Muszkiewicz Reader

"Daisey’s downfall is the sadder and more infuriating because it was so completely unnecessary..."

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:54:00 -0500

“Daisey’s downfall is the sadder and more infuriating because it was so completely unnecessary and avoidable. If he had even once said that he was presenting a polemic, a metaphor, a dramatization, an “inspired by real events” monologue rather than real “facts,” no one could ever have complained. Do we care whether Harriet Beecher Stowe ever saw runaway slaves jumping on ice floes as they fled across a river? (Stowe described Uncle Tom’s Cabin as a “series of sketches” conveying the cruelty of slavery.) Do we care whether Upton Sinclair had actually seen the packinghouse cruelties he described in The Jungle? Whether any family exactly like the Joads was known to John Steinbeck — or exactly like George Bailey’s or Mr. Potter to Frank Capra for It’s a Wonderful Life? Charles Dickens and Oliver Twist? You get the point. Mike Daisey could have had 98% of the intellectual/social impact of his monologue, and zero % of the dishonesty and now disgrace, if he had described it as an attempt to convey the truth of a situation through imagined details.”

- James Fallows on This American Life’s retraction of Mr. Daisey Goes to the Apple Factory.

Unanswered Questions re. the IDEA Allan Extended Opt-Out Process

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 15:10:19 -0600

Dr. Carstarphen and Board of Trustees:

I’m confident AISD’s decision to extend to Friday, March 9th the deadline for parents to opt-out of the IDEA Allan in-district charter will result in a better understanding of how IDEA differs from Govalle, Ortega, and Martin, and therefore lead to more informed decisions by affected parents and children.

In addition to the extension, AISD has reportedly instructed parent support specialists to contact parents directly and perhaps accept choice preferences over the phone, and it’s unclear what rules, if any, IDEA must follow in recruiting students to attend next fall.

As such, I’ve put together a handful of questions I encourage you to help me answer:

1) Will parents who have returned their choice forms and opted-out of IDEA Allan be contacted afterwards by AISD or IDEA about their choices?

2) Will parents who have applied for a priority, non-priority, or Diversity Choice transfer be contacted afterwards by AISD or IDEA about their choices?

3) Will parents who have opted-out of IDEA or applied for a transfer be denied due to overenrollment or any other reason (given Murchison and O.Henry are currently frozen and Govalle, Ortega, and Metz may be frozen)?

According to AISD, approximately ~164 rising K-2 families and ~184 rising 6 families are affected and were mailed choice forms and called by parent support specialists. Unless parents opt-out by Friday, March 9th, their children will be enrolled in IDEA Allan by default.

4) How many have opted in to IDEA Allan?

5) How many have opted out of IDEA Allan?

6) How many have not yet returned their choice forms?

7) How many choice forms were returned undeliverable? How many were not reached by phone?

AISD claims that all affected families were contacted by parent support specialists before the original deadline, February 24th. AISD has instructed PSSs to contact families again, though it’s unclear whether or not they will contact only families who have not yet returned their choice forms or all families affected by IDEA Allan.

8) Will parent support specialists call all affected parents again or only those who have not yet returned their choice forms?

9) Can parents opt-out by phone or must they return their choice forms?

10) When parent support specialists speak to affected parents, do they explain the differences between IDEA Allan and other schools, specifically the lack of special area and late-exit bilingual instruction?

11) Do they encourage parents to attend IDEA Allan instead of Govalle, Ortega, and Martin?

AISD Board President Mark Williams said: “I do think this opt-out provision has created confusion because of the way all other schools work. It seems a little wrong that we’re going to force you to go to IDEA.”

12) Why are students assigned to IDEA Allan by default? Why not ask that parents who wish to enroll their children in IDEA Allan opt-in instead of requiring parents to opt-out?

By Luke M. Muszkiewicz
Sent to Dr. Carstarphen and Board of Trustees on 3/6/2012

School Choice Requires Good Choices: It's All About Martin

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 22:25:00 -0600

Dr. Carstarphen, Trustees, good evening.

