Get Schooled

By jim d

February 13, 2007 10:40 AM | Link to this

Once again a group of political cronies prove.

YA JUST CAN’T FIX STUPID

If they are unable to fix their own ignorance, I hold little hope that they can have a positive impact on our kids education.

Once again I urge teachers and parents alike to add your name to the growing list.

A Petition Calling for the Dismantling of the No Child Left Behind Act

http://www.educatorroundtable.org/petition.html

By Jeff

February 13, 2007 10:54 AM | Link to this

This one is FAR WORSE than the current NCLB… and I thought that wasn’t possible!!!

The NUMBER ONE need in addressing school improvement STILL isn’t addressed: HOLDING STUDENTS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR EVERY DECISION - BOTH IN ACADEMICS AND BEHAVIOR!!!!

By jim d

February 13, 2007 10:56 AM | Link to this

Hi jeff,

How’d it go?

By decaturparent

February 13, 2007 10:57 AM | Link to this

I corresponded with some reps from this groups a bit over the past months. It is clear to me that they were cherry-picked to rubber stamp NCLB. The same holds true for the people cherry-picked to testify before the “Commission.”

If you had heard Kathy Cox’s testimony to the Apen Group, you would have puked.

Go to the website….., read the comments from parents and teachers, and understand what NCLB is really about. Then sign the petition.

A Petition Calling for the Dismantling of the No Child Left Behind Act

http://www.educatorroundtable.org/petition.html

By jim d

February 13, 2007 11:01 AM | Link to this

TOTALLY OFF TOPIC

Has anyone got first hand knowledge of the US Coast Guard Academy’s “AIMS” program? My kid’s showing interest in the Academy and I’ve read everything I can find on line—just wondering if anyone has first hand knowledge.

By jim d

February 13, 2007 11:03 AM | Link to this

DP,

I hurl every time she speaks!

By Jeff

February 13, 2007 11:05 AM | Link to this

jim:

PHX was fun. Still waiting to hear back from them officially, but the last time I spoke to the guy who will become my bos he said it was just a matter of getting the numbers down.

Leaving for an interview in Macon in a few minutes.

Interesting story about Randolph: They were giving me runaround about getting my W2, so I went out there personally to pick it up yesterday. I dropped by the school I worked at, just to let everyone know that I’m pretty sure I’ve found a job and I’ll be heading to PHX. Anyways, my replacement just started yesterday. A person that just graduated college in December. The Superintendent’s daughter. Explains EVERYTHING I went through there….

By Jeff

February 13, 2007 11:07 AM | Link to this

jim:

Coast Guard is the one branch of the Armed Forces that I never looked into. If he is interested in ANY of the four main branches, I can provide some info (though some I have more info than others). Sorry dude!

By JustMe

February 13, 2007 11:22 AM | Link to this

I hope that everyone has “caught” that the entire purpose of NCLB is to close the gap between groups of students.

One can close the gap not only by bringing low students up, but also by bringing high students down. Is this really what we want?

NCLB is stupid.

By mo

February 13, 2007 11:41 AM | Link to this

NCLB is STUPID?

I don’t really have that particular opinion. It isn’t perfect, but it could be a good start.

Personally, I like the fact that it shows glaring problems in the educational system. But it does need improvement.

But what suggestions would you make to improve the educational system?

By SET

February 13, 2007 12:06 PM | Link to this

The federal government (both the legislature and court) has no constitutional business in education.

Having said that I think a review of the feds activities in education - secondary education for example - clearly indicates that their true aims are the opposite of what they usually say they are trying to accomplish. I also tend to believe that there are no accidents.

I don’t have a problem with the GI Bill that provided funding for veterans to go to college. I was trained and worked with some of these people before they retired. I was impressed with the movement of the smarter members of Blue Collar families into the professions through use of the GI Bill.

But what the Feds have done to the American Secondary School system is evil. And what they are ultimately trying to turn these schools into is not even finished yet. One thing is clear - in the end these schools will no longer systematically raise the lower classes up and integrate immigrants into USA Society as full members.

What the public schools will be doing is to produce a permanent underclass unable to move up in society. It’s really easy you see. It starts with making sure they never speak standard english - so their venacular marks them and they can never pass a telephone test. Then you make sure they are never taught standard deportment so the students won’t fit in to any higher class - even on jury duty (as if..). You reduce reading and math to the lowest common denominator while claiming you’re only trying to alter “the gap”. This prevents the captive clientele from learning later in life.

