The Absent Progressive Voice

Thanks to Sara for bringing a much-needed historical perspective to the question of the progressive role in education reform. Her post about Jonah Goldberg's blindered anti-public education rant, keyed to the Post series about DCPS incompetence, underscores my point--while conservatives like Goldberg may have foolish things to say about this problem, liberals too often have nothing to say, and that silence speaks volumes.

For some excellent thoughts on this topic, see this post from Georgetown Law professor James Forman, Jr. An exerpt:

In 2007, the civil rights community and, in particular, black folks, ultimately are going to have to make a decision: is the civil rights movement vindicated by having upper and middle-class black people (like me) run school systems that disserve poor black children? I believe the answer is no. My father gave most of his life to the movement, and I know that all the marching and the dying that people did was not so that some of us could have jobs. It was so that all of us could read, do math, develop a love for learning, feel the power that comes from knowing your brain can solve tough problems, and get a job you enjoy. Until we become clear on this question nothing else will get fixed.

That's the most progressive thing I've read in quite a while.