We live in an increasingly polarized and toxic environment – and I’m not talking about the drilling rig explosion that has spewed millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.  We see the venom most clearly in politics.  Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House, hypes book sales by saying the current Administration represents “as great a threat to America as Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union.”  [And he was a history professor with a Ph.D. in Modern European History, so he presumably comprehends how serious those two threats were.]  Last summer’s town hall meetings frequently disintegrated into near brawls, and it seems you can’t watch a Tea Party without seeing a poster comparing President Obama to Adolph Hitler (or worse).  Some Republicans shout down the President when he is addressing Congress, while others have not only embraced the epithet of the “Party of No”; they say they want to be known as the “Party of Hell No.”    

But it’s not just the far right fighting a Democratic administration.  Politicians like Evan Bayh have decided to retire because of what they see as an overall loss of civility in Washington.  Others have been involuntarily retired, reflecting voter anger and anti-incumbent fervor that is running high – and being vented.  After 45 years in elective politics, including 30 years in the Senate, Arlen Specter lost his primary in Pennsylvania by 20 percentage points.  In Utah, Senator Robert Bennett, an 18-year veteran seeking a fourth term, was voted off the ballot at the Republican state convention.  Senator Specter had switched parties because he feared he would lose a Republican primary, and thus his loss may be hard to accurately deconstruct.  But Senator Bennett had received an enthusiastic endorsement from Mitt Romney, a local hero in Utah, and is in his own right one of the most conservative members of the U.S. Senate, with a deep political pedigree, strong Mormon roots and a history of public service.  That Utah Republicans found him too liberal and too willing to work with Democrats shows how extreme politics has become.

There’s a related phenomenon in education.  The NewSchools Venture Fund conducted an Oxford-style debate at its summit over the question whether educational entrepreneurs should partner with school districts and/or state departments of education.  I observed that the format contributed to a perception that the issue had but two sides, with no possibility of compromise.  [I also pointed out that Chris Whittle, founder of what is now called Edison Learning, used to answer that question by pointing out that nobody asked Fred Smith why he founded FedEx instead of fixing the Post Office.] 

In education, people seem to squabble about everything.  They argue over whole language vs. phonetic approaches to teaching language arts; whether we should “teach to the test” or abandon all accountability and standards; which are better: charter schools or government schools; if schools should concern themselves solely with providing the best education possible, or should deal with the needs of the whole child; and, whatever we decide with respect to that question, should schools teach critical thinking and analytical skills or focus on making sure students learn a vocabulary of common information, facts, stories and skills that make up a shared cultural literacy, etc., etc., etc.  In every one of those “debates,” one side or the other frequently seeks to demean and demonize the other.  Instead of trying to understand the merits of the argument or to identify an intellectually sound compromise that accommodates both positions, both sets of proponents tend to dig in their heels, scream louder, pound on the table and hurl invective. (You should see some of the responses to Team Mosaica News.)

The reality, of course, is that all of those arguments are false dichotomies, a logical fallacy in which only two alternatives are considered – also sometimes referred to as the “missing middle” or the “bogus dilemma” – whereas the “right answer” could be both, neither, or somewhere in between.  Indeed, the last false dichotomy I cited, whether the principal purpose of education was to develop critical thinking skills or a shared core of knowledge, was part of Dawn Eidelman’s inspiration for the Paragon curriculum.  At the time, two prominent university professors, Howard Gardner from Harvard and E.D. Hirsch from the University of Virginia, were publicly debating each other on that subject, and their acolytes and supporters were carrying on the discussion in evermore strident terms.  Dr. Gardner, best-known for his theory of multiple intelligences, argued that schools should focus on teaching students how to think – like, say, a scientist or an artist or a historian – in order to develop sound thinking on essential questions.  Dr. Hirsch countered that that type of “progressive education” had failed students, particularly disadvantaged ones, and that a school combining drill and practice with a demanding core curriculum would produce the most successes.  Dr. Eidelman saw that as a false dichotomy, and she developed Paragon and the rest of Mosaica’s Education Program to accommodate both scholars’ viewpoints into a lovely mosaic that has served us, our students and their families well over the past 13 years.

My point is not to diminish the passion behind our political disputes or our educational discussions.  Healthy debate is good for the soul in both quarters, and when done properly should inform the electorate and benefit the children.  But we need to conduct our debates without rancor and with civility and good humor, aiming toward a goal of generating more light than heat.  And if you don’t understand that, you’re an idiot.  (I’m obviously just kidding with that sentence – at least I hope it was obvious – but see what I mean?)