I hope I’m just being pessimistic and none of this is true. But when I see my relatives paying $18K per child per year to send 10 year olds to private schools in the SF East Bay - Mr. Liberty’s posts are very interesting to me. I only hope the geometrically increasing power of the Internet and Home Computers will soon lead to the rise of Internet Private Schools.

By jim d

February 13, 2007 12:10 PM | Link to this

Thanks anyway Jeff,

He’s also considering West Point. I’m not really encouaging him to become a infantry officer though. And I kinda like the thought of his being state side most of the time even though much of what the CG does is probably every bit as dangerous.

By jim d

February 13, 2007 12:13 PM | Link to this

Sorry SET,

Internet?

Thats next in their sights.

By JustMe

February 13, 2007 12:19 PM | Link to this

mo -

I have already shared my ideas on this matter. For your benefit, I will again post them…

I would keep the high school graduation test in GA. Also, I would add a middle school graduation test.

For middle school students, they MUST pass the middle school graduation test in order to go to high school. If they fail this test, they can either 1) repeat a middle school grade, 2) attend an alternative school, or 3) remediate online or another way. They still, however, must pass that middle school test and can retake it whenever they like.

I would stop with the EOCT and the CRCT requirement State wide. Too much class time and too much money is spent testing and preparing for the test. If an individual school system wants to test like this, they can implement the test themselves as a self-check for improvement.

The AYP bunk that NCLB has brought us is ridiculous and meaningless. Everyone already knew which schools were doing well and which were not. Making such a spectacle accomplishes nothing. Failing schools and school systems per AYP has only served to provoke knee-jerk reactions in a negative sense. Tons of money is spent on stupid programs (Direct Instruction and High Schools That Work) that are for show and only serve to further burden teachers and take their time away from teaching.

If the government really wanted to help, I suggest creating a team to go from school system to school system (as requested by the school system) to help improve teaching techniques and to evaluate other factors that may be influencing education (such as discipline problems). Billions are wasted on NCLB and my approach would be much cheaper and it would have to be more effective!

Finally, schools and school systems that cannot have acceptable passing rates on the middle school and high school graduation tests should have repercussions for the ADMINISTRATION, not the teachers. After all it is the administration that runs the school, hires the teachers, and is supposed to ensure that lessons are taught. If a single teacher is not doing their job, it is the administration that is supposed to take action. Administrators make big money (usually into 6 figures) to do their job and they are rarely held accountable. However, it is the teacher in the classroom that always seems to be the scape goat.

We should NOT be reducing programs for the gifted or accelerated student. We should NOT be shifting resources from them to the lower level students to make AYP. We SHOULD be providing education for all students that is challenging for them at all grade levels.

Realize that I am speaking from a frame of reference of the State of GA.

By JustMe

February 13, 2007 12:23 PM | Link to this

SET -

It is hard for me to believe that there is not one public school in the San Francisco Bay area that is “worthy.”

In Atlanta, there are a number of outstanding public schools. Many of them are annually ranked nationally by Newsweek.

Are you sure that the school system in SF is really THAT bad?

By jim d

February 13, 2007 12:36 PM | Link to this

Here’s the problem with NCLB in a nutshell.

The FED presented it as a means to help education when in fact it was and is nothing more than a feeble attempted grab for control of our educational system in order that they could destroy it.

First you destroy it then you rebuild it to fit your needs. Nothing new about this strategy, our Government has been doing it since the beginning of time. Just generally to other nations.

By SET

February 13, 2007 01:49 PM | Link to this

Just Me: The Oakland Public Schools are about the worst in the state - I believe they were at the 6th percentile in reading scores when I saw the state published table some years ago. The Berkeley Unified Schools were at one time decent but not now. I have family that retired from teaching at Richmond Unified Schools. These are all ghetto school districts with politically correct administrations. The kids there are doomed.

I went to school in the East Bay and have family there so I hear a lot of things.. It’s really bad.

I am not so familiar with the SF schools but they are urban ghetto schools. One huge difference is the existance of Lowell Public High School in SF which is admission by application only. By running Lowell as a citywide elite public school SF kept one functioning “school” in the city. It is Asian dominated although there have been lawsuits by Asians who claim that an “Asian Cap” on enrollment illegally keeps Asians from taking over the entire student body. Facinating litigation.

