The same Clarion-Ledger that hired the Executive Director of the Democratic Party as an assignment editor, is the same Clarion-Ledger that now refuses to publish pro-charter school letters. Surprised? Followers of the education debate over the last twelve months have seen the Clarion-Ledger act as the propaganda machine for Nancy Loome of the Parents' Campaign, as it regularly publishes letters by Ms. Loome and Claiborne Barksdale. No shocker there, as the long-time editorial page editor was married to the communications director for Jackson Public Schools and always neglected to inform his readers of that fact. However, the newspaper's unethical conduct continues after David Hampton's retirement, as it refuses to print responses when its education darling decides to play schoolyard bully.
The newspaper published a story today under the headline "Advocate focuses on teacher training." The entire article is about Ms. Loome and her legislative goals for 2013. There is not one word from anyone else, just the Gospel on Education according to Loome. The Clarion-Ledger published this article after it published a 432-word column by Ms. Loome attacking charter schools supporters on December 31 titled "Public Education for Sale?" (See comments for the column.). Regular readers of this website will recall last year how the newspaper published a lopsided number of columns, letters, and articles by Loome and her friends while giving scant room to the other side.
True to form, Community Editor Sam Hall, published his own column, "Lets not ignore the side effects of charter schools" on December 9, 2012 attacking KIPP charter schools in Helena, Arkansas, a charter school success story often cited by Chuck Espy and other charter school supporters. Mr. Hall used his column to accuse charter schools of financially draining school districts and cherry-picking students. Its the Clarion-Ledger's right to publish such opinions. However, the newspaper did not play by the same rules when charter school supporters submitted their own responses.
MS Coalition for Public Charter Schools submitted two responses to the newspaper on December 13 from Scott Shirley, the CEO for Kipp:Delta, and Erika Berry, the Communications Director for the Coalition. The Clarion-Ledger's David Magee told Ms. Berry both responses would be published. Unfortunately for the Coalition, that is not what happened.
The Clarion-Ledger published a shortened version of Ms. Berry's letter and refused to publish Mr. Shirley's response. Yes, the same newspaper that creates space out of thin air for Nancy Loome and Claiborne Barksdale on a regular basis can't seem to find any newsprint for the CEO of KIPP charter schools in Helena, Arkansas when Sam Hall writes a column attacking his schools. The same newspaper that neglected to tell readers about the Hampton-Hampton connection as the editorial page attacked charter schools on a regular basis but then, we are talking about ethics and the Clarion-Ledger. Unfortunately for the Coalition, the newspaper's unethical conduct didn't stop with refusing to publish responses to Mr. Hall's column.
Ms. Loome's column attacked education reforms in Florida:
"And then there’s Florida. Since 1999, Florida has invested billions of dollars in real education reform that has catapulted the state’s student achievement into the realm of some of the most successful countries. Yet, Florida’s most vocal “education reform” advocates, the Foundation for Excellence in Education, attribute Florida’s success to school choice.
Research shows otherwise. Florida’s own study of its “opportunity scholarships” (neo-vouchers) shows that children who received vouchers and attended private schools had outcomes virtually identical to the children who remained in traditional public schools. This year, almost 50 percent of Florida’s “F” rated schools are charter schools — despite the fact that charters make up only 11 percent of Florida’s schools. Many are for-profits.
Turns out that the Foundation for Excellence in Education has a lobbying arm and Super PAC, the Foundation for Florida’s Future Action Committee. They are raking in millions, and they’ve made their way to Mississippi.
Let’s hope our children’s future isn’t really for sale."
Strong stuff. Makes you want to tar and feather all things charter schools and run them out of town on a rail. It must have affected the minds of the editors so much that they refused to publish a response by Patricia Levesque, CEO of Florida Excellence in Education submitted on January 2, 2013. Ms. Levesque wrote in the response posted below:
"Loome also cherry picks data to make her case. She notes there are a higher percent of failing charter schools in Florida than traditional public schools. While this is a true statement, it does not reflect the full picture of charter school performance in Florida.
Charter schools in Florida serve a greater proportion of at-risk students (i.e., low-income, minority or students with disabilities). As a result, they start out with F grades, but most quickly improve. They have to, because Florida law says charters can be closed if they receive two consecutive F grades - a policy that is not applied to traditional public schools.
She also fails to point out the steady improvement in charters and that most are considered high-performing schools. Between the 2002-03 and 2010-11 school years, the percent of charters receiving an A or B grade has grown from 53 to 73 percent, and the percent of failures has dropped from 16 to 6 percent."
It is now January 10, 2013. The Clarion-Ledger still refuses to publish these responses. While the newspaper brags about its coverage of the 2013 session of the Mississippi Legislature, it is not bragging about how it is using its influence to oppose educational reforms and is preventing supporters of those reforms to have any voice in the debate. These repeated refusals to publish responses are not neglect. They are not malpractice. They are flat-out unethical conduct on the part of the "state newspaper" and should be treated as such. The citizens of Mississippi deserve a vigorous and thorough debate on education. Make no mistake. Mississippi is dead last in education. Period. Debates are good. Debates are needed. Propaganda from the Clarion-Ledger is not and what the "state newspaper" is engaging in is propaganda. The Clarion-Ledger should publish these responses in full and apologize to the readers.
