.  And reaching and creating high standards
requires more than a challenge and some federal funding, as the
Obama administration would have us believe. Creating real reform
across the states requires more than lip service and the
government restructuring that even some of our best sounding
governors seem content to accept.

Since 1993, CER has been challenging the status quo, no matter
who is in charge.  We've seen first hand how even the most
firebrand policymakers, reformers, funders and watchdog groups
get so comfortable with their perceived success that they stop
fighting, and blur the difference between popular words and real
action.

And so today I write with cautious optimism and fear.  I'm
optimistic that with your help we will overcome once again the
complacency that's settling into our veins these days, impacted
by the wide array of new leaders, new groups, new funds and new
policies being touted daily.  We will keep us all on our toes and
continue calling out inaction and lethargy to accept "good
enough."

I fear, however, that we are sliding back to a time when we think
our elected officials - because they sound so darn good - will
take care of the problems when in actuality they will simply pass
new laws into existence that put more bureaucracy in charge. 

Choice and accountability are best left to the creation of highly
accountable but fully autonomous organizations.

We must be wary of attempts to put education agencies in charge
of our choices, and as dictators of what makes for good
standards, and testing. 

There is much said in the public realm today that sounds like the
real thing.

We work to reveal the imitations every day so you don't have to. 
With that in mind, I urge your continued vigilance and invite
your continued involvement and support.

Best Regards,

Jeanne Allen
President

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