"Those" kids
The School District 11 administration and labor union talking heads constantly defend the poor performance of the $500 million government entity by explaining that there is a fairly large population of poor and minority kids in the district. They will tell you that "those kids" just aren't smart like certain other kids, and are therefore not able to learn.
East Middle School was recently closed by the labor union controlled school board, and the performance of the staff in the school's final year was bordering on criminal in its incompetence. The math scores for 6th grade were 14% proficient or advanced (PA), while the reading scores were 29% PA, and writing was 13% PA. The corresponding scores at the 7th grade level were similarly awful, coming in at 15%, 34%, and 22%, while the 8th grade scores were 17%, 34%, and 17%. Apologists for this incompetence will point fingers at the students and parents, claiming that the East staff did just fine.
Read the following article from Forbes magazine and defend the East staff and the D11 administration.
Notice the indictment against the education cartel. It took a "disaster" in the form of a hurricane to force the city to ditch the bureaucracy to focus, for the first time, on the students of the city. One would think that school boards around the country would look at this and decide that they are not going to wait for a natural disaster to focus on their student populations. The reality, as we all know, is that this will not be the case. The labor union and the overpaid bureaucrats will not stand for a loss of power and funds over the silly notion that they are to educate kids.
What excuses will the apologists for mediocrity use to explain away the successes in New Orleans? Are these kids all privileged kids from the wealthy neighborhoods? Of course not. These kids were specifically targeted by the Kipp charter school because they were impoverished. 90% were from low income families, and not just low income families, but low income "African American families." This is the exact population that the D11 administration and labor union claim cannot be educated.
The key element in the New Orleans situation is that the bureaucracy has been stripped away and the schools (public charter schools) are free to innovate. They are free to focus on kids and not have to worry about placing the needs of the administration above the needs of the constituents.
In D11, the needs of the bureaucracy greatly outweighs the needs of the students. Staffs such as the East staff would never "do what it takes" to educate their students. They will only go as far as their labor union contract allows them to go. The staff at East and other low performing schools could make immediate gains if they made a true effort. The excuse that it always "takes time" has been put to rest by the accomplishments in New Orleans. Man of those kids suffered from post traumatic stress disorder. Many had lost friends or relatives in the storm, yet the educators were able to move these kids, 85% of whom were working 2 or more years below grade level, to grade level or better in only one school year. These were not just elementary students; these were students in grades 3-8. It took hard work and it took effort, just the two ingredients missing in D11.
On the morning after the latest D11 CSAP results were published in the paper, D11 Deputy Superintendent for Instruction Mary Thurman was interviewed by radio station KVOR. She actually stated publicly that she was "encouraged" by the latest data, data that showed decreases in overall district performance.
What do people like Thurman say when they see "real" encouraging data like that coming out of New Orleans? Everyone will agree that the barriers that educators use to explain away poor performance are much greater in New Orleans than they are in Colorado Springs, yet Thurman and her labor union allies will continue to insist that there is nothing different or better that D11 could possibly do to improve. They will pretend, year after year, that D11 is just on the verge of greatness, and that all it will take is more time.
The teachers and staff in New Orleans understand that their students don't have "time" to wait for educators to pretend to care about their futures. It took the literal destruction of a failed and inept bureaucracy for kids to become a priority. Many who follow education locally fear that it will take just such a disaster to force improvements on the local education cartel. Sadly for the students, they may be correct.
East Middle School was recently closed by the labor union controlled school board, and the performance of the staff in the school's final year was bordering on criminal in its incompetence. The math scores for 6th grade were 14% proficient or advanced (PA), while the reading scores were 29% PA, and writing was 13% PA. The corresponding scores at the 7th grade level were similarly awful, coming in at 15%, 34%, and 22%, while the 8th grade scores were 17%, 34%, and 17%. Apologists for this incompetence will point fingers at the students and parents, claiming that the East staff did just fine.
Read the following article from Forbes magazine and defend the East staff and the D11 administration.
Notice the indictment against the education cartel. It took a "disaster" in the form of a hurricane to force the city to ditch the bureaucracy to focus, for the first time, on the students of the city. One would think that school boards around the country would look at this and decide that they are not going to wait for a natural disaster to focus on their student populations. The reality, as we all know, is that this will not be the case. The labor union and the overpaid bureaucrats will not stand for a loss of power and funds over the silly notion that they are to educate kids.What excuses will the apologists for mediocrity use to explain away the successes in New Orleans? Are these kids all privileged kids from the wealthy neighborhoods? Of course not. These kids were specifically targeted by the Kipp charter school because they were impoverished. 90% were from low income families, and not just low income families, but low income "African American families." This is the exact population that the D11 administration and labor union claim cannot be educated.
The key element in the New Orleans situation is that the bureaucracy has been stripped away and the schools (public charter schools) are free to innovate. They are free to focus on kids and not have to worry about placing the needs of the administration above the needs of the constituents.
