Obama to push 'No Child Left Behind' overhaul

[sabra]

Source: CNN

Washington (CNN) - The Obama administration plans to send a wide-ranging overhaul of the No Child Left Behind education law to Congress on Monday, arguing that the current legislation has pushed schools to lower their standards to meet federal requirements.

The 8-year-old law was one of the signature policies of the Bush administration. It set up a regimen of state reading and math tests for students in third through eighth grades, intended to identify failing schools. But critics have said the Bush administration never properly funded the effort and that states needed more flexibility in meeting those goals.

During his weekly radio address Saturday, President Barack Obama said his administration's proposed overhaul will "set a high bar - but we also provide educators the flexibility to reach it."

"Under these guidelines, schools that achieve excellence or show real progress will be rewarded, and local districts will be encouraged to commit to change in schools that are clearly letting their students down," he said.

During his 2008 presidential campaign, Obama said the law's goal was "the right one," but the legislation "has significant flaws that need to be addressed." And Education Secretary Arne Duncan told CNN last week that educators have "lowered the bar" to meet No Child Left Behind standards.

Read more: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/15/obama-to-push-no-child-left-behind-overhaul/?fbid=VP2LgjjHQ1T

[w4rma]

1. "It supports the expansion of public charter schools"

"It supports the expansion of public charter schools and calls for giving states and school districts additional flexibility in how they spend federal dollars"

It's a tax giveaway to charter school owners and a dumbing down of our public schools. I strongly OPPOSE this plan.

[mbperrin]

9. Yep, no matter how good they get, the bottom 10% of schools each

year will be converted to charters or other private forms.

Even if the new "low" schools are twice as good as the old "good" schools, they would still be closed, because they are in the bottom 10%. This race will result in about half the schools in the country being closed and sold as charters or other private schools within 6 years of passage.

No, thanks.

[warm regards]

20. I have no problem with giving states and school districts additional flexibility--do you?

[pattmarty]

22. Like in Texas?

[warm regards]

35. No, I don't--please explain.

[pattmarty]

36. If I need to explain something that has been in the news for quite a while.........

...........then you must not be from planet Earth.

[warm regards]

43. If there is more local control, more ideas will be tested and evaluated.

Obama is putting children ahead of the entrenched special interests.

[pattmarty]

44. You got that backwards. He is putting special interests (read...........

...........privatization) way ahead of kids. You better start reading the posts of Madfloridian about the privatization of our schools. If you believe all the bullshit put out by a 3rd rate Australian basketball league player, then you have your head (I'll be polite here) in the sand.



Edit to add: The Texas thing I referred to was the state board of Ed and their going back to textbooks with ideas that looked bad even in the 1800's. But you knew that, didn't you?

[warm regards]

45. No, it is the entrenched special interest groups that are resisting the improvements.

I do not know the specifics of the textbook changes in Texas. However, whatever they are doing right now seems to be working fairly well, as they have four of the nations top 25 high schools.

http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/high-schools/2009/12/09/americas-best-high-schools-gold-medal-list.html

[pattmarty]

46. You don't seem to know many "specifics" do you? Did you graduate..........

...........from grade school in Texas? Oh by the way, love your tag line. I AM a Socialist.

[warm regards]

49. Well, there aren't very many specifics--yet.

However, I do support giving states and school districts more flexibility and rewarding those who do a good job.

Unfortunately, in addition to supporting failed economic systems, you also appear to support failed teaching techniques.

[pattmarty]

51. And really, what the fuck do you know? Nice words. I like mom...........

.........and fucking apple pie too, but how does that provide any suggestions to problems? All you are selling is nice rhetoric. Have a nice fucking day in your fantasy world.

[proud2BlibKansan]

54. do you honestly believe there will be more local control??

:rofl:

[progressoid]

2. Here's how you overhaul it...

[HopeHoops]

4. I totally agree. All it has done is force a "teach to test" attitude and eliminate classes.

In some districts they have students who take NOTHING but math and English courses specifically targeted at scoring well on the NCLB tests. No gym, music, science, art, etc. The whole NCLB thing was Bush paying back the testing companies that helped bankroll his candidacy. The GOP has a long-standing goal of undermining public education. They depend on ignorance. It is a key attribute of GOP supporters.

