Get Schooled

By Jeff

January 18, 2007 08:22 AM | Link to this

All for it. ‘Course, my own anti-bureaucratic proclivities are well documented virtually everywhere I’ve ever been, but still!

Seriously, start a charter school with a mixed-delivery system (in person and distance), where TEACHERS are granted the authority that they RIGHTFULLY are supposed to have, and you’ve got a math/technology teacher/technology coodinator/ webmaster…. (Given enough time, I can do dang near anything of the sort! :) )

By TheOne

January 18, 2007 08:45 AM | Link to this

The high school my daughter attends-one of the best and most diverse in Fulton Co.-has been approved, and will become a Charter School beginning next school year. I think it is a great idea, and hopefully we won’t be disappointed down the road. The only issue the students seem to have with that is the fact that they’ll have to wear uniforms - I’m actually all for that as well. Go Spartans!!!

By decaturparent

January 18, 2007 08:47 AM | Link to this

YES!!!! I love this idea. I wish Decatur would look into becoming a charter system! We are constantly constrained by the garbage that comes down from the state level that doesn’t work well in a system such as ours. Now if only we could get out from the federal madness we could really get something done.

By jim d

January 18, 2007 08:48 AM | Link to this

Bridget,

Why not?

I’d have to read the fine print in this proposed legislation. If it allows an entire school system to become a single charter, I’d have a problem with enabling people like Alvin Wilbanks to have that type of un-accountable authority.

By HS Teacher Too

January 18, 2007 08:51 AM | Link to this

I admittedly am not as well-versed in charter schools today as I was ten years ago, but isn’t part of the idea of charter schools not unlike magnet schools in that students and their parents self-select to attend those schools? So once again to look strictly at “achievement,” however it is measured, at those schools and to compare it to traditional schools is not exactly an apples-to-apples comparsison.

Off-topic slightly: yesterday someone posted early on that they would like to see administrators’ salaries somehow tied to and limited by the salary of th ehighest paid teacher. I can shoot some holes in that. My biggest fear is that such a policy would encourage administrators to keep only the most senior teachers, who are often past their prime and counting their days or years. (That’s not to say all of them are; many teachers who have been at it for 20-30 years are phenomenal, but there are just as many, and all of us know this, who are just the opposite.) At least here in Gwinnett, you’d be hard-pressed to find a school without someone who’s been teaching for quite some time and along the way has collected degrees. Not only does this llow the administrators to defeat the goal of the system, but it motivates them to not hire young, fresh teachers and bringing some new ideas to the table. (I don’t know much about hiring proceses, but I think there is some sort of “points” system that would eventually force the administrators to hire less-expensive teachers, but my point is that there is a way to manipulate the proposed system.)

I agree on some sort of salary-limiting feature or at least a ssystem grossly different from the one in place now, because I think too many people get into administration for the wrong reasons; but I fear the results if we gave them a way to manipulate the system to make even MORE money!

By Lisa B.

January 18, 2007 09:15 AM | Link to this

If all schools became charter schools, what happens to the children who don’t comply to the rules? What if their parents don’t fulfill the mandated requirements? For example, the local charter school here requires parents to volunteer in the school either 5 or 10 hours per month. As a teacher, I’d have a hard time doing that for my own child.

Many charter schools do not accept special needs children because they don’t have the funding to serve them. What happens to those children?

Most charter schools have strict rules of discipline. Where do the children go if they don’t follow the rules, if all schools are charter schools?

If MOST schools become charter schools, the few remaining regular public schools will become a dumping ground for discipline problems, neglected children, and special needs children.

As much as I like the idea of charters, and strongly encourage the start-up of more, I don’t see how all the schools in Georgia can become charter schools.

By jim d

January 18, 2007 09:49 AM | Link to this

Lisa,

No insurmountable problems here.

1) mandated requirements? allow parents to hire a proxy

2)special needs? While this would require sacrificing the golden calf of inclusion. Schools could be chartered to deal with individual needs.

3) discipline? Alternative schools staffed with teachers that perscribe to some of our bloggers teaching and disciplinary methods.

