Comments on: Diversifying Low Performance, And Paying More For It: Klein’s Ideas In Practice http://www.edwize.org/diversifying-low-performance-and-paying-more-for-it-kleins-ideas-in-practice Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:46:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: phyllis c. murray http://www.edwize.org/diversifying-low-performance-and-paying-more-for-it-kleins-ideas-in-practice/comment-page-1#comment-19447 phyllis c. murray Sun, 04 Feb 2007 13:17:06 +0000 http://edwize.org/diversifying-low-performance-and-paying-more-for-it-kleins-ideas-in-practice#comment-19447 The Tragedy of an Education Deferred By Phyllis C. Murray Robert F. Kennedy said the following in 1963 before visiting Farmville, Virginia : "We may observe with much sadness and irony that, outside of Africa, south of the Sahara, where education is still a difficult challenge, the only places on earth known not to provide free public education are Communist China, North Viet Nam, Sarawak, Singapore, British Honduras – and Prince Edward County, Virginia. Something must be done about Prince Edward County." Something was done about Prince Edward County. Of course it took the legal action of the Brown v Board case to get it done. Yet, in New Orleans a problem persists: the disenfranchisement of the poor and minorities. The following was captured in the news: "Just last week, 300 New Orleans school children were shut out of schools and denied an education they badly need because the city says it doesn't have enough space or teachers. So, instead of studying in classrooms, 300 students are sitting at home waiting for space to open up in schools." James Parks AFL-CIO Weblog January 30, 2007 Thus,we must reiterate what Leo Casey has stated on February 1,2007: "The first district is New Orleans, where the Bush US Department of Education and the Louisiana governor used the devastation caused by Katrina as an opportunity to dismantle the public school system. Like everything else that the Bush administration has done in post-Katrina New Orleans, the result was a manmade catastrophe on top of the natural disaster." It is inconceivable to think that there are children in this great nation who are missing out on an education. And if something is not done very soon, history will repeat itself. History teaches us that the students of Prince Edward County were denied the benefits of a public education in Prince Edward County from 1959 - 1964. For five years the public schools were closed . Hence, the black students who remained in Prince Edward County were not afforded the benefits of any formal education. Therefore as Susan Bagby, Longwood College explains: "The students who lost five years of public education, have been variously dubbed "the lost generation" and "the crippled generation" by reporters and researchers studying the long-term effects of educational deprivation." It is sad to say, but true, the white students who could not afford to attend the segregated private schools were also a part of the lost generation and crippled generation. Therefore, it becomes obvious that the problems that any member of our society faces become everyone's problem. And these problems will impact our society for generations to come. An education should not be deferred. Furthermore, all of the legislators who ran on a platform of educational equity and access must be summoned back to the legislature to map out a plan to get the disenfranchised students back in school. Surely, the education of all children must be a national priority and not another national tragedy. The Tragedy of an Education Deferred
By Phyllis C. Murray

Robert F. Kennedy said the following in 1963 before visiting Farmville, Virginia : “We may observe with much sadness and irony that, outside of Africa, south of the Sahara, where education is still a difficult challenge, the only places on earth known not to provide free public education are Communist China, North Viet Nam, Sarawak, Singapore, British Honduras – and Prince Edward County, Virginia. Something must be done about Prince Edward County.”

Something was done about Prince Edward County. Of course it took the legal action of the Brown v Board case to get it done. Yet, in New Orleans a problem persists: the disenfranchisement of the poor and minorities. The following was captured in the news:

“Just last week, 300 New Orleans school children were shut out of schools and denied an education they badly need because the city says it doesn’t have enough space or teachers. So, instead of studying in classrooms, 300 students are sitting at home waiting for space to open up in schools.” James Parks AFL-CIO Weblog January 30, 2007

Thus,we must reiterate what Leo Casey has stated on February 1,2007:

“The first district is New Orleans, where the Bush US Department of Education and the Louisiana governor used the devastation caused by Katrina as an opportunity to dismantle the public school system. Like everything else that the Bush administration has done in post-Katrina New Orleans, the result was a manmade catastrophe on top of the natural disaster.”

It is inconceivable to think that there are children in this great nation who are missing out on an education. And if something is not done very soon, history will repeat itself.