My name is Luke Muszkiewicz, Eastside resident, and father of a Metz Elementary 3rd grader.

First, thank you for extending the deadline for parents to opt-out of IDEA Allan. I’m confident it will result in a better understanding of how IDEA differs from Govalle, Ortega, and Martin, and therefore lead to more informed decisions by affected parents and children.

In the end, some families will actively choose IDEA, some will opt-out, and I suspect some still won’t respond and will be enrolled in IDEA Allan by default. Regardless of how you feel about this, it won’t just affect Eastside Memorial High School and Allan Elementary. Unlike Allan and Eastside, the IDEA game plan doesn’t call for replacing Martin Middle School, yet the addition of IDEA’s 6th grade class would seem to only exacerbate the problems faced at Martin. It’s unclear how you expect this school to survive, much less thrive. You can ask the administration, staff, and students of Martin to do their best and recruit alongside IDEA all you want, but I fear that just won’t be enough without directed, diligent focus from AISD akin to the effort you’re putting forth to develop and promote IDEA Allan.

After all, your commitment to school choice is only as strong as the choices you put forth. East Austin needs a strong Martin Middle School. Do you agree?

So I ask that you take a few minutes tonight to share with us your vision for Martin, and address unanswered questions. Why don’t more families want to send their children to Martin? Do students feel safe? How do students from Martin differ from students who leave the Vertical Team? Do we have the right mix and alignment of academics and activities? Are you recruiting the right faculty and staff? What support do they need to become more effective?

Driving by the middle school the other day, with the sun just breaking through the morning fog, I was struck by what a beautiful, expansive campus it seemed sitting their next to the river. I wonder what all it could become.

Thank you.

By Luke M. Muszkiewicz
Public comment at AISD Board of Trustees Meeting on 2/27/2012

"In her own research, Dweck has shown that these mindsets have important practical implications. Her..."

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:41:17 -0600

“

In her own research, Dweck has shown that these mindsets have important practical implications. Her most famous study, conducted in twelve different New York City schools along with Claudia Mueller, involved giving more than 400 fifth graders a relatively easy test consisting of nonverbal puzzles. After the children finished the test, the researchers told the students their score, and provided them with a single line of praise. Half of the kids were praised for their intelligence. “You must be smart at this,” the researcher said. The other students were praised for their effort: “You must have worked really hard.”

The students were then allowed to choose between two different subsequent tests. The first choice was described as a more difficult set of puzzles, but the kids were told that they’d learn a lot from attempting it. The other option was an easy test, similar to the test they’d just taken.

When Dweck was designing the experiment, she expected the different forms of praise to have a rather modest effect. After all, it was just one sentence. But it soon became clear that the type of compliment given to the fifth graders dramatically affected their choice of tests. When kids were praised for their effort, nearly 90 percent chose the harder set of puzzles. However, when kids were praised for their intelligence, most of them went for the easier test. What explains this difference? According to Dweck, praising kids for intelligence encourages them to “look” smart, which means that they shouldn’t risk making a mistake.

”

- Wired: Why Do Some People Learn Faster?

Please Delay IDEA Allan Opt-Out Deadline

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Dr. Carstarphen, Mr. Sanchez, and Board of Trustees:

I am writing to you on behalf of the parents and guardians of children within the Eastside Memorial Vertical Team who will enter grades K, 1, 2, and 6 at IDEA Allan unless they opt-out by February 24th.

You have mailed a letter informing these families of the new in-district charter school at the Allan campus, but it’s come to my attention that many of these families have not received the letter, and therefore do know about the new school, do not know about the opt-out deadline, and do not know how to opt-out of IDEA Allan if they so choose.

I have heard that elementary schools within the EMVT should have additional copies of the form, but either some schools do not have copies or office staff do not know about the form and how it should be used.

Though I opposed AISD’s partnership with IDEA, and my 3rd grader at Metz Elementary will not be affected by IDEA Allan next fall, I think we all agree that parents should have the choice whether or not to attend IDEA Allan.

