Teaching and Learning Takes a Hit in WI.

Any way you put it, the item added to the Wisconsin State Education Budget at 1:30 am (yes, really!!) is a travesty. The rider or amendment, whichever term you want to use, states that anyone with a bachelors degree can be hired and licensed to teach core courses in Wisconsin.

This means that a person who earns a Bachelors in agriculture can potentially teach a literature class. A person earning a BA in Accounting can teach Chemistry. If this is the case then Wisconsin education, namely, student learning will suffer.

The law also states that someone with 'relevant experience' can teach a non core course. It appears that a college or high school education is not needed in this instance.

This is another sad case of a government body getting involved in an area, education in this instance, where they have no business passing such ridiculous legislation. The concern is that teaching expertise and student learning are being sacrificed and for what reason or to what end?

I am tired of the gutting of public education in this country. When will it end?!

Dick

More Troubles for CPS

As if the CPS system didn't have enough issues with its finances and an investigation of its CEO, yet another problem has surfaced in recent days. The Chicago Sun Times has uncovered disturbing information about a firm that was suppose to bolster the performance of some of its schools.

Synesi, which was suppose to help four struggling CPS schools, was found by the Illinois State Board of Education to have "failed at a fundamental level to show how it would actually help schools improve if they were awarded the money."

Of course all of this adds to the controversy and investigation of SUPES.

Here's my take on all of this. Going to outside consulting firms to improve school performance is not a good idea. Better to hire the best staff to run your schools from inside the building. Far wiser to bring aboard the very best teachers. You don't have to head all over America to bring in consultants.

If you have superiors teachers, principals, deans, assistant principals, lunchroom staff, coaches, custodians and the like, inside the building, you will avoid these problems. Every school ought to heed this path.

Dick

Still Searching, Still Yearning

With June 6th right around the corner, with tons - yes tons - of school supplies I am reaching out to any and all of you to pitch in to help us sort, bag and box school supplies. If you don't think three hours (9:00 am to noon) of volunteering makes a difference; well, you couldn't be more wrong.

The more people who lend a hand, the more we can sort and the more children we can serve. Yep, it is as simple as that!!!

Besides helping the cause you bound to meet like minded people and good friends!! It is a 'win-win' all the way around. Please take a few minutes out of your busy day and busy weekend (Sat., June 6th) and head on down to Mokena to give us a hand. To be a part of the morning that helps children who are often going without the needed resources in class just shoot me a note at rich219@comcast.net.

Thank you,
Dick

Let the Collecting Begin

Today officially marks the kickoff to the school supply collection season. Our charity collects from far and wide; from Mokena north to Elmhurst and west into Naperville. Often, at the end of the year, everyone is in a hurry to 'call it a year' and too many valuable and perfectly useable supplies are thrown in the dumpster.

With nearly 40 schools participating in our 'Go Green' program we are able to rescue these resources and can get them in the hands of students who will make great use of them.

Our first stops today are at Lockport East and Lockport Central. These two school have participated in our program for many, many years. The effort has long been spearheaded by Sarah Steinke. This is the same person who helps us deliver supplies in August in addition to being responsible for our charity garnering $4,000 in cash from the Daughters of the American Revolution so that we could buy music instruments for John Hay Elementary School.

So here's to Sarah, her colleagues at Lockport and all the other kind hearted school personnel who participate in our recycling program.

Let the fun begin!!

Dick

Dump the Turnarounds

The other day I pointed out the lack of progress made as a result of the infusion of $3 billion in turnaround schools. Let me be clear, the money ought to be spent on education. Just how the money is allocated and what it is spent on is the real question.

The structure of the school shouldn't really be the issue. By that, I mean that getting rid of a certain percent of the teachers, staff, principals, etc. isn't really the answer. What remains undone, untouched are the conditions that exist within the larger school community that goes unearthed and unresolved.

I have long talked about these conditions - blight, poverty, unemployment, low wages, family issues/concerns, and more - and they are as ever present as they were before these 'reform' programs.

Creating more charters, selective schools, and charters hasn't got the job done and building more of these will likely render the same results.

Dick

Calling All Volunteers

The student school supplies are rolling into our garage at a furious pace!! That means that we need to sort them, box them up and ready them for our annual August delivery. We sure could use some help. Why not head down to Mokena on Saturday, June 6th and lend a hand?! It is always a fun time while visiting with friends. We'll work from 9:00 am to noon. To be a part of helping children-in-need just shoot me an email at rich219@comcast.net

Thanks,
Dick

Post Script

As a follow up to yesterday's blog concerning the largely failed infusion of $3 billion federal dollars into 'turnarounds,' I want to add a couple of thoughts. It should come as no surprise that many of the 1,500 schools receiving 'turnaround' funds had problems.

Those concerns are not borne simply out of a lack of staffing, expertise and technology as the U. S. Dept. of Education points out. The issues confronting the schools go far beyond these considerations. Until every government body, doling out funds, realizes this fact then 'turnarounds' or any other hybrid will likely encounter difficulties.

The school community as a whole, along with the neighborhood in which the school/students/families reside, must be examined and taken into account when determining the path forward. Simply removing staff, part of a staff or having some other sort of pre-determined and ill conceived criteria that dictates which schools get money and which don't won't suffice.

We can and must do better!

Dick