There are “good” school districts that are nearly completely white and Asian - Piedmont School District for one - but because of the better school district the cost per square foot to buy or rent in thoses school districts are radically (try 1 million and up 3 BR houses) higher than the cost per square foot across the street in Oakland.

My relatives cannot afford to live in Piedmont for some reason so they pay the high private school tuition along with the other families in their child’s school.

Remember that CA freezes property taxes at the purchase price of the home. People who have had a home for even 7 years pay radically less prop taxes than the next door neighbor with a similar home. My relatives aquired their hillside home from deceased parents and thus inheirited the lower prop tax. If they were to move to the white/asian city for the schools - they’d have to not only pay the higher price for a home but pay the new prop tax rate on that purchase. This makes the private school tuition look cheap in comparison.

As time goes on and inflation piles up the Prop Tax scheme in CA places a huge premium on not moving and/or acquiring a home from a parent. So you don’t change homes as easily to get a new school district. So you are willing to pay more for private schools.

In WA State prop taxes reset every year to adjust to the market price of the homes. Other relatives were faced with a $1K a month prop tax on a home they bought for $86K 30 years ago. They sold and bought another home for half the price. The prop tax pushed them out as they got older.

As I’ve said before… Brave New World. People are having to be a lot less nice (and more aggressive?) than they would like to, to keep up with this new world our government is creating for us.

By SET

February 13, 2007 01:58 PM | Link to this

Jim D: As far as the government planning to control the internet… They are trying and it won’t work.

It’s not just the internet, it’s technology in general. Technology is leapfrogging the government and is placing too much power in the hands of individuals. Individuals, especially outlaws and the porn industry, are far too quick in adapting to new technology as opposed to ANY government.

By JustMe

February 13, 2007 02:12 PM | Link to this

SET -

Wow! I had no idea of that situation in the Bay area! I had considered moving there are one time, but your post has completely nixed that idea for me….

By decaturparent

February 13, 2007 02:30 PM | Link to this

So, since education is headed to H_ in a handbasket in GA and it’s already there in CA and many other states… I have a blog topic.

What state does one go to in order to get a decent education? Is there a place in this country where the state legislature gives a rip about education? Where should I move?

By SET

February 13, 2007 02:56 PM | Link to this

Just Me: The cost of living for a family with school aged children in the urban areas of CA is scary as hell. Those already here are protected by our Prop 13 (Property Tax and Tax Increase limits) to a large extent as long as they stay in homes within the family. “Good” Neighborhoods generally have NO buildable land whatsoever. Since the housing supply is fixed the prices as measured by $ per square foot increase even as prices collapse in “middle-class” neighborhoods.

Thus Piedmont house values still increase while Sacramento property values crash. Sacramento is integrated (IQ wise) with bad schools, and Piedmont is all educated wealthy higher IQs with public “Ivy” schools.

People being brought to this state for executive jobs may tend to be childless. They can manage easier.

As to where families with school aged children are going - not Las Vegas.

OR is very attractive because they have good schools and no sales tax. CA is swamping OR with refugees bearing money. They are beginning to drive out some of the (poorer) natives up there and the locals in OR aren’t happy about it.

Brave New World!

By catlady

February 13, 2007 03:23 PM | Link to this

The funny (not haha) thing to me about the stem for this blog today is the idea that we are trying to close the gap. As an earlier blogger said, that isn’t the same as increasing scores; it is merely dragging all to the same (low) level. Second, the idea that what we need to do is to improve teaching. H—-, I’d say we should improve LEARNING. Get some of the onus back on the STUDENT.

By abc

February 13, 2007 04:42 PM | Link to this

decaturparent, Iowa scores highest on standardized tests; Nebraska, Minnesota are also pretty high, and have higher percentages of kids that go on to college.

By catlady

February 13, 2007 06:44 PM | Link to this

I also love the way the reporting group was called “an independent commission.” Now that is so funny I might throw up!

By Lisa B.

February 13, 2007 07:35 PM | Link to this

I like the idea of making students pass an exit exam from Middle School. Our High Schools are stuck with impossible jobs educating some of the students passed on to them.

The way Special Ed students are treated by NCLB must be changed. The children with the least ability turn out to be the scape goats when schools don’t make AYP. While I agree, that over the years, too many kids have been labeled Special Ed, I think educators have tried hard to address that problem.

I don’t believe NCLB is really meant to help public education. I have finally become convinced that the government just wants to dismantle the whole public education system, and lock up those considered permenent underclass citizens. Its depressing.