Since affected students will be assigned to IDEA Allan by default, it’s imperative that parents and guardians of these children are given the information they need to make that choice.

As such, please consider taking the following actions:

1) Delay the opt-out deadline to Friday, March 9th.

2) Ensure that opt-out forms are available at all eight elementary schools within the EMVT.

3) Notify parents/guardians of affected students by phone that forms are available in their schools and must be returned by March 9th.

4) Update the AISD web site to include the above information.

I understand AISD and IDEA are under tight schedules, but I believe this additional effort will go a long way towards resolving confusion and frustration, both now and next fall.

Thank you for your consideration and thank you for all you do.

By Luke M. Muszkiewicz
Sent to Dr. Carstarphen, Board of Trustees, and Mr. Sanchez on 2/20/2012

The Salt Lick By Luke M. Muszkiewicz Taken on 2/4/2012

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

The Salt Lick

By Luke M. Muszkiewicz
Taken on 2/4/2012

"Elementary principal Tim McMahon spends his noon hours during the week handing out school lunches —..."

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:28:00 -0600

“

Elementary principal Tim McMahon spends his noon hours during the week handing out school lunches — Wednesday it was tacos. He says it’s a good way see all the students every day. It’s a small investment of time since lunch is only about a half-hour but the payoff for McMahon is making personal connections.
…
McMahon was nominated by his staff who described him a man who instills a true sense of pride among students, staff, parents and the community. The nominations say that McMahon often goes above the call of duty and has helped families fix their cars, get into hotel rooms when they were without housing and drives children to school when necessary.
…
Katy Fields is the secretary at Warren. She says McMahon is a phenomenally dedicated principal with a huge sense of humor. She says she’s seen him do everything from help a student with potty training to climb on the roof to retrieve misguided items.

“He does everything that most principals don’t do, and then some,” Fields said. “He does whatever it takes to help kids function in society in a healthy way.”

”

- Warren principal gets top award from state peers

AISD’s IDEA: What's the Plan for Martin Middle School?

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:22:33 -0600

To the AISD Board of Trustees:

My name is Luke Muszkiewicz, an Eastside resident and father of a Metz Elementary 3rd grader.

With your decision to replace Allan and eventually Eastside Memorial with IDEA in-district charter schools, I’m here to speak on behalf of parents who are struggling to understand what this momentous change means for their neighborhood and their children.

If IDEA is just another choice, then you must give the parents who wish to opt out of IDEA the information they need to do so and make clear your commitment to invest in Martin Middle School and Eastside Memorial.

Until late last week, AISD hadn’t made clear how parents could indicate their choice. It is now my understanding that parents will receive a letter by February 10th informing them of the process for opting out of IDEA, with their decision due by February 24th.

Next steps should include bilingual meetings held at the schools, clarification on the recent decision to keep Pre-K at Allan, and an effort not to “sell” IDEA but rather to fairly represent all options.

Your recent decision to assign every graduating 5th grader in the Martin attendance area to IDEA for 6th grade will exacerbate under-enrollment, so what is the plan for strengthening Martin? If the intention is to downsize Martin and close the doors once IDEA scales up to include 8th grade, let’s be honest about that. If not, we deserve a plan of action that will make Martin a compelling option for Eastside families.

And how will Eastside Memorial retain teachers, make academic progress, and continue activities through 2014-2015, after which IDEA will begin co-locating 9th graders? What about through 2017-2018 when, according to your web site, the final group of co-located 12th graders will graduate. Has anyone stopped to consider what this slow death will actually mean for those students committed to graduating from Eastside Memorial?

I ask that you publicly address these questions and concerns as soon as possible.

By Luke M. Muszkiewicz
Public comment at AISD Board of Trustees Meeting on 1/30/2012

"One of the real dilemmas we have in our country and around the world is that what works in politics..."