In D11, the needs of the bureaucracy greatly outweighs the needs of the students. Staffs such as the East staff would never "do what it takes" to educate their students. They will only go as far as their labor union contract allows them to go. The staff at East and other low performing schools could make immediate gains if they made a true effort. The excuse that it always "takes time" has been put to rest by the accomplishments in New Orleans. Man of those kids suffered from post traumatic stress disorder. Many had lost friends or relatives in the storm, yet the educators were able to move these kids, 85% of whom were working 2 or more years below grade level, to grade level or better in only one school year. These were not just elementary students; these were students in grades 3-8. It took hard work and it took effort, just the two ingredients missing in D11.
On the morning after the latest D11 CSAP results were published in the paper, D11 Deputy Superintendent for Instruction Mary Thurman was interviewed by radio station KVOR. She actually stated publicly that she was "encouraged" by the latest data, data that showed decreases in overall district performance.
What do people like Thurman say when they see "real" encouraging data like that coming out of New Orleans? Everyone will agree that the barriers that educators use to explain away poor performance are much greater in New Orleans than they are in Colorado Springs, yet Thurman and her labor union allies will continue to insist that there is nothing different or better that D11 could possibly do to improve. They will pretend, year after year, that D11 is just on the verge of greatness, and that all it will take is more time.
The teachers and staff in New Orleans understand that their students don't have "time" to wait for educators to pretend to care about their futures. It took the literal destruction of a failed and inept bureaucracy for kids to become a priority. Many who follow education locally fear that it will take just such a disaster to force improvements on the local education cartel. Sadly for the students, they may be correct.
posted by Craig Cox | 4:34 PM
9 Comments:
Never have I heard one administrator use the phrase "those kids" in the derogatory manner you suggest. In this battle over literacy, the teachers and leaders throughout the district do NOT see the children as the antagonists. Yes, there are challenges to be met and overcome, but the children are not the adversary. And there are certain realities that influence the education of some students; research shows that students from impoverished homes enter school with an impoverished vocabulary, a paucity of literacy experiences, a scarcity of resources modeled at home. To call attention to those realities, though, places one in an awkward situation; you can be seen as blaming the kids. D11 schools are committed to taking the students whom they enroll each fall and providing a sound learning experience for them - regardless of economic level, race, ethnicity or sexual orientation.
Check out the statistics from around the state and around the country. The issues with which D11 struggles are throughout the state and country. Public education, to be sure, has needed, does need, reform measures that hold educators accountable for delivering a sound education. But for you to continue your harangue of D11 with decontextualized "facts" is simple irresponsible.
Your suggestion that the administrators, principals, leaders, and teachers in the district place the blame on the students is abhorrent.
So let me paraphrase what you wrote: How dare you claim that we blame the kids, but now that you mention it, statistics from all around the country show clearly that it is the fault of the kids that they are not learning.
Brilliant reply, as usual.
Nobody said that it was not hard to educate kids. Nobody said that all of the schools in D11 have the exact challenges as the other schools. The problem we have is that people like you don't want to make the effort to do anything about it. My side implemented a site based management approach to running this district to give the individual schools the autonomy and resurces that they would need to educate their students. Your side eliminated that system in favor of treating all schools the same. The result will be the same failures that you have brought to this district for decades.
Your side always blames the kids and uses that as an excuse to maintain the status quo. You trot out statistics over and over again to justify the poor performance of D11 schools. Your school board spokesperson, John Gudvangen, even stated at a public meeting that these kids deserve what they get because their parents "should have made wiser life choices."
I agree with you that statistics from all around the country show clearly that our public schools are not doing their jobs. Until we empower our parents with true school choice, those statistics will never change.
You can't tell me that the challenges in D11 are greater than those in New Orleans, yet those schools are leaving ours in the dust. The difference is that they are serious about educating kids because the bureacracy is not interfering. Your defense of the bloated and ineffective D11 administration, and the bureacracy associated with your labor union, is, to borrow a term, "abhorent."
Ahh, Craig, you even distort the paraphrase. Recognizing that there is an uneven playing field, that students do not enter with the same skills, values toward education, or attitudes toward school is not blaming the kids. It is recognizing the reality of the inequities. It is committing to educate all children regardless of conditions or causes. Acknowledging the malnourished children in 3rd World countries -- by way of analogy -- is not blaming the children for their condition; but failing to recognize that malnutrition exists does not get them fed.
The difference between you and me is that I acknowledge the differences and respond to each students' needs; you fail to acknowledge the differences and believe each student will respond to the same instructional practice and environment.
And please share with me the data on New Orleans. All the data -- demographics, measures of student achievement, historic trends. Absent that, your claim is unwarranted and unsubstantiated.
I think Anon is angry because there really is no argument here: New Orleans is educating kids differently (result of........change?) and getting different results.
