This post was originally published in the Detroit Free Press on May 15, 2009

President Obama said Monday that he wants to close down 1,000 schools and reopen them with a new principal and staff in each of the next five years. Such a bold move is an extension of the game plan that the U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, employed as CEO of Chicago Public Schools, in which he closed failing schools and opened new ones through a competitive process with higher standards and accountability.

Duncan was in Detroit Wednesday at the United Way’s national conference, and talked about what states can do to win hundreds of millions of additional dollars to close the achievement gap. As part of the stimulus legislation, Duncan was given authority over $5 billion in discretionary funding– an astonishing amount of money in comparison to the $17 million that his predecessor had before him. It’s intended as a lever for transformation—not just “school reform”—and he intends to use it.

 Since the passage of the stimulus legislation, Obama and Duncan have urged states to close schools, turn around schools, and charter more schools if they want to be competitive for Duncan’s discretionary money, which he calls “the Race to the Top Fund.” Their embrace of charter schools represents a sea change in politics, but it really has nothing to do with charter schools at all. It has to do with the fact that America needs to get real serious real quick about closing the achievement gap.

Unfortunately, here in Michigan, we can’t seem to grasp that this is a “both…and” strategy, not an “either…or.” It’s almost like we’re still arguing about whether America will ever be able to elect an African-American as president. The jury’s no longer out on that one, and it’s no longer out on how to close the achievement gap.

Regions that are serious about improving student achievement and closing the achievement gap will have robust portfolios of schools that include traditional public and charter schools. Despite being in high poverty environments, they will be high performing because they share two factors: autonomous and relentless leaders, and an equally talented and committed staff. These schools districts will have vibrant partnerships with nationally renowned models, like Teach for America, New Leaders for New Schools, the New Teacher Project, and KIPP, all of whom have an inspirational record of closing the achievement gap in every city that embraces them.

This is the region we are dedicated to shaping at the United Way for Southeastern Michigan. Last year, we launched a $10 million venture fund to turnaround schools and attract the best educational talent to the region with leadership gifts from AT&T, the Skillman Foundation, and the Ford Fund, along with the donations of people throughout Southeastern Michigan who give to the United Way. We funded our first network of five turnaround high schools that will go from graduation rates of less than 60% to higher than 80% in the next four years. We have brought in some of the best turnaround partners in the nation who have successfully transformed schools in other cities, and we are actively courting Teach for America back to the region.

In our effort to accomplish this in partnership with school and union leaders, parents and community members, and the corporate and philanthropic community, we simply ask for a common commitment to President Obama’s inaugural challenge of letting go of the arguments of the past. They have become a fender-bender on the side of the road that too many leaders are too inclined to stop and argue about while the rest of the nation passes us by. Instead, let one question guide every decision we need to make in light of the educational opportunities that lie ahead: “How will doing this improve student achievement?” Such a simple question, such a vital lens, has the power to get our kids in that race to the top.

Michael Tenbusch is vice president of educational preparedness for United Way for Southeastern Michigan.