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:48:10 -0600

“One of the real dilemmas we have in our country and around the world is that what works in politics is organization and conflict. That is, drawing the sharp distinctions. But in real life, what works is networks and cooperation. And we need victories in real life, so we’ve got to get back to networks and cooperation, not just conflict. But politics has always been about conflict, and in the coverage of politics, information dissemination tends to be organized around conflict as well. It is extremely personal now, and you see in these primaries that the more people agree with each other on the issues, the more desperate they are to make the clear distinctions necessary to win, so the deeper the knife goes in.”

- Interview of Bill Clinton by Charles P. Pierce and Mark Warren
Bill Clinton: Someone We Can All Agree On

Please Clarify IDEA Opt-Out Procedure

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:40:18 -0600

Dr. Carstarphen, Board of Trustees, and Mr. Sanchez:

I realize you’re scheduled to discuss allocating bond funds this evening, but I would ask that you take a few minutes to explain how parents of children assigned to attend IDEA Public Schools next fall can opt-out and instead attend a different Austin Independent School District school.

Specifically, how do parents of children set to attend K-2 at Allan Elementary opt-out of IDEA to instead attend either Govalle or Ortega?

Furthermore, how do parents of children set to enter 6th grade at any of the schools in the Eastside Memorial Vertical Team opt-out to instead attend Martin Middle School?

As it stands, the only option parents have is to submit a non-priority general transfer by January 31st.

That deadline is fast approaching, yet there’s been no public clarification from AISD as to if and when there will be a seperate opt-out process for parents.

Some parents will no doubt choose to send their kids to IDEA and therefore accept the default assignment, but it’s just as important that you give parents the choice to attend a non-charter school within AISD if they choose.

I suspect you don’t want the transfer process to be used for opting out of IDEA, but in the absence of any guidance from AISD, many parents see that as their only option.

Thank you for all you do.

By Luke M. Muszkiewicz
Sent to Dr. Carstarphen, Board of Trustees, and Mr. Sanchez on 1/23/2012

Opposing IDEA in AISD: What's Next?

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600

We lost. And by lost I mean that not only did the Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees vote to partner with IDEA to replace Allan Elementary and Eastside Memorial High School with IDEA charter schools, but that all the testimony, all the letters, and all the phone calls didn’t seem to garner even a meaningful response from the Board (or District), much less a “no” vote from any but the three trustees who showed an ideological distaste for charter schools to begin with. Superintendent Carstarphen addressed more of our concerns than anyone else; Trustees Bradley and Guzman didn’t seem to notice us at all. It was disheartening.

Not that I don’t believe this issue hasn’t awakened many of us, though, and I do believe that our activism, though late to the fight this time around, will significantly benefit East Austin children. I’m new to Austin and even newer to the Eastside, but it’s clear to me that the only long-term path is to personally invest in our neighborhood schools, send our children and grandchildren to those schools, and advocate their accomplishments widely.

As for right now, well, it’s interesting. I didn’t support IDEA then and I don’t now.

As for the boycott, at first I was uncomfortable with it, thinking it was a bit like running negative ads in a political campaign instead of emphasizing what’s great about our neighborhood public schools. But I support the effort as long as we err on the side of fairness and respect. If IDEA needs certain enrollment to move forward, and if we, by showing parents that our neighborhood public schools are a better choice, can stop IDEA from opening their schools, I think we’ll have done a good thing.

As for demanding answers from the District about IDEA’s implementation, I can’t help but think of Trustee Barksdale tirelessly going through the IDEA contract last month, shortly before the Board voted to approve it. I don’t think she supported IDEA with or without her contract amendments, but I think she knew it would pass anyway. It would have been so understandable for her to sit back and say, well, if you’re not going to listen to the community, if you’re not going to listen to me, then, go ahead, suit yourself, and watch it all crumble. In the end it may well crumble, but there’s no doubt that the students in East Austin will benefit from her commitment to make the IDEA contract better for East Austin students and teachers.

All of which is to say, though a bit paradoxical, working to prevent IDEA from happening isn’t incongruous with working to make it better should it happen.