[mzteris]

29. That's why this is in the Blueprint:

A complete education. Students need a well-rounded education to contribute as citizens in our democracy and to thrive in a global economy – from literacy to mathematics, science, and technology to history, civics, foreign languages, the arts, financial literacy, and other subjects. We will support states, districts, school leaders, and teachers in implementing a more complete education through improved professional development and evidence-based instructional models and supports.

. . . ENSURING A WELL-ROUNDED EDUCATION
To help more students in high-need schools receive a well-rounded education, our proposal will provide competitive grants to states, high-need districts, and nonprofit partners to strengthen the teaching and learning of arts, foreign languages, history and civics, financial literacy, environmental education, and other subjects.
Grants may support either the development of new, promising instructional practices or the expansion of instructional practices for which there is evidence of improving student performance in one or more of these subjects. Such practices, which should be aimed at improving instruction for all students, including English Learners and students with disabilities, may include high-quality professional development, better assessments, high-quality state- or locally-determined curricula aligned with state standards, or innovative uses of technology.

Priority will be given to applicants proposing to integrate teaching and learning across academic subjects; to use technology to address student learning challenges; and at the high school level, to work with colleges or universities to ensure that coursework is truly aligned with those institutions’ expectations.



You really should read it - there's some good stuff in it: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/blueprint.pdf

[salguine]

3. Probably figure out a way to put a Goldman Sachs executive in charge of that, too.

[The Hope Mobile]

33. Absolutely! nt

[Demeter]

5. Education Is a Cooperative Venture, Not a Competitive One

and the whole "business model", test to destruction plan of No Child Left Behind is just competition gone insane.

And what does the winner get? Nothing. What do the losers get? Defunded, union-busted, fired, shut down. This is insane. Counterproductive.

[BumRushDaShow]

12. The whole "business model"

philosophy and mentality needs to be removed from education, healthcare, and government. Period. It has done nothing but destroy the institutions originally conceived to support "the people".

[Iowa]

16. Very good point...

The "business model" is destroying government provided human services too. It is one of the primary reasons I decided to leave when I did. When I started on the job (almost 40 years ago) the emphasis was on professionalism, education/knowledge/skill, ethical considerations, good judgment, and generally maintaining a high level of competence in the field. It was all about doing whatever it took to help people. Much of that was thrown by the wayside with the introduction of the business model. The emphasis shifted entirely to "production". The job became entirely about generating rosy statistics for management.

In order to survive, professionals were incentivized to cut corners, reduce quality, and focus on generating numbers (which involved the avoidance of working with the people who really needed services most). It was amazing how quickly the place was dumbed-down relative to what it once had been. Job satisfaction, morale, and client satisfaction plummeted. What was once a respected profession was irretrievably damaged; it would take many, many years to restore it to its previous level.

People are not the same as widgets. The business model does not apply to education, health care, and government.

[Odin2005]

21. I like to call it the MBA Cult.

[Blue Owl]

6. Bust out the ripper and lower the prybar

Let's just demo this NCLB jalopy.

Be sure everyone gets a good look at the giant piles of GOP rat shit buried underneath that fake veneer.

[tonysam]

7. Kiss off 2012, Barack. n/t

[msongs]

8. perpetuation of the GW Bush agenda goes on and on... nt

[Iowa]

18. +1

[Captain Hilts]

10. Very good. Punishing under-funded schools for being under-funded has to stop. nt

[w4rma]

15. Obama's plan is to punish them worse by closing them and reopening a charter school with our $. (nt)

[mzteris]

30. Here's what they want to do:

Rigorous and fair accountability for all levels. All students will be included in an accountability system that builds on college- and career-ready standards, rewards progress and success, and requires rigorous interventions in the lowest-performing schools. . . . But in the lowest-performing schools that have not made progress over time, we will ask for dramatic change. To ensure that responsibility for improving student outcomes no longer falls solely at the door of schools, we will also promote accountability for states and districts that are not providing their schools, principals, and teachers with the support they need to succeed.

