Tying school funding to performance and making repeated allusions to the mythical Free Market Fairy don't constitute systemic, supports-based reform. That's a nonsensical proposal that presumes that staff in high-needs schools are failing because educators lack the motivation or know-how to help students succeed. Let's stop fooling ourselves and start provide students, teachers and schools with the resources and opportunities they need to succeed.

Following the release of the Equity and Excellence Commission's seminal report on the lack of equity and opportunity in our schools, OTL ally Linda Darling-Hammond and Congressman Michael Honda have published an op-ed in the Washington Post echoing the report's call for policies that increase access to key opportunities and resources for every child and provide supports for recruiting, training and retaining high quality teachers.