There is much more to learning than one may think. The University of Chicago's Consortium on Chicago School Research made that point very clear in some research done through surveying 98 CPS high schools.
The report, thorough indeed, found that having a challenging and rigorous class and material was not enough to insure learning and advancement on standardized tests. When a class was both challenging and it was orderly then significant gains were made. To those of us who have taught, this doesn't come as a revelation. However, among many in the public this information is critical to understand from a standpoint of how we get students to learn and the daunting tasks faced by teachers.
By the way, a course rich in content doesn't insure success and orderliness. The skills that a teacher must possess to obtain and maintain order is no easy task. That's just a start if one can pull it off. Teachers then have to stimulate interest, keep students on task, determine who needs help and what type, make learning meaningful and much more. All of these qualities help lead to a classroom and students who 'keep it together.'
Dick
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Say Yes to Neighborhood Schools
The so called 'school reform' movement pushes selective schools, school choice, charters, 'new and improved standardized testing,' and so much more. Along the way, not coincidentally, the traditional neighborhood public school is seen as being disposable.
For anyone who feels that way about neighborhood schools I have a few things to say about the matter. The very term 'neighborhood' is more than a namesake. It gets to the very essence of the meaning of a community. A neighborhood public school is one of the elements that binds people together. People living in a geographic area tend to have common interests and shared experiences.
Ask any child why they like their school and they will comment that it is where they have their best friends. True, one can find other friends in other locations but the very fact that someone across the street or down the block goes to the same school is most significant.
A school, like a grocery store or religious organization, binds people together. Close or shutter any of these and the ties that bind people together are severed. If not severed then they are certainly torn. Take a look at a vibrant community, maybe yours, and you'll see businesses in full operation, a public school(s), a library, a fire department, a post office, or other such body.
Close the neighborhood public school and you've hurt the kids and the very essence of that town, community or village. Neighborhood public schools are a must.
Dick
For anyone who feels that way about neighborhood schools I have a few things to say about the matter. The very term 'neighborhood' is more than a namesake. It gets to the very essence of the meaning of a community. A neighborhood public school is one of the elements that binds people together. People living in a geographic area tend to have common interests and shared experiences.
Ask any child why they like their school and they will comment that it is where they have their best friends. True, one can find other friends in other locations but the very fact that someone across the street or down the block goes to the same school is most significant.
A school, like a grocery store or religious organization, binds people together. Close or shutter any of these and the ties that bind people together are severed. If not severed then they are certainly torn. Take a look at a vibrant community, maybe yours, and you'll see businesses in full operation, a public school(s), a library, a fire department, a post office, or other such body.
Close the neighborhood public school and you've hurt the kids and the very essence of that town, community or village. Neighborhood public schools are a must.
Dick
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Music Aiding the Disadvantaged
Nina Kraus of Northwestern University has some great news surrounding the value of music related to learning for those children who come from disadvantaged areas. Ms. Kraus studied the impact of music education on children living in gang areas of Los Angeles and found that those who received free music instruction were all the better for it.
Ms. Kraus had a group of 44 young students, 18 who received two years of free music instruction while the other 26 received but one year. Her findings noted that the children were able to process the sound of syllables more rapidly than those who didn't receive the instruction. Her work also found that those with two years of instruction outpaced those with one year of music under their belts.
As Ms. Kraus noted, "this could lead to better learning and skills." That being the case, the more music instruction for these kids, all the better.
Our charity is pleased to be able to help build band programs and, given the Northwestern University study results, are all the more eager to help bring music education to those most in need of all that the world of music offers them.
Dick
Ms. Kraus had a group of 44 young students, 18 who received two years of free music instruction while the other 26 received but one year. Her findings noted that the children were able to process the sound of syllables more rapidly than those who didn't receive the instruction. Her work also found that those with two years of instruction outpaced those with one year of music under their belts.
As Ms. Kraus noted, "this could lead to better learning and skills." That being the case, the more music instruction for these kids, all the better.
Our charity is pleased to be able to help build band programs and, given the Northwestern University study results, are all the more eager to help bring music education to those most in need of all that the world of music offers them.
Dick
Monday, September 8, 2014
Starving Schools
Over one year ago Tim Meegan, a nationally board certified teacher at Roosevelt H. S. in Chicago wrote an interesting piece that warrants our attention. The piece was posted online and was titled 'CPS starving its schools to justify privatization." It is hard to argue that this isn't exactly what is taking place.
Let me give you a couple of examples of how this is taking place as outlined by Meegan. CPS is spending millions of dollars to finance Teach for America and the principal academy used by the school district. While the funds were being spent on these initiatives, and other sorts of programs, many principals were taking big hits relative to the school budgets.
As Meegan said, "The formula for privatizing district is the same all over the country: Open charters operated by private organizations. Simultaneously defund neighborhood schools, declare them "failing," and then close them. Fire certified professional teachers and replace them with temporary unskilled Teach for America recruits."
Tomorrow I will get into where some of the outside financing comes from that supports the charter and non-neighborhood school movement.