By luvs2teach

February 13, 2007 07:43 PM | Link to this

OK - I started to read through the report, but at 222 pages, it’s a bit daunting. One thing I read though, is a no brainer, and it had to do with “highly qualified” teachers. The commission “discovered” that better schools had morely highly qualified teachers (imagine that) and that lower performing schools had more novice teachers and more teachers teaching out of area. Well, surprise, surprise!

Turnover at challenging schools - even with strong administration - is higher than at the “desirable schools - the Sara Smiths, the Dickersons, the North Springs. Why? The kids are tougher - it burns you out. New teachers get hired by these schools, and then, when they’ve cut their teeth, they go on to “greener pastures.” It happens all the time, in every district.

Some counties offer small bonuses - combat pay, so to speak - for teaching in the high priority schools, but there needs to be more - there needs to be real financial incentive to get the skilled teachers to come and STAY for these kids. There needs to be a strong support for those teachers.

Unfortunately, the way things are now, the good teachers at these schools aren’t going to stay. Why not? Because NCLB punishes everyone if the school fails to make AYP - even if it’s just one sub-group - even if it’s due to attendance (which isn’t even in the realm of a teachers control).

By KA

February 13, 2007 07:49 PM | Link to this

luvs, I saved the 222 page pdf file to my docs and will skim tonight. Back tomorrow with my comments…

By thomas

February 13, 2007 07:54 PM | Link to this

For those of you who don’t know: 1) NCLB is not going away 2) NCLB is just one, of numerous steps down the road to destroying public education as we know it 3) The ultimate end to all the media and political bashing of public schools, NCLB, and others is to precipitate the takeover of public schools by conservative (government and private) forces. Conservative is the key. The schools are already run by government entities. But some people think that even this group of government hacks isn’t evil and sinister enough. These people will not be happy until Big Brother is running the schools. They want school 1984 style.

By catlady

February 13, 2007 08:12 PM | Link to this

“they want school 1984 style”: witness the Direct Instruction, answering and sitting in unison, and the dog clickers.

By catlady

February 13, 2007 08:13 PM | Link to this

I haven’t read the whole thing, but what I did read was treacle-blah, blah, blah. Say nothing in 10 pages or more.

By jim d

February 14, 2007 08:11 AM | Link to this

Ever really wondered how we got to this point in education and where we are headed? AND why?

“The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America” FREE e-book

A Book that will forever change the way you look at your child’s education.

You can go here to download it.

http://www.homeschoolnutsnbolts.com/dddoa

SET,

You might really find this one of interest since it appears to document much of Mr. Liberty’s comments.

I’ve not read it throroughly yet but have scanned through it and have saved it to a disk for ease and will be reading in it’s entirety.

By decaturparent

February 14, 2007 08:19 AM | Link to this

You know, I’m going to sound a little politically incorrect, but I am growing tired of hearing all this stuff about drawing good, experienced teachers from good schools to failing schools.

My kids attend what I consider to be very good schools. They are well behaved (for the most part!) and come to school ready to learn… a lot. So, because our schools do well and we have a lot of kids whose parents give a rip, we have to give up our teachers to failing schools? I understand that at risk kids need extra support but don’t high achieving/gifted kids need quality teaching to be all they can be too?

I’m just very over this mentality of bringing down the top to close the achievement gap. Can’t you bring up the bottom and bring up the top too or is it too politically incorrect to expect more than mediocrity from all.

I just wonder if we will ever see vouchers for gifted kids like we see them for lower income and special ed kids. Or … how about… while we are disaggregating data, split out gifted kids too and expect all of them to be exceeding standards by 2014. Only if schools face the possibility of losing their best students will they pay any attention to them.

Maybe we need to pay teachers enough across the board so that they will want to teach at any school. IMO, for what I see them do all day, they should get at least twice what they make now. I could never pull off what a good teacher does in a million years.

By jim d

February 14, 2007 08:23 AM | Link to this

DP,

Download the book. It may answer many of your questions.

By jim d

February 14, 2007 08:50 AM | Link to this

Here’s but one excerpt that raises questions.

“The purpose of a National Institute of Education,” said Daniel P. Moynihan who was the agency’s principal advocate in the Nixon Administration,“is to develop the art and science of education to the point that equality of educational opportunity results in a satisfactory equivalence of educational achievement.”