Enjoy your Memorial Day, as we remember and honor those who gave their lives in service to our country.

Michael J. Connelly

Chief Executive Officer

Mosaica Education, Inc.

Gene and I attended the NewSchools Venture Fund Summit in Washington last week.  There were 600 attendees, almost all educational entrepreneurs committed to systemic change.  One of the conference highlights was a discussion between Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Representative George Miller, Chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, moderated by Ted Mitchell, NSVF’s CEO.  When they left the dais, Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado (who was Superintendent of Denver Public Schools before his appointment to the Senate) and Congressman Jared Polis of Colorado gave their perspectives.

They all alluded to the increasing politicization of education and the need for “edupreneurs” and reform advocates to confront directly the politics of our work.  Education has been a hot-potato political issue since the days of Mark Twain (who famously said, “God made the Idiot for practice, and then He made the School Board”) and has been a major issue on the federal level since the Reagan administration (which proposed eliminating the Department of Education).  But Secretary Duncan emphasized that the current time is a “generational opportunity” for real change, and he pointed out that there is substantial bipartisan support for reform efforts, especially in chronically underperforming schools and underserved communities.  (“This isn’t about Democrats or Republicans. We’re doing this for the children.”)

But across the country, it is often about Democrats and Republicans.  In Texas, for example, Bill White, former mayor of Houston, is running for Governor and has made education a central theme, saying the government has done nothing to stop a third of Texas high school students from dropping out in the last decade and for allowing tuition at state universities to skyrocket.  Mr. White may be right about the drop-out issue – it’s a problem almost everywhere and of crisis proportions in many urban areas – but state universities in Texas have some of the most reasonable tuitions in the nation.  As the economic downturn has forced cutbacks and tuition increases at essentially all of the nation’s colleges (and threatens the survival of some), a year’s tuition at UT-Arlington, where Dawn Eidelman used to teach, is less than $4,300, and costs at its flagship campus in Austin are only a couple hundred dollars more.  In comparison, in-state tuition at my alma mater, Michigan State University, is almost three times that much, and MSU’s out-of-state tuition is close to $30,000.

Mayor White is hardly the only politician focused on educational issues.  To avoid draconian cutbacks in state funding for education in Arizona, Governor Brewer staked her political career on a sales tax measure, which the voters approved in a special election on Tuesday; at the opposite end of the country, Governor Crist of Florida vetoed a controversial education bill to pave the way for his campaign for the U.S. Senate as an independent; and one of the most influential political action committees in the country is the Democrats for Education Reform PAC, which only supports candidates who support charter schools.  The PAC has become so powerful in this new political landscape, the New York Times reports, the advice often given to candidates seeking campaign contributions is to “Talk to Joe” – Joe Williams is DFER’s executive director.

I am not sure that we need to talk to Joe, but we do need to speak to politicians, to reporters and directly to voters.  As speaker after speaker at NSVF’s Summit said, we need to make sure our stories are heard and that the great work that Team Mosaica and our colleagues in the education reform movement are doing is known, supported and nurtured.  Generational opportunities don’t come around that often.

Michael J. Connelly
Chief Executive Officer
Mosaica Education, Inc.
42 Broadway – Suite 1039
New York, New York 10004
(212) 232-0305, Ext. 201
Fax: (212) 232-0309
mconnelly@MosaicaEducation.com

FORT COLLINS, CO (May 18, 2010) – On May 18, 2010, Google officials visited T.R. Paul Academy, a public charter school in Fort Collins for a special presentation. Tessa Marquardt-Burrell, an 8th grader at the academy was selected as one of the 40 regional winners in the “Doodle 4 Google” national art competition.

The Google art contest is an annual contest that requires students to illustrate a unique art design depicting the word “Google”. The winning submission is featured on the home page of the world’s largest search engine for one day. The winner also receives a $15,000 college scholarship, a $25,000 school technology grant, a laptop computer, a Wacom digital design tablet, and a t-shirt printed with his/her artwork on it.

The contest is extremely competitive; more than 33,000 entries from students in grades K-12 were received. This years’ Google theme was, “If I could do anything I would…” Tessa’s submission called, “Ant Inspiration”, shows ants working around a variety of fruits and vegetables. The text accompanying the artwork reads, “Fruits and vegetables are vital to healthy maintenance of the human body. Storage and costs prevent distribution to underprivileged people. I would invent a system to gather and store healthy food for all the world’s population inspired by the way ants care for their colonies.”

