Archive for the ‘Chad Ratliff’ category

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Ed Rev’s West Coast Flava: Meet Josh Cook

April 9th, 2009

Joshua P. Cook was born into a life of service as a member of the Peace Corps (children born to active volunteers are born into service and paid a wage) in Halfway Tree, Jamaica. He served as a literacy tutor through Americorp as a member of the East Bay Conservation Corps in Oakland, Ca.

After a few years teaching Algebra I at Crenshaw High School in South Los Angeles, Joshua moved on to teach at a fledgling charter school, Ánimo Justice, a Green Dot Public School, in the historic South Central district. At Justice, Joshua works in his capacity as Department Chair of Mathematics to develop an Algebra & Geometry curriculum that is both conceptually challenging and friendly to students learning to speak academic English and requiring remediation in mathematics.

Joshua received his Bachelor of Arts in English Literature (though he managed to squeeze in a class in American Studies with a young Pedro Noguera) from the University of California at Berkeley. He did his teaching credential through UCLA’s Center X. Joshua is classified as a highly qualified teacher under the No Child Left Behind Act.

Joshua is an avid bicyclist. In 1999, he rode from Los Angeles to San Francisco. In 2006, Joshua and his wife were the sole American representatives on an IPPNW, anti-nuclear proliferation peace ride around the Baltic Sea. On this ride, more than 30 participants from a dozen nations cycled 1500 km from Talinn, Estonia to Helsinki, Finland. Joshua is also a musician and enjoys DJing under the moniker, DJ Regular. Visit his blog, Sweat and Technique.

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Ed Rev’s Legal Eagle: Introducing Brian Jason Ford

April 7th, 2009


Brian Jason Ford, of Dischell, Bartle, Yanoff & Dooley, P.C., received a Juris Doctorate from the Penn State University Dickinson School of Law and a Bachelors of Arts in business administration from Franklin & Marshall College. Brian first became involved in education law at PSU Dickinson. While working as a research assistant, Brian completed an analysis of special education law implementation in each federal circuit. That analysis was cited in “Stepping Back Through the Looking Glass: Real Conversations with Real Disputants About Institutionalized Mediation and Its Value,” Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution, 2004. That article, authored by PSU Dickinson School of Law Professor Nancy Welsh and published in cooperation with the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, focused on real disputants’ perceptions of procedural justice as they went through Pennsylvania’s special education mediation procedure.

Brian left law school with PSU Dickinson’s highly regarded Certificate in Advocacy and Alternative Dispute Resolution and a CALI Excellence for the Future Award for excellent achievement in the study of Mediation. These achievements represent an academic focus in skills-based courses directly applicable to the ADR-heavy practice of education law.

Immediately after law school, Brian represented students with disabilities and their families while working as an associate at a prominent special education law firm in the Philadelphia suburbs. There, Brian became adept at analyzing special education claims from the plaintiffs’ perspective, a skill that Brian continues to use in his defense of school districts and independent schools. Remarkably few attorneys have litigated special education disputes from both sides of the aisle. This unique perspective allows Brian to identify litigation strategies at the earliest stages of education law disputes and economically value potential liabilities.

Brian took this understanding of education law with him to a leading law firm in the Lehigh Valley, where he became an expert special education litigator. During his time in central-eastern Pennsylvania, Brian handled the majority of special education due process hearings, administrative appeals and federal special education cases for many school districts, vocational/technical schools and intermediate units in and around Lehigh, Northampton, Monroe and Wayne counties. This experience not only solidified Brian’s skills as a litigator and defense strategist, but gave Brian a basis to accurately estimate the time and expense of special education litigation. Additionally, Brian worked with Pennsylvania’s leading school insurance providers to offer comprehensive defenses to school districts at all phases of the litigation process.

Brian left Pennsylvania to accept a position at a boutique education law firm in New Jersey, with a special education law practice that is national in scope. There, Brian represented school districts throughout New Jersey in general school law matters including land use and student discipline, and followed trends and developments in special education law at the national level. Knowing the extent to which Pennsylvania courts accept or rejects national jurisprudence is critical to the identification of post-due process appeals options.