For those who have difficulty understanding Daniel Moynihan’s education jargon, “develop the art and science of education to the point that equality of educational opportunity results in a satisfactory equivalence of educational achievement” means that education from that time on would be considered a “science.” In other words, with education becoming a “science,” behavioral psychology (Pavlov/Skinner) would be used in the classrooms of America in order to equalize results which would be predictable and could be scientifically measured. The teacher and student would be judged not on what they know, but on how they perform—like rats and pigeons—facilitating the “redistribution of brains.” Professor James Block, a leader in Skinnerian/mastery learning circles, discussed this redistribution of brains in an article published in Educational Leadership (November 1979) entitled “Mastery Learning: The Current State of the Craft.” Block explained that:

One of the striking personal features of mastery learning, for example, is the degree to which it encourages cooperative individualism in student learning as opposed to selfish competition. Just how much room is there left in the world for individualists who are more concerned with their own performance than the performance of others? One of the striking societal features of mastery learning is the degree to which it presses for a society based on the excellence of all participants rather than one based on the excellence of a few. Can any society afford universal excellence, or must all societies make most people incompetent so that a few can be competent?

By jim d

February 14, 2007 08:58 AM | Link to this

Why many of the good teachers have bailed out.

“Equivalence of educational achievement,” described by Patrick Moynihan, equals Performance- Based Education (PBE) and Outcome-Based Education (OBE), which in turn equal a deliberate dumbing down of American teachers and youth—necessary in order to implement the performance-based workforce training agenda planned since the early nineteen hundreds. Good academic- and content-oriented teachers understand that education is not social science. In 1999 efforts are being made to encourage these good teachers to get out of the way so that teachers trained in performance-based Skinnerian teaching and Total Quality Management can be hired to replace them.

I hope this peaks your interest enough to go download and read “The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America”

By Jeff

February 14, 2007 09:17 AM | Link to this

decatur:

I still say that too much emphasis is placed on the teacher and nowhere NEAR enough is placed on the student.

That goes for both failing schools and high performing schools. In the failing schools, you want to claim that the kids are angels and the teachers suck. In the high performing schools, you want to say that both the students and teachers are amazing.

I say that the teacher is highly irrelevant. It is the STUDENT, above ALL else, that determines what the STUDENT is going to do. Yes, caring teachers can occassionally change the attitudes of certain students. Yes, having teachers that are subject matter experts can be a bonus when a student has a particularly challenging question. But I hold that 90% of the time, you could put a MONKEY in front of that room and get the exact same results you are getting now.

TEACHERS are doing everything they can. And for the most part, they are doing a VERY GOOD job.

But the ONLY way to change our schools is to enforce real STUDENT ACCOUNTABILITY.

By SET

February 14, 2007 10:36 AM | Link to this

I don’t agree with the jacking up of requirements to “graduate” from High School.

I believe the USA should openly recognize that all people are not created equal and allow High School Graduation for people who are dilligent but have an IQ of 85. And we all know who I’m referring to.

By imposing time pressure testing we are systematically blocking the average black student from ever getting a High School Diploma even if that student has good attendance, good deportment, and is operating within excellent range of someone with that IQ. Instead we tell them they are bad people because they didn’t “learn”. No wonder they go nuts and trash the place.

I might add that California DMV just announced computer administered time pressure testing for driver’s license renewals is being implemented. Already in CA blacks between 18 and 30 generally do not seem to be typically able to hold driver’s licenses anymore. Magically that capacity seems to have gone away since 1960. (Which I attribute to public school induced anti-coping skills.) These new testing rules should really finish the job.

Employers need to be able to know that a job candidate is tractable - able to show up on schedule and perform up to the level of IQ of 85 - as opposed to being a feral street person. High School diplomas for the left side of the bell curve accomplished this in 1960. These students were not chemistry students. But they were housebroken, had basic reading and writing, and were ready to join the workforce and military in supervised occupations. In time they would become skilled workers admittedly in a narrow band of skills.

We are systematically destroying this and telling the left side of the bell curve that even their best and most co-operative efforts mean nothing and they are cast out of society and the workforce. This is wrong and it is creating more chaos for the USA not to mention for all those low IQ people, more chaos than we have seen in 100 years.

And we are doing it will singing that all men are created equal and even the IQ 85s are expected to pass algebra, etc. Just like an IQ of 100+. Because we have to be equal.