This is an extremely exciting time for Tessa and the school community at T.R. Paul Academy. On May 26^th, Tessa and her family will be flown to New York City for the national awards ceremony at the Google New York center where the winner will be announced. All regional finalists will have their artwork displayed in a public exhibit at the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum for six weeks after the announcement event.

“We are very proud of Tessa and also want to recognize the outstanding instruction provided by art teacher, Dianne Rees. Ms. Rees continues to develop the talent of young students and as a result T.R. Paul Academy has won numerous local, state and national awards since its founding just four years ago”, said Terry Gogerty, Executive Vice-President of Mosaica Education.

About T.R. Paul Academy:

The Academy (www.tpaak.org) is a tuition-free public school of choice with an arts-enriched curriculum using the Mosaica Education model.

Last week, Gene, Dawn, Tom Keane and I presided over a three-day session of the Mosaica Executive Leadership Institute in Atlanta.  Much of the time was devoted to the development of strategic plans and other cerebral pursuits, but a moment of clarity came for me came during a break, while I was talking about a less cerebral subject with Chad Carr, CAO of Columbus Preparatory Academy in Ohio.

Chad is a Kentucky horse-country guy, so I asked for his insights on Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.  I’d like to tell you that he gave me the trifecta and that I used the tip to clean out my local OTB branch.  But that’s not what happened.  Chad’s view was that none of the 20 horses in the race was enough of a standout to warrant being labeled the favorite.  Indeed, he said, the thoroughbred line has been so diluted by generations of in-breeding that mediocrity and fragility have essentially been bred into the gene pool.  There has not been a Triple Crown winner in 32 years, and if Chad’s analysis is right, we may not have another for a long time.  (Now that I’ve said that, you probably should put $2 on Looking for Lucky in the Belmont and Preakness.)

Chad’s observation about thoroughbreds is also relevant to organizations.  While stability, continuity and consistency are important, so is the need for fresh blood, new energy, and different ideas.  We are blessed at Team Mosaica with a good balance of veteran and novice members.  Look at the people who participated in the Leadership Institute:  Dawn and Gene, our co-founders, are here 13 years after the beginning of the journey; they asked me to join them 18 months later; Rita Chapin, our CFO, has been with us for a decade.  On the other hand, Tom Keane, John Q. Porter and TJ McGoldrick are still in their first month, and Geoff Fretwell and Stephanie Dunbar are in the inaugural year; Ebbie Parsons is coming up on his first anniversary with the company, but this was his first MLI as Chief Operating Officer.  Terry Gogerty, Kristin Jordison, Kinny Griffith and Dawn Linden have been senior leaders for several years, while Chad, Eric Dinnel, Lakita Little and Gareth Volz have recently been given new responsibilities in response to their exceptional performances as Chief Administrative Officers – and have brought new perspectives to our sessions.

The aesthetic is largely the same in our regional offices and our schools. We have schools we have managed for more than ten years, while Atlanta Prep and Mercury Online Academy just opened in September.  We have operated internationally for six years, are now seeking ways to bring the turnaround skills we’ve developed there to chronically failing schools in this country, and we’re starting a high school in Phoenix this fall.  Some of the Paragon development team members are old hands, while others are rookies, utilizing their skills to create an online version of the curriculum.

In other words, horse racing may be characterized by indistinguishable stables of horses and dingy betting salons that still smell of cigarettes smoked sometime in the 1970s – I walked by the paradigm of that kind of establishment, on Park Place near New York’s City Hall, earlier this week – but Team Mosaica is a dynamic work in progress, proud of its achievements but continuing to innovate and embrace new ideas.  Besides, the mood here is much friendlier than at the track, where, by definition, most of the people are losers.

Speaking of the improvements a fresh perspective and new energy can bring, Carol Bakst was kind enough to share this inspiring video: http://shmais.com/news.cfm?ID=44538.

Michael J. Connelly
Chief Executive Officer

Lansing, MI (Mosaica Education, Inc.) – On May 3^rd, Capital Area Academy (CAA) held its “Green School” designation ceremony. CAA achieved this designation by adopting environmental and ecological practices that help to protect Michigan’s air, land, water and animals.