Brian lives in Philadelphia with his beautiful wife, Emily.

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Posted in Brian Jason Ford, Chad Ratliff

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Dropping a Deuce: Second Look at VA Gubernatorial Hopefuls on School Policy

March 16th, 2009

Brian Moran’s claim to education fame is his being crowned the 2007 Virginia PTA’s Child Advocate of the Year. This honor will continue earning him brownie points from the not-so-eduwonky crowd, as it already has over at the New Dominion Project. That’s significant.

Moran’s father was a high school government teacher, earning him a little street cred’ with educators. Notably, he grabbed the endorsement of Dr. Thomas Brewster, a leading practitioner in public schools and no stranger to public office. Brewster cites Moran’s leadership role in Virginia history’s largest K-12 investment, and his support of the Whole Child educational initiative as factors in his decision to endorse.

I’m actually quite surprised at how the Dem candidates are blurring the outlines of Virginia’s education circles. From reformer to retiree, opinions are scattered and often overlap. The robotic ambiguity of early rhetoric certainly factors. All three candidates are especially enthusiastic about pre-k, access to higher-ed, and good teachers. Cutting edge stuff.

So far, Moran seems to be walking the line even more carefully than his rivals. According to this piece in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Terry McAullife has taken a pretty strong position against charter schools while Creigh Deeds voices support.

It’s important to remember that Obama shrugged off the NEA during his campaign. Democratic primary candidates for Governor can’t afford to be that brazen, or can they? Union endorsement lost its luster? Could we actually be witnessing Virginia Dems strategizing the bore issue of education?

If so, McAuliffe seems to be positioning himself next to the NEA/VEA while Deeds may get a nod from the Obama-Duncan-Warner-Kaine education reformers. Who would you rather have in your corner? Will be interesting to see Brian Moran’s choice.

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Posted in Brian Moran, Chad Ratliff, Charter Schools, Creigh Deeds, Governor's Race, NEA, New Dominion Project, Terry McAuliffe, Thomas Brewster, VEA, Virginia, Whole Child

A Quick Peek at Virginia Governor Hopefuls on School Policy

March 15th, 2009

Following President Obama’s recent speech on education reform, Republicans are scrambling to join-hands-and-sing-praises of peace and bipartisanship while an expanding splinter movement among Democrats has shaken party unity. Popular Senator Mark Warner was one of only two Dems voting keep the DC School Choice program alive. His protégé, current Virginia Governor and next DNC Chairman Tim Kaine, was once on Obama’s short list for Secretary of Education. Toss in a heating Democratic primary race between Terry McAuliffe, Brian Moran, and Creigh Deeds, and—given the next Governor’s potential influence on federal level education policy—you have an exciting race that will have edupolicy wonks across the country tuning in.

Let’s get the party started by reading what each campaign’s website has to say about education. Simply click on the link to go find your way to Edutopia…

TerryMcAuliffe, Brian Moran, CreighDeeds

Not much to see here, Folks…stick around. The Dems are just getting cranked up. The GOP’s lone-ranger, however, recently went from parking brake to hammer-down…

Bob McDonnell

The Presumptive Republican nominee’s website reads:

“Bob McDonnell will spend 2009 rolling out exciting new policy proposals that are innovative and solve the problems facing Virginia citizens. From transportation to education to health care, Bob McDonnell will build on his record of results with a positive vision for the future. Please keep checking back here for the official policy rollouts from the campaign this coming spring and summer.”

Despite the lack of specifics on his campaign site, McDonnell wasted no time outlining his ideas of education policy with the following statement released after the Obama speech:

“I applaud President Obama for his leadership in lending his support to timely education innovations such as performance pay for teachers, and increased student access to charter schools. He is right to support efforts to reward excellent teachers and allow parents and students reasonable alternatives in their educational development. As this campaign moves forward I look forward to introducing innovative education policy ideas in the near future. I will be focused on supporting parents and students, recognizing excellent teachers, equipping principals with the tools they need, improving financial accountability, getting more resources into the classroom, and making charter schools more accessible for Virginia’s children. I thank President Obama for moving the public education debate forward with his willingness to look at new ideas. I agree with the President that it is time to find new ways to bring greater choice and accountability into our public education system.”

