The Echo

Is going to be very subjective. I think every board member walked away with a different interpretation.  I personally considered live blogging the conversation, as I called in remotely.  That quckly became impossible (two kids home sick, my less than speedy typing skills, an at times bad connection, and I never asked anyone if I could.)  So, I took notes for about 75 percent of it. 

In the interest of the same transparency that Sec. Duncan spoke about with board members, I am now offering my notes up to the public.  You're not likely to learn anything that you didn't already know.  Nor can you consider these any kind of minutes.  But, I know that there are many curious minds out there who want to know what was discussed.  This is my interpretation:

2:05 pm
Okay, we're live.  Not a great connection. 

Sec. Lowery welcomes all of us. Some folks in are Dover for the conference call, others are calling in remotely.

Sec. Duncan (this is a paraphrase of his key points):

It's relatively easy to put reform plans on paper, a lot of courage to make the changes. He offers thanks school board members for their courage and acknowledges that "everyone must do things differently."

Duncan points out tht "Truly meaningful teacher evaluation that have been lacking, not just in Delaware but around the country." 

He tells boards that "We have to be willing to do things differently... Boards have to have those hard conversations... This will be critical for state and country."

The real hard work is a head.  Sec. Duncan talks alot about the courage that board members needs to have.

Operator  notes connection problems

Lowery:  Starts question period with  board members located in Dover. 
Question: A board member starts by talking about the access that Delaware board presidents have to DE Sec. of Ed.  this is a positive. Our boards have much better access than boards in other states.
Duncan:  "Lillian is a major superstar there."

Question from Dover:  Local board in DE are concerned about sustainability beyond NCLB and RTTT.

Duncan:  He expects "bipartisan authorization of NCLB this year"and as for RTTT - "in this for a long haul."  He states that his "Department is part of the problem.  We Haven't invested in success.  If all we do is formula-based programs won't see success."

Question from Dover:  "Thank You for sending OCR inspectors to my district."  We've made meaningful changes to code.  What they present to us will help us.  Met a couple of those guys.  And already moving forward.   Delaware is willing to offer "blistering criticisms" - its the only way we get bettter.  These (RTTT) reform models don't actually lend to results - How will that be different in DE partnership Zone?

Duncan: Some schools have been drop out factories for decades and  no one has done anything to change outcomes for students.  He states that we are deliberately being a distruptive voice b/c of staggering level of complacency.  He says there is sots of research behind the reforms.  A huge a amount of research that great teachers make a lot of change.  "In Education talent matters tremendously." 

To "Attract, retain and nurture great talent, you need great principals."  Great talent is important, but new talent is even more important.

"I think we will have amazing successes." 

Duncan says we "Have to look at things on a comprehensice nature." He urges distric's to look at Charlotte Mecklenburg.  They've been turning around schools longer than USDOE has.  Its "Systematic turnaround each year and getting results."

"At the end of the day its trying to get the most talent to those children and communities."

First Remote Question:  In light of us being repeatedly told that there will be no testing wariver for the DCAS- can we have embargo to keep data between boards, school chief, and sec. of ed.?  To Avoid distraction such as fighting with press or parents who move their children between schools after just the first year of data.

Duncan:  This is a question that many states are facing.  Tenn. NY State.  He says we are just starting to tell the truth.  "A lot of places do the dummy down standards.  What our job here is transparency.  ARe the conversation hard?  yes.  Are they difficult to have, yes.  ... But, you are absolutely on the right side of history."

Boards need to over communicate it.  Trying to bury it makes it harder to sustain the momentum we need. He talks alot about transparency here.

This is where my connection gets spotty and my notes start to falter.  I'm going from memory now:

Dover: Why did this conversation take so long to happen? Will it happen again? Also expressed concerned about the MOU.  It was an understanding, not a contract.  What we are doing now is not the same as the MOU. 

Duncan:  Says he can be available to have these conversations as often as needed.  Says he regrets not starting them sooner.

Dover: If you take more than four years to finish high school you're automatically counted as a drop-out  and the district is punished.

Duncan:  Thinks this is wrong.  He doesn't care how long it takes to graduate from high school.  If kids need more time, then they need more time.  What's important is graduating with skills for career or college.

Dover: Some schools in my district have the same abject poverty, yet they were not all chosen for the partnership zone.  What do we tell the families of those children, the ones across the street, whose schools don't receive the extra resources?

Duncan:   He says that we're finally "in the game."  This is just the beginning.  Delaware's Board Members are doing brave work. He proceeds into his closing remarks.