It is wrong to design a society where the left side of the bell curve has nothing to turn to except crime and drugs. Then to say they they asked for the crime and drugs - so it’s their fault.

Our public school system is responsible to get the best results with the students they have to work with. This was true in 1960 and it’s true now. We need open and visible programs for the left side of the bell curve that lead to honest work. And we need tax and immmigration policies to support that honest work of our own low IQs, not the 3rd world’s population.

By JustMe

February 14, 2007 11:22 AM | Link to this

SET -

I sort of disagree with you. We must establish standards in order to define what a high school diploma means.

If you want to create some other certificate for those diligent students that work hard and yet never are able to grasp the content, that would be fine.

Here is an analogy…

Would you want your Doctor to have “worked hard” for his MD but never understood anything and never passed his medical board?

Those that cannot earn a high school diploma have many other avenues other that the ones you suggest (ie: crime). There are many trades that do not require a high school diploma. Some of these include: realtor, carpenter, plumber, and others. These are great paying jobs.

By decaturparent

February 14, 2007 11:28 AM | Link to this

SET, I think I love you. I couldn’t have said it better. Political correctness is going to kill this country.

By luvs2teach

February 14, 2007 12:19 PM | Link to this

SET - your post reminded me of one of my favorite short stories…

I think Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron” should be required reading for all educrats - of course, there is the sad chance that they might think it presents good ideas!

Contrary to popular belief, this isn’t Lake Wobegon, and all our kids are not above average.

By SET

February 14, 2007 12:19 PM | Link to this

JustMe:

I don’t have a problem with your concept of denying a diploma to people who don’t grasp the content. The dispute is over how high to set the academic bar.

I for one don’t believe that we need to require every worker to be equal. I believe the High School Diploma is to qualify a person to enter the workforce - not to aspire to college. This is a fundamental break with liberals who are full of themselves - thinking that everyone is just like them or should be.

College is only suitable for a minority of people. Liberals pretend otherwise.

High School is the principal step to adulthood and to honest work for well over 50% of Americans. Beyond that you may have some occupational training. This point is really driven home when you have to select a jury in an Urban American City. - Or try to precint walk a political campaign for office (I wasn’t the candidate - I got one or two elected) - which I have done both.

I don’t approve of loading up High School minimum standards with liberal fantasies of what the lowest common denominator should be.

Remember, using “The Bell Curve” as a working model, only 1 black in 6 is at or above IQ of 100. We will not see this change in our lifetime - drop further maybe, thinks to government arranged diseugenics.

By the time the liberal establishment and their allies in concert with the NeoCons get through piling on the NCLB and related antics, the Black HS graduation rate will be even less than it is now. Similar activities will also crash the rate of such things as holding driver’s licenses. It’s all done by killing them with kindness - and flattery.

I would publicly recognize HS for what it is and the HS Diploma as the lowest common denominator. And it would be no walk in the park to get one - it’s wasn’t in 1960. But a time pressure test on algebra for a HS diploma is just wrong.

A HS diploma among other things should mean that the holder is not an addict, have acceptable punctuality and impulse control, has basic reading math and writing skills, can take direction (is capable of taking instruction), has acceptable hygiene and social skills, etc.

In other words someone who is ready to become a receptionist, bank teller, hotel maid, a garage machanic, a construction worker, an assembly line worker, a taxi driver, etc. etc.

Do I sound like 1960?

Who are we fooling with these new requirements for completion of HS. First we tell the students that they are the center of the universe - and they are not, then we flunk them out of a diploma when they can’t handle academic time pressure tests that are not reasonable for 5 out of 6 US blacks. We can talk about Hispanics (IQ avg 93) also - but frankly I’m concerned about the more endangered group that was here first.

Then we blame the teachers for the results.

Well, the emperor has no clothes.

By iron maiden

February 14, 2007 12:31 PM | Link to this

After many years, I bailed out of a HS last fall that was on its 3rd year of not making AYP. Let me just say that no amount of money could have persuaded me to stay. It is a quality of life issue. When discipline is not enforced for fear of appearing politically incorrect, nothing a teacher can do will motivate the vast majority. The pay-off in time/energy required is all-consuming and is just too miniscule.

By iron maiden

February 14, 2007 12:44 PM | Link to this

The pay off is far too miniscule for the all-consuming expectations placed on teachers. Sorry- gobbling my lunch. Many of my veteran teacher friends are also being forced to leave. It also becomes a HEALTH issue.

