I have been saying this for years.
I know, I know...it is a conservative issue to be for school choice.
However, here are the facts:
1. School choice destroys neighborhood schools.
2. Kids are shipped all over SE Wisconsin, so there is no sense of pride in your school, since most kids do not live anywhere near their school.
3. Most of the "good" kids that are left in the city go to scam-artist "small" schools that tend to be inferior in supplies, teacher quality and over-all education.
4. MPS schools are left with the worst of the worst, so those schools get even worse. I don't care what strategy you use, I don't care how much Mark Belling says teachers are lazy, if all you have are kids who do no homework, come to school when they feel like it, have parents who don't care or who are not even there, and students who don't value education or respecting authority one bit, you will have a failing school. What i have just described is what happens in a VAST majority of MPS buildings.
Every school talks about how each class and each new grade is worse and worse.
Because of school choice, we are headed for some REALLY hard times in MPS. There are very, very few quality students left. Ignorant people who obviously have no clue about education will say it is the teachers job to teach any kid, and if you work hard enough you will be successful. And for anyone who has a clue, that is wrong. Take the teachers from Arrowhead HS, put them at North Division, and see what happens.
First, they would all quit by week two, and second, test scores would not change, period.
What would work:
Neighborhood schools- There are some really good neighborhoods left in Milwaukee. If kids went to these schools, they would immediately be much, much better schools. The kids make the school MUCH MORE than the faculty. The only adult in the building who can sway the level of educational success is the Principal.
As long as the higher level kids are able to leave the city, or go to a school that someone started in an abandoned house, believe it or not, things will continue to get worse.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Choice may not improve schools, study says
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11 comments:
Yes game. I agree with you.
Additionally, because most middle class legal residents won't qualify for choice, most decide to use open-enrollment or move out of the city.
I don't care what race you are. If you are middle class, you simply cannot relate to a mother who had her children out of wedlock at age 15. What do I have in common with this parent and her child? This is really a class issue. We want more and MPS simply is not giving it to us. Even the IB schools are having a hard time attracting this parent. I don't want my children hurt academically and physically.
My children did attend MPS elementary schools.
I understand your point...but my point is that if you and everyone in your neighborhood kept your kid in MPS, you wouldn't have the morons bussed in from the inner city to mess up your school. I'm not blaming you specifically for taking your kid out, unless things change in the next 3 years my kid will probably not go to MPS (but I agree south side elementary schools are still good).
GAME..Until every child and every family has the ability to "choose"
how to send their kids to school the post by footballmom is right on the mark.Her views are exactly what is going on in MPS..AND now the URINAL runs headline stories in
the sport section that show even athletics aren't what teams and coaches are normally working with..
I know, I'm not trying to disagree with football mom, she is right about MPS schools...I guess my point is that if all the neighborhood kids stuck together, they would have a good school blocks away...
But again, I understand why they leave, since I wouldn't send my kid to an MPS school myself.
Man, this is a tough one!
What could be more American than choice! Since when did we as a society decide that a child must attend a public school of the states choice if one can’t afford a private school?
Your points are valid. Except for maybe no. 1, after all choice is probably just accelerating an already downward spiral in overall public schooling.
I think there’s probably no debate, that the number one cause of failure in the public school system is students and parents. BUT also the state is to blame, for creating an environment that allows sorry ass parents to send their uncontrollable children to public schools with no repercussions. You of all people should know how teacher’s hands are tied when dealing with unruly students.
Why should students that behave in school suffer time and time again because teachers have to constantly spend their time dealing with problem students? Why should taxpayers be forced to subject their children to this nonsense? Why should I have to pay school taxes, and pay extra to “do right by my children” (i.e. sending them to private school)?
No doubt “choice” and legislation such as “no child left behind (NCLB)” is not perfect and needs serious “tweaking”. BUT have you noticed how each time a potential solution is put forth, the full force of the education lobby (NEA) comes out against it? Why is the lobby not raising hell about the root problems in the public school system? Why doesn’t the NEA say “Choice and NCLB” are good concepts that just need work in a few areas? I’ll tell you why, the NEA doesn’t care, and they’re just an arm of socialist that already controls the public system.
After all, if we start making parents think about repercussions, if we start making parents think about responsibility and the future, then we’re going to have …. You guessed it, more thinking parents, which is the last thing socialist want.
Thanks Scorpion and Game. I think if my neighborhood school would be really good and have intelligent teahcers like Game, I really would reconsider.
I think MPS needs to start a Conservative Immersion School and they will get many students. Yeah, when hell freezes over. Can you imagine a school with an entire conservative staff? Students carrying copies of the constitution and flag lapel pins on their blazers. One can only dream...
Blamin says "What could be more American than choice?".
I'm for pro-choice too! ;-)
Alright - I was only kidding. On this school issue, unfortunately I agree with Game! The MPS situation is really pathetic. Moreover, the whole issue can't be resolved unless we start addressing 'kids making kids' situation and bad parenting.
because most middle class legal residents won't qualify for choice
Actually, a family of four could qualify for the MPCP with an income of $45,000. And every family can participate in inter-district choice without regard to income.
So we should punish the good families and students because the bad ones refuse to shape up?
What is in place is a reverse affirmative action program for stupid. Such is the nature of the uncompetitive socialist school system-- it is a world of unnatural selection, where jocks become administrators, where bright people are held back to the lowest common denominator.
Where do moron teachers who have only a fraction of my intelligence get off telling us how we should educate our children?
American
That’s the point. As long as the NEA has a stranglehold on “speaking for educators”, as long as society (with the full power of the state) excuses or ignores the root causes of state perpetuated problems, nothing will ever change.
Ya, we can go back to “uncomfortable but familiar” educating or we can try something different.
The very least you can say about “choice” is at least it has “woke up” and made people think outside the box.
I think we are all in agreement on different levels...
Kids SHOULD be able to go where they want...
Teachers are not allowed to teach because kids are in school that were raised by people who don't want to be parents...
The few good kids left suffer, and if I were their parents I would get them out...
Sad for me, I am stuck with what is left...
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