4)Charters aren’t currently allowed to pick and chose students. Don’t allow them to do so.

By holdingAJCaccountable

January 18, 2007 10:47 AM | Link to this

Educator3X,

Maybe with your experience you can address this question that has haunted me for years: Why are administrators, from Kathy Cox on down, completely and totally spineless when it comes to supporting teachers in matters of discipline?

I’ll be fair here and say that I am referring to “administrators” not as individuals, but as a collective whole.

But seriously; why is discipline the proverbial elephant in the living room (smashing the furniture and taking a dump on the carpet no less) that administrators don’t want to talk about? Even with a governor whose party speaks of “the rule of law” and “personal responsibility” we have no real leadership on the issue.

If you ask Kathy Cox discipline isn’t even a concern as “we have laws in place”. Sorry, but if the laws are routinely violated, and no consequences are given, Houston we have a problem.

Can you, having worked at various levels share some light on this?

It’s issues like this (to touch on the topic) that would make me FULLY embrace the charter school concept. Some would be good, some bad. The free market would sort that out, and parents would have choices…and y’all parents never think about this: teachers would love to have more “free market choices” as well.

PS to jim d: Yesterday I did say I shared some of Lisa B’s concerns…but those aren’t nearly as deep as the concerns I have about the public schools as they are now…

I’d have some concerns if the Earth opened up and swallowed us whole…but when it comes to education, I’d still have less concern for the Earth doing that as opposed to maintaining the status quo

By holdingAJCaccountable

January 18, 2007 10:54 AM | Link to this

Posted this to the wrong day by mistake: Hope Jeff is reading this morning (actually there’s question at the end for jeff and jim d-sorry if I’m beating a dead horse, but think it’s an “out of the box” idea with some merit for TAG

Jeff,

Don’t suppose you took my advice awhile back to join MACE?

I agree with jim d; weigh your options carefully. I would add find out your options as well.

Do you still have a good working relationship with the principal? If so, inquire as to what kind of reference he/she will give

WARNING: PLEASE vet this next idea with someone more knowledgable than I Come off suspension and resign…as of June 1, 2007 (or whenever the school year ends) There’s a chance that if they know you’re leaving, they’ll leave you in peace the rest of the year as “the problem has been solved” I would think it would raise less of a “red flag” to leave at the end of the year, as compared to the middle

Agree with jim d on how you’ll be perceived if you blow the whistle, unless you have MASSIVE and VOCAL parental support…and even then it’s very iffy…unless you really, really “got the goods on them”

Having said that, what specifically were you suspended for? I think your best bet might be to find some leverage in regard to the specific thing you were suspended for…did anything happen in the incident with the girl where she was breaking school rules and administration didn’t support you?

Unfortunately, you seem to have taken the position with the desire to teach. Fool! (LOL) They don’t want you to teach; they want you to have the “apperance” of teaching. You want reform, they want facade. If they really wanted you to teach, they would have given you support for the discipline problems (and let’s be real clear: offering classroom management is not “support”; it is more facade)

A final one: You’re a computer guy right? Know of anybody in your school that has illegally used software without a license? Report them to the Software Business Alliance. My understanding is a business can get fined $150,000 for each offense. Might not help you with you job, but file it under “Revenge is a dish best served cold”

A final, final one: Consider yourself lucky. Seriously. You see what you’re up against teaching in the public schools. Life may very well be offering you an opportunity here to get out alive LOL

PS Hate to beat a dead horse, but don’t know if any TAG people saw this: Would love TAG to explore the possibility of a class action lawsuit for breach of contract. Concerns could really be aired there (and hopefully the uniqueness of “putting a system on trial would attract media coverage-maybe Patti would be back then-I know she would be willing to cover it) Plus the school system for once couldn’t control “the rules of engagement

By JustMe

January 18, 2007 11:24 AM | Link to this

There is a time and place for everything. However, all schools cannot be charter.

A charter school can “kick out” a student for behavior or academic reasons. That means that the proverbial troubled student would be constantly kicked out everywhere and would then have no where to attend school - which is illegal.