By jim d

February 14, 2007 12:45 PM | Link to this

Gee SET,

“but frankly I’m concerned about the more endangered group that was here first.”

and here all this time I thought your concerns were for black americans.

By JustMe

February 14, 2007 12:47 PM | Link to this

SET -

I am a very proud Liberal and agree with most of what you say. What you want to speak badly of are NOT Liberal ideals. Please tell me that you are not one of those conservative idiots that labels anything that you don’t like as “Liberal.”

I agree that college is not for everyone. I would even go as far to say that a high school diploma is not for everyone. This is why I suggest other types of certificates for those students that may want to develop a trade or skill to enter the work force.

Keep in mind that NCLB is not a Liberal creation. It is the far-right conservative creation of George W. Bush and the republicans!!!!!

I do not think that a HS Diploma should be the “lowest common denominator” as you put it. To earn one, I feel that a student must demonstrate to the established standards.

If all that you want is a way to recognize a student for attendence and punctuality, there is the attendence certificate. This really does already exist in the State of GA for high school students.

By jim d

February 14, 2007 12:51 PM | Link to this

Iron maid

Looks like schools have finally figured out a method that works to get all you old school types to quit so they can replace you with teachers trained to do what they want them to.

Don’t enforce discipline!!

By Jeff

February 14, 2007 01:55 PM | Link to this

jim:

Eyah, exactly what Randolph did to me!

Of course, Randolph had a more sinister motive: they wanted ME gone so they could replace me with the Superintendent’s fresh-out-of-college-with-an-education-degree-and-no-job-prospects-in-the-middle-of-the-year daughter….

By jim d

February 14, 2007 02:42 PM | Link to this

Other than the cost of providing insurance for elderly educators here’s more reasons to get rid of old teachers.

http://www.benefits-gateway.com/GCPS/HRRelatedItems/CompensationMaterials/InfoCompSalSchedTeacher.pdf

By iron maiden

February 14, 2007 02:52 PM | Link to this

Funny. About ten years ago, I did a short exchange program with a teacher in Eastern Germany. The principal and entire staff at the “gymnasium”, in Saxony, were all quite young. When I questioned the rapid career advancements, the response was that since the German govenment’s focus had changed, the old teachers had to go. Somehow this strikes me as a self-fulling prophesy in a reverse direction. Our government has sold out our opportunities. We no longer create enough of a profit motive for multinational cooporations.

By SET

February 14, 2007 03:05 PM | Link to this

Jim D: My concerns are for the continued viability of the USA.

I was in Orange County CA during the Rodney King Riots. I know that we are already losing control of the streets in our major cities. And now we are losing control to 3rd world imported armed-to-the-teeth mobs.

What the “kill-em-with-kindness” approach to the US black population has done in 45 years is to increase underclass numbers and pathology to levels that can destabilize the country.

As a matter of fact - I think the other principal ethnic groups in this country are able to manage their own interests at least in the short term. An ethnic group with an avg IQ of 85 are the canaries in the mine for a decadent and declining society.

The rising black pathology levels now compared to the 1960 numbers, heralds bad news for society as a whole. The numbers for the other ethnic groups are following in the same direction, though at a slower rate. As gasoline to the fire the US Gov’t is rapidly importing millions (counting the anchor babies) of 3rd world replacements for the previous underclass.

Don’t mistake my concern for the black ethnic for any tender loving care. My approach to cleaning up the problems would be draconian to most people and not well received by the “beneficiaries” of my concerns.

By jim d

February 14, 2007 03:06 PM | Link to this

Ah yes iron maid,

1990’s—-it’s all in da book.

http://www.homeschoolnutsnbolts.com/dddoa

By Jeff

February 14, 2007 03:13 PM | Link to this

SET:

As evidenced by its namesake and countless others throughout history:

DRACONIAN GETS RESULTS

By jim d

February 14, 2007 03:15 PM | Link to this

SET,

Now you just went and spoiled my visions of you having grave concerns for our red brothers.(that were here first!)

By SET

February 14, 2007 03:26 PM | Link to this

Just Me: I disagree with you. It is a liberal tenant that all children are equally capable of taking similar instruction. That is the cornerstone of NCLB which claims that if we whip the teachers and administrators hard enough, every Otis and Shaniquah can learn to read and write just as well as every Ken and Barbie (because if they don’t the teachers must be slacking off).