29 comments:
It is amazing to me the Leftist education that I received at university in politics always decried the power of the media and how it served as propaganda for those sitting in the tower.
I guess it was a criticism of themselves.
Loome needs sheep. CL has the audience of sheep or at least anyone sheep-like enough to still subscribe to it.
So,charter schools that received F in Florida had low income , high risk students...not a surprise.
I suggest that one looks at this slightly differently.
If you are strongly either a charter school supporter or a public school supporter, you might think , " Gee, neither system is perfect, both systems can have monumental failures so what weaknesses in either system should we address before we decide on a change for our system of education and propose to inflict our plan on the taxpayers?"
Which charter systems and public system work best and why? Compare Maryland public schools to the best charter school system. Do they have common characteristics?
Beating up on CL is easy.
Choosing up a side by deciding who you like best or think will win is easy.
Researching what does and doesn't work in education and why schools succeed or fail is hard.
Whatever we do, let's not get information from objective sources but rely on those who are defending one side or the other so we can be certain to screw it up worse.
Please someone tell me why to date under state law, no one has petitioned the school boards and districts in C through F rated public school districts to form a charter school? I have seen no demand so far for them in these districts by any parents or teachers or boards or leaders. Why?
Is the Clarion Ledger still publishing?
January 10, 2013 10:25 AM ... blah, blah, blah, blah.
10:34, you ask a good question. I will try to answer. If you look at the white school districts, very very few of them are D or F. In fact, there were only 5 D's and no F's. SO..... lets move over to the Black community.
30 D's and 19 F's. I'm going to be real honest here. I don't see any parents in the black community asking for charter schools. I don't think some of you understand what would happen to the parents that would try to do such a thing. I would fear for their safety. Seriously. By the time the Derrick Johnson, Precious, Willie Perkins crowd got through with them, no one would hire them, speak to them, or associate with them. You think you've seen Uncle Tom thrown at Marshand Crisler, that is nothing compared to what would be thrown at these people. Then there are the flyers. The anonymous flyers that are pretty crude but salacious in their accusations. Remember those "Documents of Concern" up in Greenwood that were circulated over the Lee Abraham Dr. Smith mess? That is what you are looking at. Not going to happen.
Nice job on this one, Kingfish. You can't count on Marquita Brown for anything other than defending MDE and writing puff pieces about MDE's minions -- including Loome.
Marquita's not bad. When she covers an event, her reporting is usually pretty good.
I will say this, since they got rid of a certain two editors, the reporting there has definitely gotten better.
Just think, if House Speaker Philip Gunn wasn't such a gutless bafoon, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. The Representative from the Weathersby County School District and Family Jobs Program would not have teamed up with the Desoto County Shoe Shine Boy to enable democrats to kill charter schools last year.
All the equal time in the world ain't gonna mean spit unless someone loans the Speaker a spine so he can enforce some party discipline on this issue.
Nice job reporting, Kingfish.
The liberal position in the charter school debate is a great demonstration of the mindset that would have all fail together rather than create an opportunity for some to succeed. Because that just wouldn't be fair.
It's truly a sickness.
I enjoy the blog posts on Jackson Jambalaya and appreciate the voice and forum. But the headline including the statement "CL refuses to publish responses" is simply not true. We ran Ms. Berry's piece and it was edited for space considerations on that day. We may run other pieces in the future, from either side of that issue or others. We have provided a forum for both sides of this issue and will continue to with no bias whatsoever. We have also reported extensively and fairly about charter schools issues, and will continue to.
So, all of that aside, my question is, will the Kingfish have the cajones to make this the subject of his next radio show and devote the entire show to exposing this?
Or Not?
This is 10:34, I want to thank kingfish for his explanation regarding why no one in the different state school districts that are currently rated C,D, and F have tried to form a charter school under existing state law thus far. Although I don't completely agree with what he said, I do agree with parts of it. I still don't see why or how certain things commonly being mentioned by some in the Legislature like "virtual online charters" and "for profit" charters has to be included. The entire charter movement also seems to come from a majority of white state elected leaders when we see that most whites don't really care about the issue. Appearances seem to indicate whites wanting to save poor black kids in bad performing districts, that is not a good sales strategy for the pro-charter forces, in my opinion.
Let us know Magee when you edit Loome's crapola for space because from all appearances you run her stuff verbatim.
Save your 'no bias' tripe for somewhere else, like, maybe, your stupid readership.
CL same old train wreck just more damage.
The C-L not biased? LMAO Someone did way too many drugs in college! You fried your brain dude.
David, respectfully, I'm calling Bullshit. Actions speak louder than words.
Manufacturing consent is more the soup de' jour. Lie awake tonight thinking about your commitment to the trade.