My school used to be charter and did not renew its charter a few years ago. I see both sides of the arguement.

By holdingAJCaccountable

January 18, 2007 11:40 AM | Link to this

Lisa B, With as much as you know, I can’t believe you told Jeff to contact the Professional Association of Gutless Educators. Talk about taking a squirt gun to a firefight! They will do nothing because they can’t do anything.

Reason being: They allow teachers and administrators to join, and thus they have a built in conflict of interest. Why do you think school systems love, love, love to invite PAGE to new teacher orientations? Because they know they have nothing to fear from them, as far as actually advocating for teachers. Jeff, I bet you dollars to donuts either your student teaching supervisor or your school system told you about PAGE. I bet they didn’t say a single word about MACE.

I went through a similar situation to yours earlier in my career. My principal thought I was a PAGE member; didn’t realize I had dropped PAGE for MACE. Then MACE clued him in with a little “friendly visit”.

Suddenly the whole tenor of the situation changed, and the call for my resignation quietly disappeared into the ether…

If you’re a teacher and PAGE is your professional organization; then you really don’t have a professional organization, you have a lapdog.

By Teacher Teacher

January 18, 2007 12:26 PM | Link to this

I agree about joining MACE. I joined PAGE over 2 decades ago when I first started teaching in the metro area. I contacted them when I suffered great retaliation for not going along with the sexual harassment from an administrator. (She realy wanted me, but I would not have anything intimate to do with someone at my workplace.) PAGE told me to ask for a transfer, that the particular person in question was a seasoned veteran and that PAGE would not disrupt her career based on my allegation. (I had a taperecording.) I dropped PAGE immediately and switched to AFT, which wasn’t that much better. At least they listened sympathetically to me, but did nothing. It was years later that, upon running into another wild and crazy administrator, I contacted AFT and was told to, you guessed it, apply for a transfer from that school. I decided to quit teaching and was heading out to tender my resignation at the County Office when I ran into John Trotter in the mailroom. I joined MACE within minutes of meeting him and haven’t looked back! MACE has always been their for me, advocating for me and protecting my rights. I can think of no other organization that is perfect for teachers!

If you teach, join MACE. Check them out on the web by clicking here.

By decaturparent

January 18, 2007 12:29 PM | Link to this

Just me - that is the point. Kids who are persistently “troubled” as you call it create a situation that is unfair to those who come to school ready to behave and learn.

You could in fact have a full system of charters including alternative charters for “troubled” kids and their “troubled” so-called families. There are charter schools for troubled kids all over the place. Don’t you think that a program that could focus on their special discipline needs and give them a chance to turn themselves around is better than having them in class preying upon “weaker” classmates and teachers all day, learning along the way that they can do whatever they want since the teachers have no power?

Don’t troubled kids deserve better? Wouldn’t it be great to have some sort of “scared straight” charter that scares the behinds off of some of these kids and makes it very clear to them what their future holds if they don’t get it together?

Everyone talks about the “rights” of kids who disrupt class and threaten teachers and students. Very seldom do you hear of rights of children who come to school well behaved and ready to learn. The rights of 25 kids in a class can be violated for an entire school year because of or two dangerously disruptive kids have de facto greater rights.

The more “troubled” you are, the more rights you have in public education. Also, the better behaved and brighter you are, the fewer rights you have. That is why public education is in the tank.

By KA

January 18, 2007 12:42 PM | Link to this

Yes, to a statewide charter system for ALL public schools. Yes to more parental involvement. Yes to less administration. And let’s add Reading Rescue, (RR), or Reading Railroad, and get the poor readers “BACK ON TRACK.”

By holdingAJCaccountable

January 18, 2007 12:46 PM | Link to this

TeacherTeacher,

You’ve no doubt heard by now of how members of the Clayton board have trampled on the Constitution because they are just that desperate to bar MACE from the school board meetings because they don’t want to discuss the lack of support for discipline and the eighteen million dollar land deal?

