WSF Suddenly grabs center stage

When was the last time anyone on this blog approvingly linked to something penned by Rod Paige? Never. Until now.

Here is a NYT Op-Ed piece by Bush's former Education Secretary that — surprise, surprise — makes the Weighted Student Formula into the hot topic in the education world. For School Equality, Try Mobility:

Instead of gimmicky fads, we need fundamental reforms. One good idea now picking up support is 'weighted student funding.' Under this approach, each child receives a 'backpack' of financing that travels with him to the public school of his family's choice. The more disadvantaged the child, the bigger the backpack.

When that money arrives at a school, principals have freedom to spend them as they see fit. Does the school need to pay more to snag a top-notch math teacher? Are extra hours needed to allow for intensive tutoring? Principals would be able to allocate resources accordingly; accountability systems like No Child Left Behind give them strong incentives to make good decisions.

There is a lot of background that goes into this story breaking now. First, there is the foolish fad of the 65% solution championed by Internet entrepreneur Patrick Byrne, that we haven't even mentioned here. Now the Fordham Foundation counters his initiative with the 100% solution, which is actually WSF by another name. Paige jumps on the NYT stage to put his name in front of this emerging bandwagon...

Could this have anything to do with why Arlene turned down the Boston job? WSF is suddenly being thrust on the stage as a bipartisan solution to the most vexing problems in education. And who has more to say about it than the Superintendent who has implemented it in, what, three different urban districts? Suddenly that endowed chair at Columbia looks a lot more inviting than working miracles in the racially charged, treacherous, desperate minefield of the Boston schools.

We'll have more to say about this, you can bet.