I wrote about this subject recently, but want to expand a little more, on the topic (especially in lieu of the ongoing Madison Prep debate). I pointed out that the current group of education reformers have no real interest in “reforming” education but their interest is in personally profiting off of public education.
In reality, while a teacher’s role in the classroom is incredibly important, it pales in comparison to other external factors a child confronts on a daily basis(socio-economic background, parents education level, poverty level, language skills, neighborhood violence, hunger, etc…) . To pretend to “reform” education without addressing these issues assures failure.
The problem is the current “reform” crowd is not interested in improving education, their sole purpose is to privatize it.Governor Walker has brought the “Shock Doctrine” to our great state and our local classrooms. As an education consultant/reformer stated in a recent NY Times article \”Let\’s hope the fiscal crisis doesn\’t get better too soon. It\’ll slow down reform.\” We are at a point in our history where we need to decide if this is the path we want to follow or not.
Now we have a troubling and prescient story coming from Pennsylvania.
A tragic story is unfolding in Pennsylvania’s troubled Chester Upland School District, where a combination of drastic budget cuts, poor management, student attrition to charter schools and other factors have left the immediate future of the traditional public schools in doubt.
Here’s what’s going on, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer:
* Unionized teachers and others, including bus drivers and cafeteria aides, have agreed to work for free because there isn’t enough money to meet the payroll after today. How long they can do this is unclear.
* Some 40 percent of the system’s professional staff, and 50 people of its unionized support staff, have been laid off.
* The acting superintendent and assistant acting superintendent have been laid off too.
* Some families are leaving the area or sending their children to other schools, but about 3,650 remain behind in buildings that are crumbling and in need of repair
Chester Upland is a small district with one high school, two middle schools and six elementary schools. More than 70 percent of its students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches — more than twice the state average.
Lets see, no money, laying off emmployees(including the superintendent) declining enrollment, where is everyone going?
Now about 45 percent of the district’s students go to two public charter schools schools, and 45 percent of the district’s total operating budget goes to two charter schools to pay to educate those children, according to the Inquirer.
45% of the students and 45% of the money going to a charter school. I am sure they have the best interest of the kids in mind and are out performing the public schools right? Not so much:
So what is the option that the local paper has come up with?
Meanwhile, the two possible solutions to the mess that the Inquirer suggests are these: closing down the school system entirely and sending the children to other districts, or creating a system of public charter schools in which “almost all students” attend.
Yes the only way out is to create a series of charter schools. Unbelievable right. Not so much as locally we have the the Madison Prep debate going on in Madison.
In a time with massive amounts of money to education is being cut, teachers are being laid off, demonized and demoralized. There is a debate about taking $25 million tax payer dollars to create a charter school that will cater to avery small amount of kids? That same scenerio seems to be playing itself over and over all around the country. This is why we must stop this now before its too late!
Don’t get me wrong. This is not meant to demonize Kaleem Caire. I truly think, that while he has said some unfortunate things, he truly has the best interest of the kids he wants to help in mind. I also think however that the way he is going about it here is completely wrong and would set a precedent that would put us on the road to becoming the Chester Upland School District. No one wants to go there. I also have room to pause with some of the people that Mr. Caire has chosen to align himself with. When the Madison School Board votes it down and Dave Blaska and Chris Rickert and Vicki Mckenna are for something it should be a red flag. As Convicted felon turned lobbyist Scott "Scooter" Jensen recently said:
Though no longer an elected official, Jensen still holds considerable sway through his work with the American Federation for Children and other groups that promote the establishment of private charter schools in Wisconsin.
Since 2010 the American Federation for Children has spent more than $2.6 million in Wisconsin on Walker’s governor’s race and the recall elections.
“[Jensen] is more powerful now than he was as speaker,” says state Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton).
Jensen disagrees: “If I was speaker, I would have gotten everything I wanted [for charter school advocacy groups].”
While I do not know and wont speak to Mr. Caire’s intentions, I do know those of his friends. They have no interest in reforming education and they have even less interest in the education of the students who Mr. Caire is trying to reach. They do have an interest though, in privatizing our public education. That serves two purposes for them, it cuts off some funding for the opposition party and it allows them to make personal profit off of taxpayer dollars.