Funny how the AJC has a print and online addition specifically devoted to Clayton, but can’t seem to find the address of where the board meets so they can report on it.

Maybe you can put a Mapquest link here for the education reporters

By Hick from the sticks

January 18, 2007 12:56 PM | Link to this

If any of you get the chance, Charles Murray had written an article which, for the most part, seems to focus on the gifted, but at the end tends to tie in (at least, I think) with the concept of charter schools:

“Accept that some children will be left behind other children because of intellectual limitations, and think about what kind of education will give them the greatest chance for a fulfilling life nonetheless. Stop telling children that they need to go to college to be successful, and take advantage of the other, often better ways in which people can develop their talents. Acknowledge the existence and importance of high intellectual ability, and think about how best to nurture the children who possess it.”

I couldn’t have said it better. If anyone needs the link, let me know.

Btw—DecaturParent, one word response to your post: absolutely. Matter of fact, I’d be more than willing to teach in a “troubled student” school. God knows I was one. :)

Consider Etheridge Knight’s “The Warden Said to Me”:

“The Warden said to me one day— (rather innocently, i think) ‘Say Etheridge—how come you blacks don’t run from prison like them white boys do? And I said— (rather innocently, i think) ‘Well, suh, I reckon it’s cause we ain’t got nowheres to go.”

If we only punish, punish, and panel these students out of school, we do them (and society—present and future) a grave injustice.

By JustMe

January 18, 2007 01:03 PM | Link to this

decaturparent…

Every school system that I am aware of (the larger ones) already have an alternature school for “troubled” students. Some alternative schools are better than others.

The problem is that a regular public school now does not want to identify and send troubled students to those alternative schools. Why? Because then that school administration is viewed (by media, by superintendent, etc.) as not able to control their students. So, public schools, teachers, and the “good” student endure the “bad” students in the classroom.

As I mentioned, the only thing making all schools charter will do is make it easier to kick out the students. However, if we had administrators with spines in our current system, we won’t have to go to the trouble and expense of going to all charter, now would we?

Also, who is to say that going charter would suddenly give those administrators a spine? Won’t they more likely continue to try to hide their problems to “look good” to the community?

I say that rather than muck with the symptoms, fix the problem - spine-less administrators!!!

By holdingAJCaccountable

January 18, 2007 01:33 PM | Link to this

Hick from the sticks,

I’d have to say right now we are nowhere close to “punish, punish, and panel out of school”. Nowhere near.

I do see your point though: Right now we are at “coddle, coddle, coddle…then put them in jail” with self congratulatory talk of how we “tried to help them, but they have to be responsible for their choices”.

Of course these people completely abdicated their responsibility in setting appropriate limits of behavior, so that the child would have a real idea of what “rule of law” meant.

I’d prefer “set limits, set limits, set limits…so that we can nurture, nurture, nurture growth”.

And I do like the author’s point of not selling every child the pipe dream of college. There are other ways to make a valuable contribution to society.

While I feel every child needs the basics in the “three R’s” when it’s 20 below and your pipes are busted, no one gives a rat’s @ss that if guy with the butt-crack showing can articulate the role of the Medici family in making Italy the epicenter of Renaissance Art. And you’ll pay a pretty penny for that lack of knowledge as long as he knows how to fix the freakin’ pipes!

By lynn d

January 18, 2007 01:46 PM | Link to this

Ok— not all charters have requirements that parents participate, that children behave, etc. Nationally, there are many, many charters that target troubled student populations. In fact, nationally, these types of charters may be in the majority.

In California, for example, it is very difficult to operate a charter school without Title 1 funds, so most serve a significant percentage of kids on free and reduced lunch.

In Georgia, we have a few — several KIPP academies, Peace Kids Academy, and I am sure there are more.

By jim d

January 18, 2007 01:58 PM | Link to this

justme,

charter’s don’t all work that way. one models method works like this. Making the principal accountable to a local board and not the county School super.

A board of directors with a structure of officers, by-laws, and delegation of management to a principal, chief administrator/director or head of school.

