When John Covington bailed out of the Education Achievement Authority shortly after spending irregularities and a host of other problems were making news, he said it was to care for his ailing mother. However, soon after he left, he formed a company called the National Institute for Student-Centered Teaching and Learning. After that, he threw his hat into the ring to be the superintendent of a South Carolina school district. Fortunately for them, however, he wasn’t selected.
He’s still looking, though, and has managed to make the final round in the search for the next Director of Nashville Public Schools.
What is interesting (and predictable) is that this time he’s not being described as the founder of the National Institute for Student-Centered Teaching and Learning or as the former Chancellor of the EAA. This time he’s being described as “a consultant for the Broad Foundation”. In fact, he’s described that way in several of the reports I’ve seen on this.
I suppose if I had that on my record, I wouldn’t be bragging about it, either.
Being described as consultant for the Broad Foundation is much more honest, at least. He promoted the Broad model of privatizing education services to for-profit corporations at the expense of public schools since the day he arrived in Michigan.
Perhaps, rather than saying he’s still looking for a school district to run, what we really mean is that he’s still looking for a school district to run into the ground. He does, after all, have considerable experience at THAT.
