{"id":1344,"date":"2010-09-12T10:29:06","date_gmt":"2010-09-12T15:29:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=1344"},"modified":"2010-09-12T10:29:06","modified_gmt":"2010-09-12T15:29:06","slug":"is-arne-duncan-overqualified","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=1344","title":{"rendered":"Is Arne Duncan Overqualified?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"peter-garrett1\"<\/a>In the current world of education policy, nothing succeeds quite like failure.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Traditionally, Australia’s newly elected Labor Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, “should” be pro-teacher and public education, but in a strange twist of politics much like the way Obama treats public education, she too will do irreparable harm in the name of meaner tougher “reform” and greater accountability.<\/p>\n

Gillard LOVES all of the failed educational policy fantasies of her buddy and mentor Joel Klein<\/a>, Chancellor of the New York City Public Schools – merit pay, Teach for Australia<\/em>, standardized testing, public reporting of deeply flawed teacher accountability measures, insulting and shaming educators.<\/p>\n

Now, just like President Obama, Prime Minister Gillard has now pointed someone with dubious credentials to lead the nation’s schools. Arne Duncan played basketball for the Launceston Ocelots and other defunct Australian basketball teams and Australia’s new education minister is wait for it – Peter Garrett.<\/em><\/p>\n

If that name sounds familiar, you may recognize Education Minister Garrett in this video.<\/p>\n

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Rupert Murdoch’s newspaper, The Australian<\/em>, reports the following<\/a> about Garrett’s appointment and qualifications.<\/p>\n

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THE minister pilloried for mishandling the $2.45 billion home insulation scheme, Peter Garrett, has been rewarded. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Julia Gillard has handed him the prestigious education portfolio.<\/p>\n

Despite expectations Mr Garrett would be dumped from cabinet, he received one of the biggest promotions in the ministry, progressing from being an environment minister with diminished responsibilities to become Minister for Schools, Early Childhood and Youth…<\/p>\n

The school sector was cautious over the appointment, with some concerned Mr Garrett’s environmental stance would align him with the Greens, who oppose government subsidies for private schools; others questioned his ability to manage the schools portfolio, given his problems with the home insulation scheme.<\/p>\n

Opposition frontbencher Peter Dutton said he was “absolutely amazed” Mr Garrett had been rewarded. “He’s presided over deaths and fires in a program that probably has been mishandled like no other since federation,” he told Sky News.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Doesn’t this sound eerily like Arne Duncan being promoted to Secretary of Education after the spectacular job he did of “turning around” the Chicago Public Schools?<\/p>\n

Further reading:<\/p>\n