And about Orchard Gardens...

If you were watching the DNC last night, you might have caught Governor Deval Patrick's tale of Orchard Gardens Elementary School in Roxbury:

What’s at stake is real. The Orchard Gardens Elementary School in Boston was in trouble. Its record was poor, its spirit was broken, and its reputation was a wreck. No matter how bad things were in other urban schools in the city, people would say, “At least we’re not Orchard Gardens.” Today, thanks to a host of new tools, many enacted with the help of the Obama administration, Orchard Gardens is turning itself around. Teaching standards and accountabilities are higher. The school day is longer and filled with experiential learning, art, exercise and music.The head of pediatric psychology from a local hospital comes to consult with faculty and parents on the toughest personal situations in students’ home lives. Attendance is up, thanks to a mentoring initiative. In less than a year, Orchard Gardens went from one of the worst schools in the district to one of the best in the state.

You can check Patrick's numbers here; assuming we're talking MCAS scores,as Commonwealth Magazine points out, no, not one of the best schools in the state, and not in a year. Moreover, as Free Speech Radio reports, this is another round of "fire most of the teachers and SHAZZAM!" miracle makeover story that, while a compelling narrative, is far from the truth.