(So no longer the claim can be made "BLAMING THE TEACHER!")

SCHOOL TURNAROUND GRANTS
Our proposal will make available significant grants to help states, districts, and schools implement the rigorous interventions required in each state’s lowest-performing Challenge schools under the College- and Career-Ready Students program.

States will receive funds by formula and may reserve funds to build their capacity to improve low-performing schools, including developing and implementing effective school quality review teams to assist schools in identifying school needs and supporting school improvement.

Districts and their partners will receive 3-year awards to fully and effectively implement one of these intervention models, and will be eligible for two additional years of funding to support a school’s ongoing improvement if the school is showing progress.

(I think FIVE YEARS of additional funds and support is a pretty good "2nd chance". If they're still failing - then they should close, don't you think?)

In addition, the Secretary will reserve a portion of School Turnaround Grants for additional activities designed to enhance state, district, and nonprofit capacity to improve schools, such as investing in model school quality review teams to identify school needs and support school improvement.

*****
I like this part: "Greater equity. To give every student a fair chance to succeed, and give principals and teachers the resources to support student success, we will call on school districts and states to take steps to ensure equity, by such means as moving toward comparability in resources between high- and low-poverty schools.


Read the whole thing: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/blueprint.pdf You might be surprised what is actually IN there!

[SlingBlade]

11. Change You Can Believe In

[Freddie Stubbs]

42. He promised to support this during the campaign

Why the need to feign surprise?

[RayOfHope]

13. This: "And it also allows them to use federal grant funds to change the way...:

"And it also allows them to use federal grant funds to change the way teachers and principals are paid, "to provide differentiated compensation and career advancement opportunities to educators who are effective in increasing student academic achievement," among other considerations" is code for MERIT PAY. Jesus.


I hope against all hope that they will scrap AYP, but it will probably be wrapped up in another fancy name.

[Javaman]

14. Here comes the next issue for morons to freak out over...

as soon as health care "reform" is passed, you can bank on it vanishing from the political landscape for a long time.

Got distraction?

[Kittycat]

17. How about taking a look at IL school funding, Mr. President?

Just a thought. I mean - forget no child left behind, they're lost. We're just trying to keep the lights on.

[RayOfHope]

31. My father in law is superintendent of a district in IL. This year is going to drive him to an early

grave.

Had to let go of 20 teachers (out of about 300), make ridiculous amounts of budget cuts, and basically try to squeeze blood from a turnip.

He's so stressed out that I am seriously worried for his health.

[Kittycat]

52. Only 20?

The requirement was a minimum of 10% across the board.

[Mari333]

19. MORE bullshit.

the pile is already pretty deep.

[mzteris]

23. How many of you actually READ it????

If you had, you'd know that nearly everything posted in response here is FALSE. At the very least, it's the most "negative interpretation" of the facts as possible.

Here it is in it's entirety: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/blueprint.pdf Please PLEASE actually READ it. All of it. There are some very good ideas in there. Can you admit that there are even though you might not like all of them? Or are you the type to throw out the baby with the bathwater 'cause it offends YOUR "pet thing" in one or two places??

I'd love to be able to DISCUSS this in a rational manner with people. Let's look for what's right with it as well as areas that can be IMPROVED! Let's work together instead of at odds. We're not Freeps for g'sake! We're supposed to be intelligent rational mature people who can agree to disagree and still get the job done. We don't have to be "entrenched" in a 'one-way' mode of thinking. Innovation and change and working for the good of ALL, not a just a FEW, right?


I see the blueprint as a positive step. Raising the bar - by forcing states to stop LOWERING THEIR STANDARDS so they "look good on paper", as well as giving MORE FLEXIBILITY - and funding back to the state/district/school level to implement changes they feel is necessary for their students. (FYI - here are the Core Standards - they're still open for comment from any and everyone: http://www.corestandards.org/ oh and a link to an article about how state standards vary in regards to national benchmarks now: http://educationnext.org/few-states-set-worldclass-standards/ )

It - the blueprint - gives a broader range of indicators - not just test scores. It takes into account the things teachers have been screaming about - poverty, community environment, etc. The test scores that are used will be be scrutinized individually - looking at the student's INDIVIDUAL GROWTH each year. So yeah, you do get a better picture of how much a student "learned". There will be benchmarks differentiated for students - at risk, homeless, migrant, ELL, etc.

