An article in the New York Times titled, "A Popular Principal, Wounded by Government Good Intentions", describes the end of a successful career for one Vermont principal.  Reportedly, this principal was working in a very high poverty, high immigration, low-performing area.  Although the school was changing drastically under her direction, the principal was asked to leave so the school could qualify for stimulus funding from the Obama program "Race to the Top".  According to teachers, other principals, even state senators, this principal was doing her job, and doing it well.

Clearly the author of the Times article sees the "Race to the Top" as a positive initiative for education.  But I disagree and this article is exactly the reason why.  I realize that there is a lot to be said for statistics and numbers but when you are dealing with people, with children, they must be treated individually because they are....individuals.  You can't expect a kid, just off the boat from Haiti, to perform as well as a kid from the home of a doctor and a lawyer.  But this system does.  You can't look at a group of statistics, pass rates on standardized tests for example, and draw a conclusion about those students or those educators.

The "Race to the Top" competition has made education in to a cut-throat business that isn't concerned about people's success in life.  The solution for this school that has lost a great educator, leader and visionary: to replace her with an interim and eventually another principal.  In other words, for the students: upheaval and inconsistency, and for the teachers: a message that money trumps good educators anyday.  What a sad story.