Thank you for the response and I will do my best to reply to it in a way that will be a far cry from the treatment you would get if I were Donna Ladd.
1. Your paper NEVER told the public David Hampton was married to Peggy Hampton, the CD for JPS. Not once. All those times he and the editorial page criticized charter school or other education reform efforts, that little fact was always left out. Just a little unethical in my opinion. You've no idea how many people I consider to be educated and informed tell me they didn't know Mr. Hampton was married to the PR person for JPS until I mentioned it on my website.
2. Numbers don't lie. Yes they can be manipulated but they don't lie. Go look at your editorial page during the legislative session in 2012. Count the anti-charter school letters, editorials, and columns and then count up the ones that were supportive of the charter school bills. You will see a lopsided difference in one direction.
3. I'm sorry but it strains credibility to not publish a response from the CEO of KIPP:Delta in response to a Sam Hall for over a month and then cry "oh, we are going to publish it" when you get called out on it. I'm sure someone reading that response will remember that Mr. Hall wrote a column about it three months earlier when it is finally published.
4. Then there is the column by Loome. It seems Claiborne and Nancy get published whenever they feel like it and I'm not the only one who holds such an opinion. Its a little disingenuous to keep publishing columns and letters by them that are very timely yet put off for weeks or over a month any responses that are critical of their work, if they are even published at all. Then there is the magical queue. No ever sees it, no one can access it, but it is supposedly out there in the great gannett cloud, waiting to materialize whenever summoned by the editorial page spirits.
I appreciate the response but I must respectfully and firmly disagree with your statements and stand behind what I posted today about the matter.
Damn. I can't publish that comment but you know I'm laughing my ass off reading it. Several times. and several times more.
Why in the hell is this a liberal or conservative issue?
Both liberals and conservatives have children who need the best education they can be given.
This political choosing up sides in the school yard on every damn thing to try to be the most popular group at school is ridiculous.
Whatever one side supports, the other side will be against.
And, neither side seems to have gotten the memo that the American public , save for the partisan yellow dogs are sick of it.
Desota County Shoe Shine Boy has sort of a 'Memphis Recording' ring to it. That was funny as hell.
I agree that this should not be a liberal or conservative issue. You would think that both sides would be for helping poor children have opportunities. But in this day and age, virtually all the liberals vote democrat and virtually all the conservatives vote republican. It wasn't always that way.
And for liberal/democrats, unions trump children. So, by and large, the issue breaks down as liberals vs. conservatives. I'm sure there are a few exceptions.
See editorial page Crying Liar 1/12/13 We finally have an article on charter schools that is not penned by a teachers union wanting to help the childun by pouring more money down our existing rathole.
Mid-Life-Lawyer; Who mentioned "poor children"? Charter Schools, as an issue, shouldn't be about democrat, republican, well to do or poor. Isn't the issue more about incompetent administration, lack of dedication and institutional culture? Next we'll be suggesting charter is a black-white issue.
It's not necessarily about poor children but poor children disproportionately cannot afford private school as an option so obviously charter schools can have more impact in areas with more disadvantaged.
I'd like to see every child have an option but there are many districts where the schools are competent, as in Madison where my child attends public school, and charter schools are not needed.
It irrelevant to me, at this point, why the problem schools are failing. I just want the motivated children/parents to have a better choice. Most people you can't help but I'd like to see those who want help, get help.
Betcha MLL that a charter set up in southern Madison County will have enough demand to require a waiting list.
I'm kind of new around here so maybe you are right. We are pleased with our situation so far. We moved from Oxford and that was a good deal as well.
Regardless, there are good public school options here. There are many areas of Mississippi were that is not the case. Those children are pretty much doomed without a fairly radical solution. Again, most will not take advantage; I'm concerned with providing opportunity for those that will.
5:42 is smoking crack if he really thinks a charter proposition in Madison or Ridgeland is needed, would fly or would have a waiting list.
But, Mid-life Lawyer, Charters have nothing whatever to do with society providing an alternative to private schools. The subject here is providing quality education in the public system, not bemoaning the fact that everybody can't afford a private education. Thus my suggestion that the argument re Charter should not be based at all on income considerations.
Charters allow children to escape poorly performing systems, not poverty. 'Poverty programs' are a whole 'nuther set of social experiments.
Shadowfax,
What I'm saying is that the poorly performing systems can't be fixed and neither can most of the children, due to family situations. So I am not interested in attempted to fix those problems because it's a waste of time and money to try.
The best that can be done is to give the motivated parents/children a choice.
(1) There is a high correlation between poorly performing school districts and students from lower socioeconomic families.
(2) Children from middle-class upper class families have better public school districts and access to private schools.
(3) Charter schools will have much greater impact on poor children.
I don't know where you are getting the idea that I'm "bemoaning the fact that everyone can't afford a private eduction." I'm merely stating that I think Charter school are more important for children with no access to quality education than those who already have access. And the fact that generally the democrats/liberals who are against Charter schools are acting for the benefit of the unions, or for purely partisan reasons or another sort, rather than for the poor children they claim to champion.
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