Teachers by themselves will no longer be held individually accountable. They will look at what the school is doing to support the teacher, what is the district to support the school/teacher, what is the state doing to support the district/school/teacher.

Impediments to performance for schools will be taken into account. What is the population, the environment of the school, etc. The WHOLE child is considered. Community support will be stepped up.

The want to ELEVATE the teaching profession to a more "PROFESSIONAL" status. They know that teachers are professionals and should be treated and thought of as such. Better teacher evaluations will be better designed - and designed with the input of the teachers in their district. Not just "test scores" but value-added evaluations.

And do you REALLY THINK that if a school is successful they're going to CLOSE IT? What a ridiculous interpretation that is! The fact remains that for the foreseeable future, it's going to take a long time to make the type of effective changes that need to be made to get ALL schools on an acceptable, successful, level.

For those who don't know (and those who do, but keep pushing misinformation!) ALL CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE PUBLIC SCHOOLS and ALL CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE NON-PROFIT SCHOOLS.

The "for-profit" mantra you hear is in regards to Educational Management Organizations. They currently operate appx 10% of all Charter schools. EMO's also manage some TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS, too. Some Charters - another 10-12ish percent are managed by Charter Management Organizations, non-profit management groups. The rests - almost EIGHTY PERCENT (80%) of Charter public schools are run by local individuals committed to the school and their community - teachers, parents, businessmen/women. Heck there are more than a few CHARTERS run by the actual SCHOOL SYSTEMS.

Charters do NOT "take money" from a community. In fact, most Charters operate with money which translates to fewer dollars per student than the traditional school in their area and are still being successful. Charters are not "taking over"; there are appx 5,000 charter schools and 100,000 traditional public schools - that's FIVE PERCENT! I don't think traditional public schools are being "run out of business".

Charters do NOT "siphon off the best" and "not take Sped", and don't Kick out everyone they don't like. They are not racist nor elitist. Charters are filled by BLIND LOTTERY - the same as "Magnet schools" run by the local district. They can and do "expel" students - about on the same level as traditional schools - actually less. Some kids drop out, move, or transfer to another school better suited, just like traditionals. Are the standards of behaviour higher? Certainly. And isn't that a good thing? SHould the traditionals follow suit? Absodamnlutely. There ARE alternatives to working with the chronically disruptive.\

It's funny really - I hear people say charters are elitist taking the best, and then I hear charters are "exploiting" the poor minorities. (The funniest part is, sometimes it's the same damn poster in different threads!! lol) So which is it?

Here are some stats on Charter school demographics (2008-2009) - that might surprise you:

Charter Schools Metrics& %
White.......... 38.4%
Black.......... 29.7%
Hispanic....... 24.7%
Asian.......... 3.9%
Other.......... 3.3%

Non-Charter schools Metrics
White.......... 53.4%
Black.......... 16.8%
Hispanic....... 22.1%
Asian.......... 4.9%
Other.......... 2.8%

Note African American and Hispanic numbers in each.


Charter Schools Metrics&
Eligible for Free or Reduced Price Lunch.......... 48.2%
Ineligible for Free or Reduced Price Lunch.......... 51.8%


Non-Charter Schools Metrics&
Eligible for Free or Reduced Price Lunch.......... 45.2%
Ineligible for Free or Reduced Price Lunch.......... 54.8%


And NO, the "poor neighborhoods" aren't being taken advantage of. These are schools that TARGET HELPING poor disadvantaged populations. And by all accounts, many - most - are doing a very good job. Why does that piss people off?


It's called CHOICE! We're Democrats - we SUPPORT CHOICE, don't we? Giving people more options? Not a lockstep type of ideology decided by one group? Take the Texas School Board debacle for example. Do you REALLY want your kid in a PS there? Conservative fundamentals have targeted SCHOOL BOARDS all over the country. They want that control to set curricula. I - for one - would like - nay, I've NEEDED - other options available for children.