I notice Anon doesn't dispute the contents of your cited article, Mr. Cox, just your contention that District 11 has long said the poorer a child, the less they are expected to achieve.
Thanks for sharing - uplifting reading!
Anonymous, do you even pay attention to your own ramblings? Nobody is failing to acknowledge that every child comes form different circumstances and backgrounds. It is I and others on my side who not only recognize this reality, but believe strongly that despite these differences, every child has the ability to learn. You use these differences as an excuse for why your side won't educate a tremendous portion of our society. You don't come close to meeting the needs of every child. Do these chidlren deserve not to know how to read or perform simple math when they are in middle school? Your side apparently believes that this is meeting their needs. How pathetic.
Site based management is designed to address the uneven playing field. You espouse treting everyone the same through your bloated bureacracy. Great job you have been doing so far.
Your argument is completely backwards from reality and intentionally dishonest.
Obviously, the New Orleans data is embarrassing to you. It should be.
Would Anon please share with us how it looks when "responding to each students needs"? This sounds like a much overused platitude with absolutely no teeth to it.
The numbers simply don't add up, Anon. The number of kids poorly nourished, coming from homes where parent(s) scorn education, etc, don't account for the vast numbers of kids lacking basic skills and dropping out.
It is many people's belief that the system creates these numbers by what/how they do what they do every day in the classrooms. That is why I ask what it looks like for a teacher to respond to individual needs. I don't think there is any difference in how a well prepared child is regarded compared to an ill-prepared child. Just words to make excuses and to justify the job.
Until such time that the parents of the less than well educated child gets angry enough to make a difference, nothing is going to change. The focus will continue to be on attacking high stakes testing (job security) and parent blaming. It has worked for decades, so why fix what isn't broken (for those on the train, at least).
Keep it coming, Mr. Cox. Keep showing this community what other places are doing that are making a difference. Notice Anon, the key word here is "different". We can't keep doing that same old things and expecting improvement. By that I mean: we can't keep dragging around the same old dead meat and calling it improvement. We need a serious shake up (like a hurricane???) to force the changes that need to be made. The firmly ensconsed educrats in D-11 cannot reform themselves. They don't want to, they don't know how, and quite frankly, they don't have to. Especially now that their board is deep in the union pocket - it is business as usual for as far as the eye can see. Reformers on the D-11 board? Never again. The status quo is fat and sassy knowing their piggy bank is safely in their hands again with no threat from us reformers.
Great for employees. Horrible for kids. Doesn't mean we can't hold out a glimmer of hope, though.
A few key points are worth considering concerning better performance of charters versus "normal" schools in educating "all" kids.
First, there is a self-fulfilling prophecy at work based on the belief that the "gap" kids just don't learn well. I don't see anyone condemning them per se but they are condemned because the prophecy acts to make sure it comes true. This attitude is "taught" in ed schools and reinforced by unions, admin groups, etc. along the way.
Second, the charters don't have that attitude for the most part. Also, the flexibility they have to hire, fire, work independently of school board inane politics, pick curricula, etc. gives the freedom to work much more effectively with a "nimbleness" that is just not there in the admin/bureaucratic muscle-bound normal schools.
Now, if the normal schools had a level of leadership we are paying for, then they would be able to "work around" some of the bureaucracy and achieve better results. They don't.
However, let's realize that the stucture of the legislation in the education area makes no sense at all. Specifying the process to nine decimal places casts the process in concrete allowing no flexibility. Many ed power groups who are in favor of prolonging the status quo have influenced legislators who don't have a clue to pass this harmful legislation.
The public must demand a change to make all schools, normal and charter subject to legislation specifying results with penalties for non-performance. Not penalties years in advance but a year at a time so that everyone realizes this is a crisis and must be dealt with. We are paying far too much and receiving far too little in return.
Notice that "anony" and that kind won't ever address specific questions. The failures of public education are caused by those types and they are owned by them. They want to pretend to be education experts, yet they never have answers to the growing list of problems. Excuses are much easier than are solutions. Although D11 sucks down 1/2 billion per year, these people still like to play the part of victim anytime anyone asks for results for that money.
They certainly don't want accountability, but they will be quick to stick their hands out for more money.
I had to put myself off limits to blogs, blood pressure issues. Am fine now and quite frankly am surprised that anony didn't respond to my very simple question regarding responding to an individual student's needs.
Just cements my belief that the rhetoric is just and only that: rhetoric.
So, a good offensive move at this point: all parents: ask your teacher to tell YOU how your child is different than other students in his/her class. Expect your child's teacher to know where your child is, beyond some little bar graph that the student prepares. In real world words, where is my child, what are his/her strengths/weaknesses, what does teacher think home can do to improve weaknesses and reinforce strengths?
Parent-Teacher conferences are about six weeks away. Be a prepared parent and force the issue! Don't be a sponge-mama and just listen. YOU ask questions, too! MAKE your child's teacher pay attention to your child. Do it right and everyone is a winner!
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