Because if the day comes, and it probably will, that one of our neighborhood children steps into an IDEA school next fall, well, everything changes. At that point we’ve lost this battle and must direct our attention to the greater cause of providing the best education we can to our neighborhood kids, regardless of which school they attend. On that day, IDEA joins the District, our vertical team, and our community and we must work to better the education provided in that school with no less passion than we would any other school. Because we must remember it’s about the kids, and they must not serve as pawns in our arguments over the best way to educate the next generation.

By Luke M. Muszkiewicz

AISD Hid Response to Concerns Over IDEA's Performance

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 15:44:02 -0600

Nearly three weeks after the Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees voted to approve their partnership with IDEA to create two in-district charter schools, chief performance officer Bill Caritj released his favorable assessment of IDEA’s student performance data in response to Ed Fuller’s overwhelmingly negative analysis published in mid-November.

Before we get too deep into debating the merits of either study, I hope the second to last paragraph in the Statesman article doesn’t go unnoticed:

Caritj acknowledged his study focused more on the outcomes than on the demographics of the students going into the school and said there was no agenda other than responding to the questions that were raised. He said school board members were provided copies before their final vote in December, though the data wasn’t released to the media until this week.

When I spoke at the December 12th board meeting, I raised concerns over IDEA’s performance, specifically that poorer and lower performing students were less likely to enroll and graduate from IDEA schools. My concerns were in large part based upon Fuller’s work, and several other speakers raised similar issues.

It was hard to believe then that these issues went largely unacknowledged, much less refuted, by either AISD staff or the Board before the vote. But it’s particularly dismaying to see now that in fact AISD staff did respond to the Board in the form of Caritj’s report, but in keeping it from the public deprived anyone from questioning the merits of the response before the Board acted.

Fuller: Are IDEA Charter Schools a Good Idea for Austin?

Caritj/Marder: Analysis of the “Is IDEA a Good IDea for Austin ISD?” Study

Statesman: Austin school district says critical IDEA study doesn’t tell whole story

Fuller: Rebuttal to the Austin ISD critique of my study on IDEA Charter Schools

By Luke M. Muszkiewicz

Alex Honnold - Free Solo Climber Via The man who climbs...

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:57:47 -0600

Alex Honnold - Free Solo Climber

Via The man who climbs mountains with his bare hands.

For those of you getting ready to rally outside Austin...

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:29:28 -0600

For those of you getting ready to rally outside Austin Independent School District HQ, might I suggest you listen to this at high volume first…

By Otha Turner - Shimmy She Wobble

IDEA Charters Not Just Another Choice

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:08:46 -0600

To the AISD Board of Trustees:

I agree with President Williams that the matter of partnering with IDEA to create two in-district charter schools is a philosophical issue. Above all, I hope we can expect a vigorous debate this evening that transcends sweeping condemnations of mediocrity and procedural mishaps and instead focuses on the nature and future of charter schools, the strengths and weaknesses of IDEA, and whether or not the benefits outweigh the costs to East Austin children.

Where I disagree with Mr. Williams and many others, is the contention that IDEA will serve as just another choice for East Austin families, and at the end of the day, how could another choice be bad for anyone?

I view this as a dangerous oversimplification because, unlike the rhetoric suggests, this new choice will affect — significantly — other schools, families, and most of all, children.

First, Govalle and Ortega, the latter of which fell to an Acceptable rating in 2011, will become the bottom rung for students who can’t attend or who attend and are later involuntarily removed from IDEA. TEA and TBEC data suggest that, while most likely unintentional, students who struggle the most are less likely to enroll and more likely to wash out of IDEA schools.

Second, Eastside Memorial HS won’t see IDEA students until 2013, and then will coexist with IDEA, slowly shrinking grade by grade, through 2018. There is no doubt that the continual changes over the past several years at Eastside have taken their toll on students. Bad enough, but for the next six years, incoming Eastside students will have no choice but to attend a school condemned to a slow death, gradually fading away with fewer means to attract better administrators, teachers, and students.