Let’s not give Scooter Jensen anything he wants. Back to the drawing board for Madison Prep! Be careful when choosing new School Board Members also. ALL of our children’s futures depend on it!
“The Founders?” You are not allowed to reference “The Founders” if you have so little understanding. There was no public school system in their day! School choice does give everyone access to education that they themselves choose, not some one size does not fit all. The public dollars expended on each student merely follows the student. As for John Matthews, where do you think his six-figure salary comes from? The reason Matthews opposes Madison Prep is because it is non-union and therefore, outside his control. That is the only reason.
Again, the reactionary Left believes citizens should support the institution; the rest of us believe the institution should serve the people.
i will gladly debate “the Founders” anytime anyplace with anyone from the “tea party”. The tea party has attempted to taint their name and standing in history and its time for that to end.
The very idea of government run public education in America came from Thomas Jefferson himself ( you might have heard of him). He even started his own “free” college and that was the one accomplishment of his many that he was most proud of. Jefferson would despise the “tea party”.
Yes the PUBLIC dollars, follow the student to a PRIVATE unaccountable institution where profits come first. No thanks!
John Matthews as the elected leader of MTI gets his money from MTI union dues. He is an elected leader and paid by the voluntary teachers who have used their rights and chosen to unionize. Not a single taxpayer cent does he get.
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/2/11/charter_roundtable
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2010/03/07/nyregion/07perkins_CA0.html
The Catholic Church makes a profit on its schools? News to me. Why, Jeff, do you not trust the citizen to make his own choice from the marketplace of ideas? “Unaccountable?” Not to the student and his family! Not if they are free to choose a school that better fits their needs. Why do you continue to insist that the individual must serve the institution instead of the other way around?
Well lets see the Catholic Church in 2000 brought in $422 BILLION in the year 2000 and if it wasnt about “profit” the Catholic School in Beloit would still be open. Nice change of pace though. I have no problems with Religious schools or private schools as long as they do not use a cent of taxpayer money.
Yes “unaccountable” – that was one of the biggest issues of Madison Prep and it is one of the biggest issues of most private schools. They are not accountable to the students and parents. What is a student going to do who is not getting what they expected? transfer? how many times should/can a middle school or high school student transfer in a year? Notice what happened earlier in the year. The dems made charter schools finally report test scores(we know your big on testing) they were at or below public schools so the republican “fix” was to make sure they no longer have to report thier scores. So my question to you is. How many other offices/agencies/officials who take taxpayer money should NOT be accountable to the taxpayers?
Your last sentence makes no sense so it is hard to address.
Three times is the charm, Jeff?
You ask, What is a student going to do who isn’t being well served? Transfer? I answer: what can a student do today who isn’t being well served? Which describes Madison’s black male student population. At least with Madison Prep they’ll have an option. Accountability? How can you say graduating fewer than half of those students is being held accountable? If Madison Prep doesn’t produce results in 3 years, pull the plug!How about actually trying to serve the varying needs of students instead of sacrificing to the one-size (does not) fit-all god of “public schools?” That is what I mean by serving the institution rather than the individual.
What can a student do today who is not being well served, unfortunately not enough. We still need parental and student involvement. Also to say that describes today’s black male student population is an over generalization that just is not true. Could it be better – yes, is it non existent – absolutely not.
We actually agree on this ” How about actually trying to serve the varying needs of students instead
of sacrificing to the one-size (does not) fit-all god of “public
schools?” ”
since a one size fits all school is the absolute wrong approach that everyone can agree on, why dont we take the next logical steps.
* End NCLB – if a one size fits all school is wrong how is a one test fits all test ok?
* lower class sizes. – It is so much easier for a teacher to connect, explore, discover all of the talents of one of their students when there is 15 kids in the class instead of 25.
* Add Electives. We need to have lots of options for kids to help guiide them to finding their passion
* bring in more technology to the classrooms – How can we justify have minimal computer time with kids when this is the year 2012?
* Make sure all kids are well fed
* have a place for all kids to go after school where they can be around peers and mentors and do their homework.
* Hire more support staff and stop cutting basic human services – kids come from all different backgrounds and circumstances, allow them to have someone to call upon in times of trouble….
These are a few ideas that can benefit everyone not just 100 kids at a private school.