Pretty clear that Bob is not courting the VEA with this statement. However, I know a few moderate Dems in the education circles who will swing to the right based on school reform and education equality. These are real issues, growing more divisive with every election. Democrats had better pay attention.

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Posted in Barack Obama, Bob McDonnell, Brian Moran, Chad Ratliff, Charter Schools, Creigh Deeds, DFER, EEP, Governor's Race, Terry McAuliffe, Virginia

The Window Slowly Closes

February 13th, 2009

Since it has been nearly one month since my last post, it’s only fitting that I jump back in with a little shameless self-promotion. On Tuesday, the Commonwealth of Virginia unveiled a site for her citizens to submit proposals for potential stimulus-funded projects. In less than four days, the number of proposals has topped 1,000.

I submitted Project ID #482, an Educational Innovation Initiative which reads as follows:

A state-level program similar to the US Dept of Ed’s Office of Innovation and Improvement, the Educational Innovation Board would be an entrepreneurial arm initially focusing on the economically challenged communities in Southside and Southwest Virginia. It will make strategic investments in innovative educational practices through discretionary grant programs in areas such as; teacher and principal quality, technology, parental involvement, financial literacy/economics, school improvement, magnet/charter/alternative schools, entrepreneurship, CTE, and STEM. This model for incentivizing innovative solutions is becoming increasingly popular. The potential economic benefit will far exceed the initial investment.

I asked a well-known edupolicy wonk to offer his two cents. Regardless of need, he noted that there is simply little money, and little thinking, about innovation right now. He’s right.

With announcements of teacher layoffs in the thousands and unprecedented levels of budget shortfalls, the coaxed public outcry has been deafening. I can certainly understand lawmakers’ hesitation to divert any funding away from those things. Even school construction is getting its fifteen minutes of political fame.

However, does this simply fuel the perpetuity of inefficiency and bureaucracy? I’ve been in the trenches. I’ve stood in for missing fathers while my students were questioned by the police and advocated for them when colleagues deemed them a waste of precious time. I’ve seen first-hand great teachers change lives and terrible ones drain the positive energy and the funds.

The worst part: these teachers, separated only by a wall, are paid the same. Effectiveness is overlooked. Teacher A arrived early, stayed late, spent out-of-pocket money and hours to better the craft. Teacher B shuffled through another year, contributing little, changing nothing. Yet they share the same pay raise, and simply have to grow one year older to get it.

Who benefits?

Is teacher-pay reform the panacea? Probably not. But it is an important ingredient to toss into the mix. Unfortunately, without a clear and deliberate focus on innovation, great ideas will just continue to swirl around teacher’s lounges, “outside” reform organizations, and in the ever-expanding world of social media.

When the economic good times return and billions of federal dollars aren’t being allocated to public schools, I suppose we’ll start thinking about financing innovation. Unfortunately, the window of opportunity will probably be closed.

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The (Roanoke) Times, They Are A’Changin’

January 18th, 2009

An editorial in the Roanoke Times shines the light on a “radical” idea that could potentially swing the pendulum back in a positive direction for the school division.

To be sure, this is not one of the packaged, initiative-in-a-box programs that we often read about to save a struggling school district. You’ll not find a new, hollow, eduspeak buzzword attached to this one, either.

They’re talking about fundamental changes to the education model itself.

Yes, the Roanoke City Public School system is about to do the unthinkable; pay the best teachers like the professionals they are. They’re not quite sure how they’re going to do it yet, but it sure as heck looks like they’re headed in the right direction.

What we do know is that it’s neither going to be the classic blanket raise, nor, at the other end of the teacher-pay argument, tied exclusively to test scores. Instead, employees will be rewarded “for meeting individual goals that contribute to the system’s success.”