This model draws inspiration from the approach to board governance traditionally found in nonprofit organizations. In this model, there is a clear distinction made between the governance work of the board of directors and the administrative/management work of the paid staff.

In this model, the charter school is a legally incorporated entity governed by state statutes and IRS regulations governing nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations. The board of directors is responsible for governing the school. The Trustees each have a personal fiduciary duty to look out for the long-term well-being of the school. The Board is responsible for addressing major matters including: setting the school’s general policies and overall curriculum policies; approving and monitoring the annual budget and financial procedures; fund-raising; hiring and evaluating the school’s principal; approving personnel policies and monitoring their implementation by the principal; assuring that the charter school fulfills its charter contract; and, strategic planning.

The board is composed of a broad cross-section of the school community and community-at-large, in addition to professionals and community leaders. In some charter schools, the board will also include the principal, representatives of teaching staff, students, and parent leadership. The board generally meets as a whole on a monthly basis. It operates through various committees, including an executive committee consisting of officers elected to manage the board and help monitor school policies.

The board is not involved in handling the day-to-day details of running the school, dealing with specific personnel issues, or addressing individual student needs. Consistent with the best practices of nonprofit corporation management, the board delegates the responsibility for running the charter school and implementing the board’s policies to a principal or charter school administrator. Where appropriate, the charter school administrator will delegate some responsibility to other administrators, teachers and students.

Additionally, Georgia charter schools receive between 30 and 90 percent of the money per student that regular public schools receive.

Although charter schools should always be started for educational reasons – to raise student achievement, and/or to provide services not provided by school districts — a charter school’s financial condition is one of the most important factors in its creation, operation, and long-term survival. School organizers must either be proficient in the realms of education and finance, or they must put together a team that can understand and manage both aspects effectively. In part, the Georgia law regarding charter school finances states that:

— One of the factors that may lead to the termination of a charter is a failure to meet generally accepted standards of fiscal management. O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2068 (2) (c).

— In addition, charter schools will be subject to an annual financial audit in the manner specified in the charter. O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2065 (7).

By Lisa B.

January 18, 2007 02:13 PM | Link to this

Holding,

I told Jeff to call PAGE because it’s the only organization he is a member of. If he continues to teach after this is all over, I doubt Jeff will join PAGE again. They aren’t going to help him. However, since PAGE does promise to help teachers, I think Jeff should hold their feet to the fire.

By SET

January 18, 2007 02:20 PM | Link to this

holdingAJCaccountable :

I couldn’t have said it better. We are mass producing (largely) black welfare mothers and prison inmates because we spoil them rotten in the public schools - so badly are they spoiled that (as a group) they can no longer even qualify for menial jobs such as hotel maid, short order cook, food service wait staff, etc. We spoil our (largely) black public school students so badly that they aren’t even competent criminals.

Of course I only know CA schools first hand. GA may be different.

Since we have blocked entry to service industries (by spoiling kids) and even put a lot of prerequisites to cosmetology state licenses here in CA, our wonderful state and federal governements have solved the hotel and house maid & food service problem by importing Millions of Mexican-Indians who have moved into these occupations. Meanwhile we have just announced the construction of more CA state prisons that are filled with you-know-who and operated by Hispanic Anchor Babies who can’t yet get a job as police officer. (The cops are hiring 4 year grads now and they can afford them, too!)

But maybe the other states won’t have these problems. You’re smarter than CA.

And before people think that it’s no loss that Blacks aren’t being hired at historical numbers in food service in CA, Our local Macaroni Grill Restaurant has some full time wait staff making $65,000 a year plus benefits (due to the huge volume and the tip income which the store tracks due to the credit card usage that pays most (but not all) of the tips. I know some of the management there.

Just try finding a black waiter or waitress in upscale or high dollar Hotel and Restaurant operation in CA. You can, but not in significant numbers.

I’m really not running for Jesse Jackson’s job. Maybe I complain too much. I just think it’s no accident that these trends have occurred, it’s not a natural occurrence. It was made to happen by government policy changes during the 1964 “Great Society” programs. And it was done to “help” people.

