School Daze
Scenario: Your public school child is gloriously flunking every subject he has, including phys ed.
What to do?
. Do you call his school and ask for a parent-teacher conference with all his or her teachers? Nah, you can't do that, work schedule and all, and besides it won't do any good, what could they tell you that you didn't already know?
. Do you sit down with Johnny or Janey-or Juan or Juanita, or Shaquille or Shaniqua-and read him or her the riot act and threaten to seize his or her cell phone, iPod, TV, pick one or more? Nah, Johnny or Shaniqua would rebel and pout and not talk to you for a week.
. Do you pull your child out of that school and place him in another school? Nah, are you kidding? Kids are locked into whatever school they're told to attend, or not attend if they're not in an attending mood.
. Do you find a private or parochial school and enroll the flunker there? Nah, that would cost an arm and a leg and maybe a kidney and you can't afford it.
President Obama knows exactly what to do when Juan and Juanita and enough of their fellow students were flunking: Fire every teacher, principal, assistant principal, social worker, secretary, security guard, custodian, anyone who has caused the failure of your bright, hard working, and cooperative child.
They did just that up at Central Falls High School in Rhode Island: [http://bit.ly/bm3wNf]
Literally enforcing provisions of George W. Bush's No Child Left Behind, NCLB, program for failing schools, the powers that be fired the entire staff, administration, and ancillary personnel of CFHS because that action would presumably alleviate the problem of grossly-underperforming students.
The unstated premises of those firings are that the school board knows what it's doing, that a change of atmosphere, teachers, and administration will inspire the student population to excel or at least pass their courses.
It also presupposes that pigs can dance and turtles can sing.
Nothing, read that as NOTHING! will change things at Central Falls or in any other school system in America unless and until:
1) High and achievable standards are established and adhered to with no exceptions for the progeny of school board members;
2) Students are permitted to fail if they don't perform, meaning they meet pre-determined standards without teacher-cheating to boost their grades;
3) Qualified, intelligent teachers are hired, people other than friends of administrators or who agree to bed down with principals;
4) People realize that college is not for everyone and if it were who would pump our gas and fix our plumbing?
5) Unyielding standards are set and enforced for teachers and administrators regarding untoward conduct and relationships with students;
6) Every English as a Second Language, ESL, program in America is ended and students are required to learn basic English before they enter the public school system;
7) Special Education programs are reserved for those truly in need of specialized education and not for those whose parents want their kids to have additional attention and the legal benefits that come from Special Ed designation;
8) Where practicable, homogeneous grouping of students replaces all heterogeneous classes to permit students to learn with their peers rather than be consigned to classes where brilliant kids are lumped in with the educationally-challenged, to the detriment of both groups;
9) Students are made to understand that disruptive behavior will result in removal from the classroom and repeated disruptions will result in expulsion;
10) Scrap NCLB and change any state laws which prohibit 1 though 9.
Many or most of America's schools are a mess because of teacher unions that negotiate higher and higher salaries but turn out a less educated "product," because of more and more semi-literate teachers, because of incompetent, over-achieving administrators, and because many parents don't give a damn.
They are also a mess because the American system of education has been subverted by political correctness and the divisive efforts to develop diversity in schools and classrooms which only results in alienation and mediocrity.
The answer isn't NCLB or closing failing schools willy-nilly. The answer is good, old American competition via charter schools, striving for excellence, vouchers enabling parents to choose their children's schools, and fostering rather than discouraging homeschooling.
The powerful National Education Association and local teacher unions will mobilize to block all such reforms so consider the foregoing an exercise in fantasy.
What to do?
. Do you call his school and ask for a parent-teacher conference with all his or her teachers? Nah, you can't do that, work schedule and all, and besides it won't do any good, what could they tell you that you didn't already know?
. Do you sit down with Johnny or Janey-or Juan or Juanita, or Shaquille or Shaniqua-and read him or her the riot act and threaten to seize his or her cell phone, iPod, TV, pick one or more? Nah, Johnny or Shaniqua would rebel and pout and not talk to you for a week.
. Do you pull your child out of that school and place him in another school? Nah, are you kidding? Kids are locked into whatever school they're told to attend, or not attend if they're not in an attending mood.
. Do you find a private or parochial school and enroll the flunker there? Nah, that would cost an arm and a leg and maybe a kidney and you can't afford it.
President Obama knows exactly what to do when Juan and Juanita and enough of their fellow students were flunking: Fire every teacher, principal, assistant principal, social worker, secretary, security guard, custodian, anyone who has caused the failure of your bright, hard working, and cooperative child.
They did just that up at Central Falls High School in Rhode Island: [http://bit.ly/bm3wNf]
Literally enforcing provisions of George W. Bush's No Child Left Behind, NCLB, program for failing schools, the powers that be fired the entire staff, administration, and ancillary personnel of CFHS because that action would presumably alleviate the problem of grossly-underperforming students.
The unstated premises of those firings are that the school board knows what it's doing, that a change of atmosphere, teachers, and administration will inspire the student population to excel or at least pass their courses.
It also presupposes that pigs can dance and turtles can sing.
Nothing, read that as NOTHING! will change things at Central Falls or in any other school system in America unless and until:
1) High and achievable standards are established and adhered to with no exceptions for the progeny of school board members;
2) Students are permitted to fail if they don't perform, meaning they meet pre-determined standards without teacher-cheating to boost their grades;
3) Qualified, intelligent teachers are hired, people other than friends of administrators or who agree to bed down with principals;
4) People realize that college is not for everyone and if it were who would pump our gas and fix our plumbing?
5) Unyielding standards are set and enforced for teachers and administrators regarding untoward conduct and relationships with students;
6) Every English as a Second Language, ESL, program in America is ended and students are required to learn basic English before they enter the public school system;
7) Special Education programs are reserved for those truly in need of specialized education and not for those whose parents want their kids to have additional attention and the legal benefits that come from Special Ed designation;
8) Where practicable, homogeneous grouping of students replaces all heterogeneous classes to permit students to learn with their peers rather than be consigned to classes where brilliant kids are lumped in with the educationally-challenged, to the detriment of both groups;
9) Students are made to understand that disruptive behavior will result in removal from the classroom and repeated disruptions will result in expulsion;
10) Scrap NCLB and change any state laws which prohibit 1 though 9.
Many or most of America's schools are a mess because of teacher unions that negotiate higher and higher salaries but turn out a less educated "product," because of more and more semi-literate teachers, because of incompetent, over-achieving administrators, and because many parents don't give a damn.
They are also a mess because the American system of education has been subverted by political correctness and the divisive efforts to develop diversity in schools and classrooms which only results in alienation and mediocrity.
The answer isn't NCLB or closing failing schools willy-nilly. The answer is good, old American competition via charter schools, striving for excellence, vouchers enabling parents to choose their children's schools, and fostering rather than discouraging homeschooling.
The powerful National Education Association and local teacher unions will mobilize to block all such reforms so consider the foregoing an exercise in fantasy.
Source...