This sounds like a plan where innovation and entrepreneurism will flourish and stagnation wilts. That’s a recipe for true change. If they do this, and do it right, this will be the dawn of a new era for Roanoke City Schools.

The critics will immediately argue that some teachers may not get the extra pay because of the kids they have in their particular classroom. Let me direct these critics to Jay Matthews’ article in today’s Washington Post; “Sorting Children Into ‘Cannots’ and ‘Cans’ Is Just Racism in Disguise”

The only people who this will not benefit are the ineffective, disgruntled teachers who believe they have kids sitting in their own classrooms who cannot learn what they’re being taught. They will be forced to either re-evaluate their educational philosophies or leave the classroom altogether. Either outcome benefits children.

The hat goes off to RCPS administration.

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Discussion Topics, Extra Credit and Free Food

January 16th, 2009

Martinsville City school chief Scott Kizner knows how to bring ‘em in. Kizner, an innovator and learning advocate, has been implementing creative means of mixing school and community since his arrival. Martinsville is a high-poverty community maintains double-digit unemployment year in and year out.

Like many micropolitan areas, specifically in the southeast, Martinsville is a former textile and furniture boomtown that lost over 10,000 jobs throughout the 1990′s. Micropolitan areas gather little attention from researchers or advocacy groups relative to more urban inner-cities and far-flung rural parts of the US. However, they often face the high poverty and crime rates of inner-cities as well as the challenges of a weak technological infrastructure, high unemployment rates, and a rapidly-increasing ESL population commonly found in rural school divisions.

You’ll often find pockets of “old money” from a by-gone era that still calls the shots in local government. The old guard can be resistant to change, to say the least, and few are whipping out checkbooks to spend on schools they feel haven’t directly impacted them in 30 years.

Kizner has done a commendable job connecting with various sectors of the community and is cleverly weaving a school-community blanket that will benefit all stakeholders, especially the citizens emerging from its classrooms. A few years ago he established an annual fundraising gala to provide mini-grants to support “innovative programs and projects” from entrepreneurial teachers. The high turnout has given many local philanthropists an opportunity to dust off the tuxedos and reevaluate their relationship with the school division. His latest venture, “Safe Schools / Safe Communities“, drew an unprecedented attendance of nearly 1000 and featured breakout sessions led by local agency and advocacy representatives.

The secret to the turnout, according to Kizner, was three-fold: interest in the topic, extra credit for the students, and free food. Simple means toward a significant end. He claimed, “Tonight we are a community of one…united”. Indeed.

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About the Founder

December 31st, 2008

Chad Ratliff (@chadratliff) is the Assistant Director of Instruction and Innovation Projects for Albemarle County Schools in Charlottesville, Virginia. Prior to accepting the post, he spent nearly a decade working in a diverse, high-poverty public school division and launched a successful entrepreneurial venture with which he remains involved.

He holds an M.Ed. in Administration and Supervision from the University of Virginia and is an M.B.A. Candidate in Management at Virginia Tech.

As an educator, he launched his division’s first virtual learning program, personal finance curriculum, and cultivated strategic alliances with key community, government, and education agencies to advance opportunities for at-risk youth. Chad also served as the head wrestling coach, was a 3x Most Influential Educator honoree and 7x Coach of the Year recipient while at Martinsville.

Chad was named one of the region’s “Top 20 Emerging Leaders Under the Age of 40″ in 2008 by the Blue Ridge Business Journal and presented with the Distinguished Alumni Award from nationally recognized Patrick Henry Community College.  He was recently appointed by the Virginia Board of Education to serve on the State Advisory Council for Career and Technical Education. He is also the Founder and President of the Spencer Chang Scholarship Foundation and served on the education policy advisory team for a 2009 Virginia gubernatorial candidate.

He is married to Cay Lee Chang Ratliff, who also worked in public education prior to taking a professional break to focus on their two young children and complete graduate studies. They reside in Charlottesville, Virginia.

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Posted in Chad Ratliff