New Haven’s mayoral campaign had its first celebrity sighting Thursday, as actor Danny Glover endorsed Henry Fernandez — and warned against school reform that puts too much emphasis on standardized tests.
The Lethal Weapon star endorsed Fernandez’s campaign for the Democratic mayoral nomination at a press conference in the basement of Beulah Heights Pentecostal Church on Orchard Street. The pair planned to continue campaigning in Westville and Dixwell during the day, then convene an evening town meeting at the Dixwell Congregational Church.
In the first event, the press conference, they ended up tackling one of the most complex issues facing cities like New Haven: how to use, and not use, standardized testing in the quest to rescue public education. While Glover criticized national trends, Fernandez came out in support of the way New Haven handles the issue as more nuanced.
Glover’s arrival attracted TV cameras — three, in fact — to a campaign event for tthe first time this season, in which seven Democrats are seeking to succeed retiring two-decade incumbent Mayor John DeStefano.
Paul Bass Photo
Glover (at left in photo) originally met Fernandez (at right in photo) through Fernandez’s wife Kica Matos, with whom the actor worked on anti-capital punishment campaigns. Fernandez lured Glover to town in 2006 to endorse DeStefano’s gubernatorial campaign. Glover has also spoken in New Haven on behalf of SEIU/District 1199 labor-organizing campaigns.
“He will be an instrument for change in this city,” Glover said of Fernandez Thursday.
Glover, whose production company is currently working on a documentary called Shadow World about the global arms trade, spoke of his lifelong involvement in community organizing and school reform, a central issue in New Haven these days. He spoke of the need to “allow [teachers] to do what they do best.” He was asked if the current wave of school reform in America accomplishes that.
“In my opinion, it doesn’t,” Glover responded. “It doesn’t allow them to do that. Teachers are saddled with a great number of things — issues around testing, mandatory testing, as well as kids. There has to be some kind of way to get back to the idea of allowing children to grow and manifest their imagination and their collective and their individuality. …
“I don’t think teachers are allowed to do that. I’ve talked to teachers who want to teach courses in a different way” but are stymied by the focus and pressure of high-stakes standardized tests.
Fernandez was then asked if he agrees with Glover, and what that would mean for how he’d execute reform in New Haven. (Click on the play arrow to the video at the top of the story to watch them both address school reform.)
In the campaign, Fernandez has walked a fine line between praising the accomplishments of the DeStefano administration, his former employer; and distinguishing himself as a force for change. He reiterated Thursday that he supports the progress made under school reform in New Haven. He also said more dramatic progress needs to occur, fast.
He walked that fine line on Thursday. He echoed Glover’s concern about the national focus on standardized testing and teaching to tests. But he also came out squarely for the way New Haven has incorporated standardized tests as one measure among many to guide reform; he argued that the city is not over-emphasizing testing. Before Glover and Fernandez spoke, Robin Golden said she supports Fernandez in part because he will continue New Haven’s school reform effort.
Fernandez began by agreeing with Glover that testing sometimes “get[s] in the way” of teaching — especially when it comes to the arts. Fernandez has from the outset of the campaign sought support from the arts community, building on ties he developed as the city’s development administrator a decade ago.
“One thing I do worry about in terms of education is, as we teach increasingly to a test, we take time away from things like the arts, music, the kinds that open children’s minds. So I certainly worry about making sure that kids have access to the arts … the ability to paint, the ability to write creatively, the ability to act,” Fernandez said.
He said the “primary goal” of testing should be to “figure out what [students] are learning” and “figure out what they need,” Fernandez argued. He called for “lower-stress” testing.
He noted that state law does mandate standardized testing. But he said he does “absolutely” believe standardized tests play an important role in school reform.
Businessweek
How one national magazine depicts New Haven school reform.
Asked if he would therefore continue the use of standardized test results in judging which New Haven schools to close, or which teachers to fire for poor performance, Fernandez pointed out that the city struck a deal with the teachers union for a more nuanced system of evaluation. Yes, standardized scores play a role. But so do in-classroom evaluations that include a neutral observer agreeable to both the union and the Board of Ed. The system also focuses as much or more on supporting teachers to improve than on weeding out the small numbers who fail to improve and therefore should be let go. (Click here to read a recent article in Bloomberg Businessweek extolling New Haven’s system. Headline: “New Haven Shows How You Fix Public Schools.” A picture from that story is at left.)
Fernandez also praised the Gates Foundation grant the city recently received to support teachers better. To ramp up school reform, he argued, the city needs “the best principals in the country” and “support teachers need in order to do the job.”
Joining Fernandez & Glover at the press conference were Golden and Yale Law’s Tracy Meares.