Dick
Let me give you a couple of examples of how this is taking place as outlined by Meegan. CPS is spending millions of dollars to finance Teach for America and the principal academy used by the school district. While the funds were being spent on these initiatives, and other sorts of programs, many principals were taking big hits relative to the school budgets.
As Meegan said, "The formula for privatizing district is the same all over the country: Open charters operated by private organizations. Simultaneously defund neighborhood schools, declare them "failing," and then close them. Fire certified professional teachers and replace them with temporary unskilled Teach for America recruits."
Tomorrow I will get into where some of the outside financing comes from that supports the charter and non-neighborhood school movement.
Dick
Friday, September 5, 2014
Local Control Works
The history of education from the days of the earliest, rural, one-room school house until recent times (so called reform movement) has been one full of many successes. It was left to the locality and the educators within that locality to take care of the schools and the students. Was in perfect (nothing is), no, that's not the point or goal. Things worked well for the most part.
The infusion of non-educators, all-stakes testing, legislatures, and naysayers of public education have taken a toll on the system of public education and the students and teachers. This isn't conjecture this is based on eye-witness accounts of events and hearing from top professionals.
The list of transgressions against public education is so long that it boggles the mind. Let me put it this way. Leave the local public schools to those in the classroom and the residents served by the schools. Those outside of the local units need to quit telling them how to teach, what to teach, how to treat kids, why they should do this, and more. Enough is enough; well, actually its gone beyond this point.
Don't allow excellence and the good being done to be outdone by the perfect.
Dick
The infusion of non-educators, all-stakes testing, legislatures, and naysayers of public education have taken a toll on the system of public education and the students and teachers. This isn't conjecture this is based on eye-witness accounts of events and hearing from top professionals.
The list of transgressions against public education is so long that it boggles the mind. Let me put it this way. Leave the local public schools to those in the classroom and the residents served by the schools. Those outside of the local units need to quit telling them how to teach, what to teach, how to treat kids, why they should do this, and more. Enough is enough; well, actually its gone beyond this point.
Don't allow excellence and the good being done to be outdone by the perfect.
Dick
Thursday, September 4, 2014
We Do Make a Difference
Step by step, one day at a time, one school at a time. Our charity, with each of you pitching in, is making a significant difference in the lives of many children. Just yesterday we delivered 30 trumpets, clarinet, flutes, trombones and saxophones to John Hay Elementary School. Band lessons will commence next Monday. Mr. Williams, the Principal and Ms. Chicoine, the Music Teacher, are hoping to put on a Spring Concert. I will keep you posted on the details.
Last year we helped Pilsen Elementary by providing band instruments to the school. During the past school year Pilsen had a wonderfully successful after school band program. Due to the popularity of the program, music will now be a part of the every day curriculum for the coming year!!
Whether its school supplies, art resources, band instruments, winter clothing or athletic/recreation gear, your hard work, and that of the students and staff at our partner schools, is paying off in a big way. We certainly appreciate the funding of our various projects and want to keep you in the loop!
Dick
Last year we helped Pilsen Elementary by providing band instruments to the school. During the past school year Pilsen had a wonderfully successful after school band program. Due to the popularity of the program, music will now be a part of the every day curriculum for the coming year!!
Whether its school supplies, art resources, band instruments, winter clothing or athletic/recreation gear, your hard work, and that of the students and staff at our partner schools, is paying off in a big way. We certainly appreciate the funding of our various projects and want to keep you in the loop!
Dick
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Yes, there are Challenges at CPS
Todays Chicago Sun Times Editorial entitled 'CPS Can Cheer, but Challenges Remain' is right on target. Yes, graduation rates are up as are ACT scores in addition to some other gains. Also, the rate of adding charter to the system has slowed considerably during the upcoming school year.
What is most troubling, at least to me, are two factors. Neighborhood schools took another hit on funding for the coming year. In addition to taking a massive drop in funding last year the traditional public schools will take another knock, losing an additional $67 million. This is at a time when individual principals at the various schools can barely find the funds to continue various programs, get substitute teachers and, yes, even find enough funding for simple things like supplies and toilet paper.
Related to the funding is a second issue. There are still simply too few professionals in the buildings to deal with the social and emotional woes that children bring to the classroom. Make no mistake about it, these are very critical concerns and have an enormous impact on the ability of students to learn let alone with simply trying to enable them to cope with the various issues and problems.
When one gets right down to it, unless these mental-health concerns are properly addressed then the advances will slow to a trickle.
Thanks,
Dick
What is most troubling, at least to me, are two factors. Neighborhood schools took another hit on funding for the coming year. In addition to taking a massive drop in funding last year the traditional public schools will take another knock, losing an additional $67 million. This is at a time when individual principals at the various schools can barely find the funds to continue various programs, get substitute teachers and, yes, even find enough funding for simple things like supplies and toilet paper.
Related to the funding is a second issue. There are still simply too few professionals in the buildings to deal with the social and emotional woes that children bring to the classroom. Make no mistake about it, these are very critical concerns and have an enormous impact on the ability of students to learn let alone with simply trying to enable them to cope with the various issues and problems.
When one gets right down to it, unless these mental-health concerns are properly addressed then the advances will slow to a trickle.
Thanks,
Dick
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