Finally, struggling with under enrollment and inadequate yearly progress, Martin MS will face the same struggles as Govalle and Ortega in taking on the students who don’t succeed with IDEA and as Eastside Memorial in terms of attracting administrators, teachers, and students. It’s unclear how we expect this school to stay afloat, much less continue to improve.

So to say that we’ve nothing to lose by moving forward with the IDEA in-district charter school — that it’s simply one more choice — is to imply that the potential benefits of IDEA won’t also incur very real costs to Govalle, Ortega, Eastside Memorial, and Martin. Whether ultimately right or wrong for Austin, even the most optimistic assessment of the IDEA proposal needs to be weighed against these impacts.

By Luke M. Muszkiewicz
Sent to Dr. Carstarphen and Board of Trustees on 12/19/2011
Published as Examine Complexities of IDEA Issue in the Austin Chronicle on 12/19/2011

AISD's IDEA: Unanswered Questions

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:58:23 -0600

To the AISD Board of Trustees:

I have serious concerns with the proposal to partner with IDEA putting charter schools into East Austin. I’m no expert, but in listening and reading I still have three questions that deserve honest discussion before you move forward.

First, what’s wrong, and what’s right, in our Eastside schools? Inadequate yearly progress is a metric, not a reason. Coming from Lee Elementary, we’re blown away by Metz. Mr. Sanhueza is not only the best teacher my daughter’s ever had, he’s the best I’ve ever known. And he’s not alone. These folks are exceptional. I know Metz won’t be directly affected, but have you learned all you can from them? Have you tried to spread the quality you already have in the Eastside? If you can’t identify and explain exceptional from mediocre, how do you know what to preserve and what to replace?

Second, how does IDEA work? What have they figured out? What can they do that we can’t? Curriculum? Teachers? Or, are they simply not educating kids with the most difficulty learning and behaving, thereby improving test scores without even having to increase student performance? Not clear. How will IDEA keep its promise, and at what cost to other priorities such as dual language instruction?

Third, is it right for Austin? At your meeting last month, I heard the frustration, and I also heard how others have placed their hope in charter schools, so why shouldn’t we? Not good enough. Desperation and peer pressure make bad decisions. This is Austin, Texas, and you’re our school board. If you can’t tell us why this is right for Austin, it’s not.

Bottom line: I don’t want to feel my district is punting when they should be huddling their team and figuring out how to move down the field. This is Austin, these are our kids, and we deserve better.

By Luke M. Muszkiewicz
Public comment at AISD Board of Trustees Meeting on 12/12/2011

“Live your life. Live your life. Live your life.”...

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:54:33 -0500

“Live your life. Live your life. Live your life.” Incredibly moving interview of Maurice Sendak by Terry Gross on Fresh Air.

nprfreshair:

Audio for Maurice Sendak is now available. (Slideshow of images from Bumble-Ardy here)

"The high cost to self-employed workers and small businesses of the private, employer-based health..."

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:05:54 -0500

““The high cost to self-employed workers and small businesses of the private, employer-based health care system in place in the United States may act as a significant deterrent to small start-up companies, an experience not shared by entrepreneurs in countries with universal access to health care.””

- Excerpted from Chart of the day: America’s surprisingly tiny small-business sector covering John Schmitt’s study claiming that the United States has the “the smallest small-business sector among wealthy countries.” I’ve often argued that a single-payer health care system would be good for small businesses but never before had evidence to back it up.

Live Television Video of Key Events on 9/11/2001

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 06:23:22 -0500

Live Television Video of Key Events on 9/11/2001

Obama's Job Speech

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 19:20:31 -0500

Good speech, President Obama. Especially the part having nothing to do with policy where you ask us all to simply do better, to work for an America deserving of our legacy. Because despite the rhetoric, politicians don’t create jobs, invent, or teach. We do. But most of us benefit from leadership, and for that I thank you. Technically speaking, I’m all for cutting employer-paid payroll taxes — I buy that that makes it easier to employ, but it is sad that increasing top tax brackets is off the table. Historically speaking, there is simply no correlation between top income tax rates and job growth, prosperity, etc.