Even with our toxic welfare policies our in-your-face segregated black schools would have turned out better product than this. Even intergrated in-your-face schools would have produced people ready to go to work.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

My local public school district is not nice. They block enrollment in the high school for applicants with low entrance grades and test scores and divert them to alternative school. They now have drug dogs sweeping the grounds and students’ belongings. Their graduates of any color are expected to do better than the adjacent, more friendly (and “diverse”) school district.

By Lisa B.

January 18, 2007 02:23 PM | Link to this

Under current law, special needs students must not be isolated, but receive education in the least restrictive environment. Thirty years of legal action succeeded in moving special needs kids out of their special schools, into the regular schools. There is no way we’re going to see a special needs charter school.

By jim d

January 18, 2007 02:24 PM | Link to this

Does anyone know for sure if Charter School Committee’s are held to the same stringent requirements as a public school BOE in regards to sunshine laws?

By jim d

January 18, 2007 02:34 PM | Link to this

Lisa,

I must agree with that. Although Gwinnett County did find a way around much of that legislation by creating a charter school, that they manage, the Gwinnett Charter School of Advanced Math, Science, and Technology so they can skim the cream of the crop.

By jim d

January 18, 2007 02:37 PM | Link to this

Lisa,

On the other hand, don’t be too sure. If parents of special needs students start their own Charter to provide for these children they will control how its done and not be reliant on a non-responsive public school system administration.

It Could happen.

By Lisa B.

January 18, 2007 02:41 PM | Link to this

Um, Hick from the Sticks,

We are not allowed to leave any child behind, no matter what the child’s intellectual ability. If teachers use intellectual ability as an excuse for failure, we are told our “expectations are not high enough.” If our expectations are high enough, no child will be left behind.

I’ve heard that line from the top down. If educators argue the point, we’re in the wrong. If we are negative, (and citing a child’s low IQ is negative) we cause children to fail. IQ has nothing to do with success or failure according to current policy. Only inadequate teachers cause failure. The low IQ child needs algebra, etc. so he can go to college with everyone else. He can learn life skills elsewhere.

Come on, I know you’ve all been hearing this for the last five years we’ve been working under NCLB.

By Blind Homer

January 18, 2007 03:00 PM | Link to this

Charls Murray also addressed the 84 to 78% difference, “It’s no use to cite the differences in test scores between public schools and private ones—for students in the bottom half of the distribution, the differences are real but modest.” If you went to all charter schools the modest differences would disappear altogether. There is no magic formula or other method that will significantly and permanently improve academic perfomance. Here’s one more great quote from Mr. Murray, “The widely held image of a golden age of American education when teachers brooked no nonsense and all the children learned their three Rs is a myth.” His three days series in the WSJ ended today and should be ‘must’ reading for every teacher.

By catlady

January 18, 2007 05:45 PM | Link to this

Could we please have a valid study comparing charter and non-charter schools? Anytime there is self-selection, you cannot compare the two unless you undertake some pretty sophisticated analysis (“now, controling for ability, SES, parent ed,….”). Now, if you RANDOMLY assigned kids to charter or non-charter schools, you can better estimate any significant difference. As I understand it, you aren’t FORCED to go to a charter school; they are available alternatives in some areas. Of a certainty, if I can teach students whose parents WANT them to come to my school, who feel HONORED to be ALLOWED to come to my school, whose parents AGREE on certain behavior/clothing/attendance/involvement requirements, those kids are likely to do well even if I lock them in a closet 4 hours a day. No matter how much the school is allowed to “innovate” or “be flexible”, it starts with the student and parent. If I have misunderstood about the voluntary nature of charter schools, please, someone, tell me. Cheaper might be small, neighborhood schools with strict discipline whose teachers are allowed to TEACH THE CHILDREN and can count on help from parents and administrators IF THERE IS A PROBLEM.

By mmm

January 18, 2007 05:52 PM | Link to this

You all have a lot of misconceptions about charter schools (except for Jim d and Lynn)

Charters are subject to open meetings/open record as are any other school.

