A Few Thoughts

As I continue to read Diane Ravitch's Reign of Error I can't help to think that one of the very reasons why we have this alleged 'mess' concerning education is that people simply don't have the facts. Yes, those messy facts that should guide our thoughts, actions, perhaps even alter our beliefs.

I am under no illusion that this will end soon. With almost every state going to the 'Common Core' testing (and likely falling scores) I get the sense that the howling will only get louder. Besides, many schools are going to tie teacher evaluations - some in large part - to the scores of students on standardized test results.

This insane drumbeat that our 'schools are failing' and that 'unions are ruining schools' has to stop. The desire to privatize public education has to cease. Do you really want a non-educator, in many instances, running such an important civic endeavor? Not me!! Put another way, do you want a non-physician running the medical profession? I think not!!!

Dick

What's to be Done?

While I have been commenting on the growth of reading and mathematics achievement over the past 20 years in addition to the good news about the decline in the student dropout rate, there are real concerns regarding various portions of America's student population.

Let's not sugar coat it, as Ravitch reports, "black and hispanic youths who attend high-poverty, racially isolated schools have serious problems."

To be quite blunt, poverty and segregation are in evidence in many parts of America (urban and rural alike). These conditions, and others, do affect their level of success in school and beyond. It raises the question...what can be done to mitigate the harmful effects of poverty and segregation?

Ravitch, in fact, does offer some guidance with respect to this critical question. She interjects in Reign of Error that "our efforts should focus on reducing the causes of their disengagement from school, part of which has to do with being unprepared for high school work and part of which results from the circumstances in which they live."

We would be wise to heed such advice.

Dick

More Mistruths Revealed

Another one of the 'corporate reformer's' myths that has been perpetuated as part of their effort to discredit today's schools deals with the dropout rate.   As the 'reformers' contend, more kids are dropping out thus revealing the failure of our public schools.

Again, this is not true.   Among whites in 1972 the dropout rate was 12%.   By 2009,  the dropout for the same group was down to 5%.   Among blacks the dropout rate in 1972 was 21%.   By 2009, the dropout rate for blacks had declined to 9%.   By the way, the same trend holds true for Hispanics.   As you can see, positive gains have been made to reduce the dropout rate.

When someone goes on about the failure of our public schools with regard to test scores and children dropping out, you can straighten them on these fronts.   The fact remains, kids are making learning gains and they are staying in school.

Don't allow the critics to bash the good that is taking place!

Dick

Will they Notice?

No doubt the mayor and CPS hierarchy see the news concerning the fact that, over the past four years, an additional 1,300 students are attending parochial elementary schools in the city of Chicago.   They might well see this information but whether it has any impact on their decision making going forward is another matter.

Even Superintendent Sister Mary Paul McCaughey said some of the city growth came from parents leaving or dodging CPS.   Her response to this premise was "certainly it's a factor."

I'm not raising an issue over children attending parochial schools.   That is certainly a parents rightful choice.   I am simply making the point that the constant chaos, in recent years, within the CPS system is likely costing them students.   Schools being closed, budgets being slashed, a strike and the constant drumbeat of things going wrong seems pervasive.  

Why wouldn't families opt to send their children to parochial schools?   The question remains, what will CPS do to address so many issues?

Dick

Not Again!!

As if nerves weren't already raw enough from the CPS school closures this past spring, the Chicago Sun-Times has reported that yet another factor could be used to close additional schools in the future.   Might be hard to believe but true.

The State of Illinois released new state guidelines, this past Tuesday, spelling out how a district can proceed to close a school(s) in case a building's conditions threaten the safety of students.l  Okay, we all know a building needs to be safe.   This has been the case, quite literally, forever.

Here's the rub.   Mayor Emanuel and CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett said there would be a five-year moratorium on closing schools.   CS spokeswoman Becky Carroll stated "our commitment to a 5-year moratorium on closing schools is clear."

This isn't so clear to the Chicago Teacher's Union.   The news of the published state guidelines hit the CTU brass like a ton of bricks.   To a person, they aren't so sure they can trust the mayor or the CPS administration when it comes to keeping their promise on not shuttering schools.

The original promise, at least to me, seemed to be a blanket statement declaring no more closures.   We shall see.   If more schools are closed; well, look out!

Dick

Look At This!

Over the past couple of days I have shared some NAEP data with you on American reading and math test scores over the past 20 years.   The data is irrefuatable.   American students continue to make progress in these subjects.

One of the other laments voiced by 'corporate reformers' is that Americans do poorly compared to other nations.   Let's take a look at the facts!!

In 2012, the results of the TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study), the major international assessments of math and science were published.   Various media portrayed U. S. students as doing poorly.   The media were wrong.   American students performed pretty darn well in math and science.   In 4th grade math, American students outperformed most of the 57 educational systems that participated.   American students tied with their peers in Finland, Denmark and the Netherlands.   Only three countries outperformed the Americans.   So much for getting trounced by the rest of the world.   In 8th grade math, only Singapore, Japan, Russia and South Korea outperformed the U. S. children.

It simply is not true that U. S. school children lag way behind the rest of the world.   It is time for the media to give an accurate portrayal of the quality of American education.

Dick

Get the Facts Right!

As I mentioned yesterday, there are plenty of voices out there condemning the failures of public education. One cry is that children aren't learning as much today as year's ago. I indicated just one day ago that reading scores have improved in the nation over the past twenty years. Today, I want to share some more NAEP scores on Math over the same period of time.

The proportion of 4th-grade students who were proficient or advanced increased from 1990 to 2011. In 1990 13% of students were "proficient or above" ; in 2011, it was 40%. During the same period, for 8th graders, in 1990 15% were "proficient or above"; in 2011, it was 35%.

These aren't number that I am 'spinning;' rather, the hard data from the NAEP. So the next time, someone complains to you about the failures of education, our nation's teachers and schools, let them know that the facts don't bear out their complaints.

Students are learning and teachers are teaching!!

Dick