Breaking Up (With Ed Reform) Is Hard To Do
Teacher/blogger Ellie Herman turns her attention to our own Lisa Alva Wood, following up from Lisa’s most recent blog post here at InterACT.
Lisa Alva is a dangerous woman. At least some people think so: last month, she published a blistering piece on the InterACT education website recounting her “broken romance” with some of the leading organizations in education reform. Lisa had already butted heads with some union leaders by speaking out publicly against their seniority policies and resistance to accountability. But her association with the reform movement ended abruptly this past December:
I phoned into a conference call that wasn’t what I expected, and it ended my relationships with the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, Teachers for a New Unionism and Educators4Excellence, and put some others in the doghouse…
Listening in to a conference call with the United Way that was supposed to be a talk with education groups but turned into a recruiting session to rally support for LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy, Lisa “felt the hair stand up on the back…
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David, thanks so much for the re-blog! I’m so impressed by Lisa and her willingness to speak honestly about her concerns. It’s so easy to get polarized, especially if you’re looking for popular support. Striking an independent path, as she does, is scary–and necessary.
I’m glad you picked up on her story, Ellie. I’ll let you in on a little (no longer) secret about Lisa: every private conversation I’ve ever had with her has been marked by the exact same qualities you see up front: a steadfast commitment to her students, community, and profession. Her involvement in groups and associations that largely see themselves in opposition is either mystifying or refreshing depending on your point of view, but I have no doubt that it only works because there’s never any mystery about where Lisa stands and what motivates her.