Money for schools and plenty of teacher-time for each student are good things. So why is that the District of Columbia, which the highest expenditure of money per student in the nation and one of the lowest teacher-student ratios going, still has such awful schools?
The statistics tell a sorry tale about the public schools in America's capital. A majority of fourth- and eighth-graders are failing to read or do math at basic levels. Roughly four in five schools are not meeting achievement goals under the federal No Child Left Behind law. Just 43 percent of students graduate from high school in five years.Posted by floridacracker at January 7, 2007 02:20 PMThe new mayor, Adrian Fenty, got an earful about the situation during last year's campaign. "I heard repeatedly, 'Fix the schools.' It was a tidal wave," Fenty said.
that's what happens when the kids are in charge..
Posted by: csason at January 7, 2007 08:35 PMI'm genuinely curious. My sister is an educator; perhaps she'll have an idea.
Posted by: Donnah at January 7, 2007 11:15 PMHey...it takes a village, right? Someone once said that.
Posted by: THIRDWAVEDAVE at January 8, 2007 03:15 AMI'll probably need a waiver on the "no foaming" rule but DC/DC area public education has just pissed me off for years.
It takes parents that want their kids to learn, to be safe, and to have NO MERCY for those "educators", government "leaders", and "students", that see otherwise.
I went to high school in the DC area nearly 30 years ago and all of the DC public schools and many of the suburb public schools SUCKED then. They've only become worse and a lot more violent and drug-ridden since then.
It will not change as long as the people that live in the District, PG county, etc., tolerate garbage from the people they've put in positions of responsibility which means they themselves have to accept responsibility for demanding change. Otherwise, the disgraceful state of public education in and around the nation's capitol will continue as is.
Posted by: tfhr at January 8, 2007 02:04 PMDidn't DC have a Mayor that smoked crack? and didn't they re-elect him? This guy looks like a pimp. So, if that's the wave they're on, then what will their thoughts be on something as important as student achievement.
Florida voted for smaller class sizes, but the legislators what to reverse it.
Smaller classes do make a difference.
Still they're those other factors.
I have 16 level 2 students (min. below) 13 want to learn, 1 is on dial tone (don't mean a put down)and 2 are chronically absent and miss instruction.
Leveling classes has been beneficial too. Homogenius classes can work at a pace and on skills custom to their needs. They're less likey to fall through the cracks.
There's a notion that it is socially incorrect to not mix them together. But let the higher kids fly, man.
When I was in school we were ability grouped, and it wasn't my decade that the shocking truth about graduating without being able to read came on.
No, it was Donnah Lee's :0
Marion Berry was the crack-smoking mayor of DC and yes, he did get reelected when he got out of prison. I suspect he'll be back - just as soon as he beats his current DUI rap. The mayor's seat isn't open yet but he can probably get a job with the school system.
People here don't learn and the schools are just one reason and one example that serves to answer the question "Why?".
Posted by: tfhr at January 9, 2007 12:02 PM