What the NeoCons then did is to use this blather to push NCLB, which writes that nonsense into official canon and requires massive data collection - which will ultimately be used to prove the contrary (when the time is right politically?) but not until the Feds have taken over every urban school in the United States.

As far as liberals go - I have extensive experience with them. I know them well. I went to UC Berkeley, remember? I was around during the SLA, the Black Panthers and all the Bay Area lunatic fringe as well as the Democratic Party loyalists. I’ve had close association with Calif Democratics and Republicians at High and Low levels.

And no matter what my policy issues are with the Demos, they are still better friends than the Republicians (who are themselves just unbelievable). Go figure! Either way the politicians really don’t mean well and are mainly interesting in avoiding debate - being all things to all people (and politically correct rather than true), and staying in office forever.

So I’m in disagreement with both parties about a lot of things. Am I the center?

By SET

February 14, 2007 03:31 PM | Link to this

Jim D: There aren’t enough of them left to worry about. And as long as they have the Casino franchise given to them by the Feds & The Courts, they will be fine.

Casino revenue will buy any politicans required to assure a confortable retirement for the Natives still alive.

By jim d

February 14, 2007 04:51 PM | Link to this

SET,

here’s an interesting story to consider

An unbelieving editor sat down and wrote an editorial for his paper, The Monroe Evening News of Monroe, Michigan, USA. Under the Lead Line, “Not That!”, that incredulous American newspaper editor went on to ask his readers, “Are the schools of America to be used as a propaganda agency to mould public opinion into conformity with the policies of the administration?”

Still in a tone of utter disbelief that editor went on to quote from an interview with one Louis Alber, chief of the speakers division of the National Recovery Act. “Just read these astounding utterances by Mr. Alber,” the editor challenges his subscribers.

The rugged individualism of Americanism must go, because it is contrary to the purposes of the New Deal and the NRA which is remaking America.

Russia and Germany are attempting to compel a new order by means of their nationalism- compulsion. The United States will do it by moral persuasion. Of course we expect some opposition, but the principles of the New Deal must be carried to the youth of the nation. We expect to accomplish by education what dictators in Europe are seeking to do by compulsion and force.

Mr. Alber went on to explain that a “primer” outlining methods of teaching to be used, along with motion pictures on the subject, were being prepared for distribution to all public and parochial schools and commented that: “NRA is the outstanding part of the President’s program, but in fact it is only a fragment. The general public is not informed on the other parts of the program, and the schools are the places to reach the future builders of the nation.”

Dateline; Wednesday, September 13, 1933

From our vantage point in history we know that the notorious NRA was laid to rest early in its incubation period by the United States Supreme Court. (or was it?)

What is important to each and all of us today is what has transpired in the intervening years since 1933. That editor of long ago remarked, “So as sweeping and revolutionary as NRA is, it is only a fragment of a greater program of which the public knows nothing, and this unknown program is to be inculcated into the minds of pupils in the schools everywhere, by official efforts and at government expense…. Now our schools are to become—like those of Germany and Russia—an agency for the promotion of whatever political, social, and economic policies the administration may desire to carry out. And the taxpayers, whether they like it or not, are to pay for having their children converted to those policies.”

The Editor closed by stating: “The whole proposition is so amazing, and so alarming in its implications, that we refuse to take it seriously.”

I suggest we still refuse to believe it or take it seriously.

By iron maiden

February 14, 2007 05:37 PM | Link to this

Jim D- Thank you for providing the linkage for “The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America”. It is instrumental in understanding what is happening to public education. Although I was initially somewhat skeptical, the succeeding years have more than proven to me the incidious ulterior motives of the federal government. Another “question the answers” website is pushhamburger.com.

By Sara K

February 21, 2007 04:19 PM | Link to this

The groundwork for dumbing down to close the achievement gap has been set in Illinois.

The Illinois Governor’s Office tricked the Illinois Legislature and business leaders into supporting a new law increasing the amounts of credits required for high school graduation in 2005.

That was fine until the Illinois State Board of Education (controlled by the Governor) issued their policy that students could no longer earn high school credit before 9th grade.

This effectively traps students who would have been capable of completing higher level courses such as Algebra and Geometry in 7th and 8th grades into a dumbed down course sequence since both Algebra and Geometry are 2 of the required 3 years of math credits needed for graduation.

Voila - the NCLB tiger is tamed - the achievement gap is narrowed by forcing the top to dumb down.