Children learn in different ways and require different approaches. Should traditional schools meet those requirements? YES! Do they? For the most part - vastly for the most part - the sad answer is NO.

It's NOT the "TEACHERS" FAULT! It's the insitution's fault. Big wheels in motion a long time take longer to change direction. The will, time, determination and money it takes to turn things around aren't very prevalent in School districts. There's a district outside of Denver that did what they had to do and did it very successfully. DONCO has written extensively about the process and the results. If EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT would put that same thoughtful care into their districts, there probably wouldn't be a NEED for Charter public schools. But every school district WON'T without being MADE to.

I am not anti-traditional public school, I am not anti-teacher, I am not anti-union. (BTW - did you know that there are UNION Charter schools as well as traditional public teachers that are NOT Union??) I am pro-choice when it comes to education. My PERSONAL experiences (as in up close and . . . not just read about, or heard "a" story about, or know "a" kid about. . . ) - and they have been many - encompass almost the entire gamut - traditional public schools, magnet schools, pull-out programs, homeschooling, online classes, charter schools in two states. IEP's, 504's, modified classes, semi-grade-skip. Not done private (no money, not done religious (except pre-schools) 'cause I'm not anymore.) May possibly be doing the "boarding school" for the arts next year for one of mine so I'm looking into how that works. I've fought with a megalomaniac Principal, and a fundy School Board Chairman and lying administrators and public teachers too scared of the Principal to do the right thing for the kid!


My point is, many people read something or hear "A" negative story and decide the whole system is that way. It's not. There are good charters and bad ones - just like in traditional. The difference is, Charters get shut down much quicker if they are NOT effective. There are SCANDALS in each, misappropriation of funds, poor teachers, BAD teachers, cheating admins, - nothing is perfect. But please DON"T use a BROAD BRUSH to smear every charter public school cause you heard a bad story. Or because you - personally - don't like them. Oh - and DON'T paint all homeschoolers as dumb redneck fundies, 'cause we aren't!

Instead of carping and griping and finding all the things WRONG - why can't we work together to find what's right and replicate it?!? After all it is the CHILDREN that we should be considering and their education, their future! Stop personalizing every thing and considering it some kind of personal attack on YOU. It's not. It's about making the desperately needed changes in a system that hasn't worked the way it should for a long, long time.

[Moosepoop]

25. This should be an OP.

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[mzteris]

26. thanks -

I was thinking about that as I posted it.

It's really sad that people are so close-minded and self-oriented that they can't even be bothered to CONSIDER that someone else's idea might have merit. Their minds are made up, dammit!- and don't try to change it by using things like facts, logic, or real life examples!!

:banghead:

[w4rma]

27. close minded? Hah. You want to destroy the entire public education system in this nation and you

say people who oppose you are close minded?

[mzteris]

28. obviously you DIDN"T read my post nor the blueprint.

:eyes:

[RayOfHope]

32. I read it. WHile I don't disagree with all of it, there are giant parts that I don't care for.

I don't mean this in a snarky way, but are you/have you been a public school teacher?

[mzteris]

38. No. I'm a parent, though - and as such

I am the "customer" of schools. I'm also a product of traditional public schools. And - most importantly, I'm a citizen who cares about the educational opportunities for ALL Children, and a Democrat who believes in CHOICE!


I did do a summer internship in prep to be a teacher and decided to change my major after that. I also homeschooled my older son for about 9 years. I've had direct experience with charter schools (my younger has attended two in two states), with traditional public schools, with magnet schools, alternative schools, pull-out programs, 501's, IEP's, accommodations, and a few other things... As a former foster parent, I was exposed to different schools throughout the county.

[U4ikLefty]

53. A "customer"??? I thought so....typical "consumer" mentality..

This country has gotten sick with that paradigm.

[Fruittree]

34. Thank you for posting this -

as well as the other actual sources of information on this subject which you've posted. It's refreshing both to find some actual facts and sources as well as a positive, open attitude.

[mzteris]

39. thanks.

Too many people are making their decisions based on nothing other than prejudice or listening to hysterical knee-jerk reactions.

I'm all for discussing opposing POV's, but I'd like for it to be on the real merits and not some imaginative scary stories!

