L'etat c'est moi vs. civic engagement and empowerment

I am continually struck by the difference in approaches between the Superintendent of Schools in Baltimore, Andres Alonso, and the Chancellor in DC, Michelle Rhee, as indicated by reporting in various media as well as my occasional interactions with people who work for the schools in both cities.

The Baltimore Sun just ran three big pieces + an editorial ("Yes we can") on the efforts by Superintendent Alonso. I've only read the last piece thus far, "Turn it around"

I found it interesting that in Baltimore there is a big focus on improving parent/family participation, that they hired community organizers for 63 schools in order to boost parent participation, a call to the public for volunteers/mentors got 1,000 people involved, etc.

In DC, with complete Mayoral control of the schools, a big push was made to create a relatively ineffectual "Ombudsperson" -- see "Extra! Extra! D.C. schools ombudsman quits! But does anyone really care?" from the Examiner-- who then left to make more money as a lobbyist for local Blue Cross/Blue Shield health insurance provider CareFirst.

In DC, it seems as if the community and the teachers aren't considered part of the equation to help effect and institute change--about the teachers what I mean is that the efforts to get rid of most of them, the focus on the Teachers Union and current teachers as hindrances--but that improvement will somehow be handed down.

It doesn't happen that way. (cf. the deep and wide literature on organizational development and organization behavior) despite what the editorial board of the Washington Post believes, a la "Where's the School Reform?" which interestingly seems to miss out on some Post news coverage, "Rhee Says Economy Forces D.C. to Cut Wage Proposal."

The Baltimore City School District has over 80,000 students, which is more than 50% greater than the DC Public School System, although Baltimore doesn't have the same kind of pervasive funding of charter schools as does DC.

The comparison between improvement efforst will in the end, likely make a good dissertation. But DC won't show better from it.