I don't believe being a Teach For America alum or having worked in a charter school (I did) should automatically disqualify anyone from a position of authority. I'm just tired of people from these places pushing programs and espousing values that undermine public educaton.

Many (not all) TFA and DFER folks have made "choice" & "accountability" the center of their policy prescriptions -- but put little focus on school funding inequity, raising overall teacher pay, or improving children's lives outside the classroom.

We've already got "choice"; now we need real oversight & regulation. We've already got assessment systems; now we need *system* accountability. We already know there are some bad teachers; now we need a way to get more good candidates to consider entering the profession.

We need K12 leaders who will stand up and state unambiguously that money matters, our schools need more, & it needs to be targeted at the schools enrolling the most disadvantaged children. We need leaders who believe in deep, rich curricula & access to health & other services.

I've not seen many from the TFA or "no excuses" charter worlds takes leading positions on these iasues. Too often, these folks have sold "choice" & "accountability" as excuses to keep the US from substantially raising taxes on the wealthy and putting the revenues into achools.

We don't need a return to neo-lib education "reform." If you came out of charters or TFA and you agree, that's great. But you should understand why some of us are skeptical of prospective ed leaders who emerge from these backgrounds.