CAA has made a commitment to protecting the environment; the school community has instituted a recycling program, created a garden to grow food for student use and has limited electricity use to conserve energy. Students at CAA are extremely proud and eager to make a difference.

“The recycling program helps the environment by reducing our carbon footprint on Earth,” stated 8^th grade student Andrufus Watkins.

Daniel P. Laabs, the Chief Administrative Officer at CAA has made “cleaning up and preserving the Earth” a special school mission.

“We are actively working to reduce, re-use, and recycle. This initiative is very important and is our way of doing our part to help to clean up our planet for current and future generations.”

About Capital Area Academy

Capital Area Academy is a K-8 charter school located in Lansing.  Capital Area Academy offers a college preparatory experience to all students at no cost.  The school is located at: 5525 S. Pennsylvania Lansing, MI 48911

As we approach National Charter School Week, there is much to be excited about. In our country, more than 1.6 million students attend charter schools and the numbers are growing. With strong bipartisan support in Congress, we are well on our way to achieving a more favorable political environment to support charter school growth and success.

Join us as we celebrate the great work and accomplishments of our students, parents, teachers and administrators. Improving the nation’s public education system is not an easy task, but together we can make great strides.  Help us keep the momentum going by getting involved in your community.  Here are some ways you can support charter schools in your community.

• Make a tax-deductible donation to a school in our network— Every dollar counts (Click here to find a school in your community)
• Plan a charter school tour with local political and business leaders. (Click here to find a school in your community)
• Host a lecture by a prominent speaker on a key educational issue.
• Talk to your friends, families and social networks about the benefits of public charter schools
• Become a Fan of Mosaica Education, Inc. on Facebook (Click here)
• Send postcards and emails  to key constituents in your community announcing National Charter Schools Week 2010

Gene Eidelman

President

Mosaica Education, Inc.

I am very excited to announce one well-deserved promotion and two new members of Team Mosaica:

• Tom Keane is our new Senior Vice President,

• Ebbie Parsons is our new Chief Operating Officer, and

• John Q. Porter is our new Executive Vice President and COO of Mosaica Turnaround Partners

Tom Keane has been a member of Mosaica’s board of directors since 1999. A lawyer by training, he is also a columnist for the Boston Globe Magazine.  Tom was a partner in Murphy & Partners (a private-equity fund that is a major investor in Mosaica), a Boston city councilor for six years and has been a founder and senior manager of a number of start-up businesses. He was also acting chief financial officer of Mosaica for several months in 2001. Tom has a B.A. from Harvard College and a J.D. from the University of Virginia. He will be working in our New York office, and the Finance and Legal departments will be reporting to him.

Ebbie Parsons has been with Mosaica for the last year and currently oversees operations at our schools in Illinois, Michigan and Ohio. He has a strong background in education, including a stint as acting chief operating officer of the Hartford Public Schools (where my daughter was his intern) and as the director of human capital for Teacher U (a New York-based professional development company for charter school teachers).  Ebbie previously worked at companies as diverse as American Express (where he was an investment strategist) and Medtronic (where he was an IT manager).  He has a BS from Florida A&M, an MBA from the University of Minnesota, was a Broad Resident (a prestigious program that provides professional development and training for business professionals interested in urban education leadership), and is currently completing his doctorate in education from the University of Pennsylvania. In his new position he will manage the RVP team, as well as well oversee student enrollment and talent acquisition departments.

John Q. Porter recently joined Mosaica after serving as Superintendent of Schools in Oklahoma City and, before that, Deputy Superintendent and Chief Information Officer for the Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools. John Q has extensive experience in using technology and data to improve student performance. Previously, as a business executive for information technology companies and founder of his own consulting firm, he promoted the use of technology to streamline the operations of complex organizations. He has a B.A. from Catholic University and a J.D. from Ohio State. He is a Broad Fellow, having graduated from the Broad Academy for Superintendents, and is also a graduate of the Harvard University Public Education Leadership Program. In addition to overseeing Howard Road Academy in Washington, he will head up Mosaica Turnaround Partners, our new division that will work with schools districts across the country to improve underperforming schools under the federal school turnaround program.

Please join me in congratulating Ebbie on his promotion and welcoming Tom and John Q to the Team.

Michael J. Connelly
Chief Executive Officer
Mosaica Education, Inc.
42 Broadway, Suite 1039
New York, New York 10004
212-232-0305, Ext. 201