You may not refuse to take any special needs or behavior problem child, nor may you have entrance “preferences” beyond being allowed to prefer siblings of current children and staff and a prefered attendance zone, and usually the attendence zones are drawn much wider than the traditional schools.

Here is a link to the DOE’s information on charters:

http://public.doe.k12.ga.us/pea_charter.aspx

By Janine

January 18, 2007 06:10 PM | Link to this

HS Teacher Too …Re your off topic comment about adminstrators’ pay being connected to that of teachers…In Dekalb, it is tied to the highest salary in the building. I had several principals that made quite a bit more because the highest salary in the building was that of a PHd Counselor who had been in the system many, many years….

By catlady

January 18, 2007 06:31 PM | Link to this

3m thanks for the link. I am correct, however, that students are not “placed” in charter schools but request admission. So there is self-selection, which strongly impacts success. While charters may not be able to refuse special needs students, their parents must request that their child attend. These parents, by that request, declare themselves ready to follow the rules of the charte school. That attitude is communicated quite effectively to their children, special needs or not. Can charter schools neglect to provide a full range of special services for children, as part of their mission? For example, are charter schools REQUIRED to have BD classes, or services for blind or severely mentally handicapped students on site? (If I were a parent of a handicapped child, I would think twice about applying to a school that does not offer a program for my child’s handicap.)

By Lee

January 18, 2007 06:32 PM | Link to this

Charter schools are a feeble attempt by some to get their kids out of the current cesspool of traditional public schools.

For years, politicians and educrates have been playing games with the lives of our children (sorta reminds me of one of those bad “B” rated movies where the Gods are messing with the mere mortals, watching them on the pool-o-water-vision…). Everytime they tried one of their experiments, schools got worse and worse until we arrive at the mess we have today.

I don’t think schools will get better anytime soon. Many of the parents who truly care have already pulled their kids out and placed them in private schools. Other caring parents are trying stem the hemorrhaging by trying things like charter schools. The remainder of the sheep don’t care as long as the football team makes the playoffs.

Sadly, that’s the state of public schools today.

By Lisa B.

January 19, 2007 09:54 AM | Link to this

The one charter school in our area has no cafeteria, and no buses. Children bring sack lunches and parents arrange transportation.

By Jeff

January 19, 2007 10:00 AM | Link to this

Lee:

You’re wrong. Parents DO care. They just think they are powerless to stop what is happening. I can’t tell you the COUNTLESS times I’ve called parents and they’ve told me as much. Even now with my job on the line, I have DOZENS of parents that want me to stay, but are afraid to take on the County Boss, aka the Superintendent.

By KA

January 23, 2007 08:43 AM | Link to this

Cross blog alert! Jim Wooten’s Thinking Right blog is discussing Charter schools today.

By EducatorX3

January 23, 2007 09:49 AM | Link to this

To Holding AJC,

Sorry it has taken me so long to repond..those student teachers take a lot of my time these days!

Why are administrators, from Kathy Cox on down, completely and totally spineless when it comes to supporting teachers in matters of discipline?

I had the opportunity to work in a really good K-12 system where,as teacher,I had all the support I needed, and as an administrator, I had great exmaples to follow so that I could be supportive to my teachers. However, I know that this is not the case in all schools.

Please, please, please, know that by no means do I make light of the problems, but I believe that many discipline problems are instructional issues. Sometimes it is due to the instructional methods used in the classroom; many times it is due to the lack of academic progress of the students (this is the biggest problem!)

Now, why do administrators not support teachers? I wish I knew the answer to that question. There are some administrators who have never worked in schools where there were major discipline issues and therefore don’t recognize the seriousness of the problem. There are some who are afraid of the “persistently dangerous schools” label. There are some who are afraid of parents/school boards/superintendents/making the news…etc. And there are some who are faced with teachers who want every disruptive student removed immediately without taking any responsibility for solving the problem themselves. Any of these things individually - or all of these things collectively - could be reasons. But like you, I wonder if any of them should be used as excuses.

So…with all that, I still haven’t answered your question. I’ve just told you what I know.

Have a good one.