[kwassa]

37. Your use of CAPITAL LETTERS doesn't HELP your POINT.

and your argument wanders all over the place and is hard to respond to.

I'll make my points as simple and concise as possible:

1) Not all charter schools are run the same way, or with the same standards, therefore most of your comments about them are off the mark. Different states do them differently.

2) There is no evidence, or should I say, NO EVIDENCE, that charter schools do a better job of educating students. That is the real issue. This brings up the wisdom of throwing so much money at them.

3) Obama's recent support for the mass firing of teachers in Central Falls, Rhode Island has alienated me and many other teachers. The entire concept of doing this shows how fundamentally stupid much of this so-called reform effort is. This concept comes from those who blame the teachers for all the ills, of course.

4) related to that, the belief underlying this is that teachers should through high expectations and best practices should be able to overcome in a short time each day the forces of poverty and/or a bad home life without parental support for education. This is magical thinking, of course.


Obama's policy is run by ideologues without facts, only beliefs.

edit to add:

5) I work for a great public school system. There are many great public school systems, and they are all in relatively affluent areas, of course. Public school education is not broken; it is broken in poor areas. It is a difficult problem to solve, but kicking the teachers won't help. What teacher in their right mind would head to Central Falls, knowing that they will be next on the chopping block?

[mzteris]

40. SORRY! uh - Sorry.

:D

I tend to do that while typing as I'm thinking and sometimes - I admit - I THINK in all-caps! (yeah, I'm weird!)

Ooops and sorry I'm not as organized in putting out my thoughts. Usually I'm "answering" things from another post - or two - so yeah, I guess it IS kinda rambly. . .

1. Not all traditional schools are run the same way, or with the same standards. So what's the point?

2. Some charters DO do a better job. Or as good a job. It's difficult to compare because sometimes it's apples to oranges. For instance, if people are pulling their kids out of a trad school because they're BEHIND, and then enrolling those kids in a charter, you have an abundance of kids who are ALREADY playing catch up. Some charters don't give a rats ass about "test scores" and DON"T spend an inordinate amount of time "prepping" for them. They're too busy actually LEARNING things instead of rote memorization. In immersion schools, kids tend to "test poorly" in early grades, but they catch up and surpass their counterparts in later grades.

Are the bad charters? Of course. But they don't/won't stay in business long. And, there are some EXCELLENT Charter schools. Seven out of the top 25 highschools in the nation are Charters. And there's a lot fewer Charter highschools than traditional (~2000 to 25,0000)

"THrowing so much money at them" - Did you know that most charters operate on a "less per student dollar" than their counterparts in the traditional sector. (BTW - that doesn't mean they're spending less on the student. The $ per student figure used by schools is an overall cost per capita for those who don't know.)

Different charters offer different opportunities for parents and students. For instance, my younger son goes to a spanish immersion school. Where I live now, the school board wouldn't "try" it because they didn't have enough funds to spare to "experiment" they said. (Same with the charter spanish montessori immersion we moved from in another state!) Now - 6 years later - and we've proven to be very successful and now have waiting lists a mile long! - the district are starting to open their OWN immersion programs now, and starting up a dual-language program in the middle school - AND re exploring a dual language program in the highschool. Would that be the case if we hadn't started the program initially? Possibly, but no where near the level it is now as we took the risks they were not willing to take.

Offering a different environment sometimes may be all it takes for a kid to succeed. Even if - maybe - the school is "no better than" the one they came from, having a different atmosphere, a different set of expectations, a different way of teaching - may be all that is needed for that kid and those parents to become more invested in the educational process. And that's a good thing, isn't it?

The other thing to remember is that most charters are relatively NEW schools. Most have been open less than 10 years. Half of those less than six years. Sometimes there are growing pains. As the process gets streamlined, the successes modeled and the failing approaches discarded, you'll see even better schools.


3. He supports districts doing what they chose or have to do. I don't think he "supported" firing them. Hell, the district didn't want to FIRE THEM. The idiot negotiators tried to play games and got the teachers fired. Put blame where it is due.

I'm NOT blaming teachers. I don't believe Obama is either. In fact, if you read the document carefullly, they are going to great lengths to support the TEACHERS by making the schools accountable for the teacher, the district accountable for the schools, and the state accountable for the district.

I don't know who started this "BLAME THE TEACHER" crap, but no one *I* know does that. Certainly not me. Are there bad teachers? Sure - get rid of them wherEVER they teach. Are there good teachers, wonderful teachers? HELL YEAH - in traditional public shcools AND in Charter public schools. My son's CHARTER SCHOOL TEACHERS (who ARE unionized, btw) are absolutely GREAT!

4. Again, did you read the report? There is an emphasis on the WHOLE CHILD. The COMMUNITY. Taking things like poverty and crime into consideration. It really IS a good plan in that respect even if you don't like SOME of the options.

5. There ARE great public school systems. There are GREAT traditional public schools! That's not the problem. It's the poor and failing schools and school systems. Traditional approaches ARE "broken" in some areas of the country. Not where you are - that's great. Not really where I am, either. But don't begrudge those who live in areas where the system DOES truly suck to not have an opportunity to succeed. IMO - ANY opportunity they can get should be embraced and encouraged. Right?

It would be wonderful if there were never a need for "charter schools" if the traditional systems were flexible enough and responsive enough to do what some charters are doing. Do you really think you could get some of the "rules" of some charters passed and supported in a traditional public school. "We can't DO that!" is what you hear. But wouldn't it be great if you COULD? And should you be MAD because another school can?

Read DONCO's description of what his district did. Now THERE's a model for traditional school systems to follow! Unfortunately, most don't have the money, the will, the determination and the drive to do it.


If I were a teacher - hells yeah I'd go to Central Falls - do you see what they MAKE THERE?? Plus an opportunity to be in on the ground floor of effecting change - real change?? I don't expect you to understand this statement - that whole "teacher solidarity thing". . . but that aside, - and I hate to keep beating a dead horse - but have you READ IT? http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/blueprint.pdf

They want to support and elevate teachers. To have them be treated and paid as the professionals they are. There is NOTHING in there about blaming teachers and closing all the traditional public schools. Nothing. Charters are ONE option - chosen by a local community - in reponse to a failure of a school of FIVE YEARS worth of extrat support and money.

5000 charters, 100,000 traditional schools in the country. I don't believe traditional schools are in any danger of being "killed".

[kwassa]

50. Arne Duncan believes charters are the answer, but he has no proof.

If a state wants the Race to the Top monies, they have to remove caps from charters. Without it, the states have no hope of receiving any of the $4.35 billion in stimulus money. There are many other initiatives within public schools that accomplish the same thing without being a charter, such as acadamies and magnet schools, yet those are not recognized.

The states must be willing to fire all the teachers in poor-performing schools to get the money, too.

I would point out that Duncan does not have a record of success for his initiatives in Chicago.

and since you like capital letters:

ARNE DUNCAN IS MAKING ACCESS TO THESE MONIES A COMPETITION. THIS MEANS A FEW STATES WILL GET LOTS OF MONEY, AND MOST WON'T GET A DIME. THAT IS NOT EQUITY IN EDUCATION, THAT IS DISCRIMINATION AGAINST MOST IN FAVOR OF A FEW.

and that is unfair in the most basic way possible.

[sulphurdunn]

24. The more authoritarian personalities

tend to support the year round institutionalization of school kids, uniformity, conformity, mandarin achievement test indicators, soulless competition, kiss up kick down career advancement and de facto segregation by race, class and income. In other words, they support the privatization of all things public, including education. Right now, billionaire authoritarians pretty much determine what's best for the lower orders through the tyranny of their political sycophants and their pay to play democracy.

[d.gibbs]

41. New plan to be named "No Charter School Millionaire Left Behind"

[Kitsune]

47. So instead of solving the problem, he exacerbates it. Great.

What a goddamned disaster.

Healthcare Reform -> Massive Insurance Industry Bailout and secret industry deals.
Education Reform -> Charter Schools

I wonder how he'll screw everyone over when financial reforms come up.

[okieinpain]

48. man, I wish they would focus on one thing at a time. I don't know

maybe this is part of the plan or something.