History teaches us that the students of Prince Edward County were denied the benefits of a public education in Prince Edward County from 1959 – 1964. For five years the public schools were closed . Hence, the black students who remained in Prince Edward County were not afforded the benefits of any formal education. Therefore as Susan Bagby, Longwood College explains:

“The students who lost five years of public education, have been variously dubbed “the lost generation” and “the crippled generation” by reporters and researchers studying the long-term effects of educational deprivation.”

It is sad to say, but true, the white students who could not afford to attend the segregated private schools were also a part of the lost generation and crippled generation. Therefore, it becomes obvious that the problems that any member of our society faces become everyone’s problem. And these problems will impact our society for generations to come.

An education should not be deferred. Furthermore, all of the legislators who ran on a platform of educational equity and access must be summoned back to the legislature to map out a plan to get the disenfranchised students back in school. Surely, the education of all children must be a national priority and not another national tragedy.

]]> By: Leo Casey http://www.edwize.org/diversifying-low-performance-and-paying-more-for-it-kleins-ideas-in-practice/comment-page-1#comment-18800 Leo Casey Sat, 03 Feb 2007 23:17:47 +0000 http://edwize.org/diversifying-low-performance-and-paying-more-for-it-kleins-ideas-in-practice#comment-18800 First, I read it in the context of the sentence before it, "Philadelphia provides no evidence to support private management as an especially effective method of promoting student achievement, but it does not represent a clear test of full private management in a competitive market." What the entire passage says to me is that the authors are cautioning against applying their evidence and the conclusions one could draw from their evidence to all market models, as opposed to the specific Philadelphia experiment, with the particular "diverse providers" model employed there. These cautions are actually the sign of careful researchers who are not predisposed to make broad ideological statements, but want to draw narrow conclusions that can be unequivocally supported by the evidence. Compare that to the writings of laissez-faire market enthusiasts like Caroline Hoxby, Jay Greene and Terry Moe. First, I read it in the context of the sentence before it, “Philadelphia
provides no evidence to support private management as an especially effective method of promoting student achievement, but it does not represent a clear test of full private management in a competitive market.”

What the entire passage says to me is that the authors are cautioning against applying their evidence and the conclusions one could draw from their evidence to all market models, as opposed to the specific Philadelphia experiment, with the particular “diverse providers” model employed there.

These cautions are actually the sign of careful researchers who are not predisposed to make broad ideological statements, but want to draw narrow conclusions that can be unequivocally supported by the evidence. Compare that to the writings of laissez-faire market enthusiasts like Caroline Hoxby, Jay Greene and Terry Moe.

]]> By: curious3 http://www.edwize.org/diversifying-low-performance-and-paying-more-for-it-kleins-ideas-in-practice/comment-page-1#comment-17864 curious3 Sat, 03 Feb 2007 04:16:38 +0000 http://edwize.org/diversifying-low-performance-and-paying-more-for-it-kleins-ideas-in-practice#comment-17864 The final sentence of the report reads "Whether a model of private management that involves more autonomy to managers, parental choice, and competition would produce better results remains an open question." I think the authors recognize that Philadelphia's experiments do not prove that private management cannot be effective. Leo, how do you interpret this very last sentence in the report you use as the basis for your posting? I look forward to your future analyses of NYC public school performance data. I strongly support your desire to use evidence to instruct policy. Ken The final sentence of the report reads “Whether a model of private management that involves more autonomy to managers, parental choice, and competition would produce better results remains an open question.” I think the authors recognize that Philadelphia’s experiments do not prove that private management cannot be effective. Leo, how do you interpret this very last sentence in the report you use as the basis for your posting?

I look forward to your future analyses of NYC public school performance data. I strongly support your desire to use evidence to instruct policy.

Ken

]]> By: Leo Casey http://www.edwize.org/diversifying-low-performance-and-paying-more-for-it-kleins-ideas-in-practice/comment-page-1#comment-17673 Leo Casey Fri, 02 Feb 2007 22:43:02 +0000 http://edwize.org/diversifying-low-performance-and-paying-more-for-it-kleins-ideas-in-practice#comment-17673 Not "as devastating." Hmmm. As a teacher, I am always looking for new approaches, new ways to engage the multiple intelligences. Perhaps a little visual will help... <img src="http://edwize.org/images/philly.jpg" /> Not “as devastating.” Hmmm.

As a teacher, I am always looking for new approaches, new ways to engage the multiple intelligences. Perhaps a little visual will help…

]]> By: curious3 http://www.edwize.org/diversifying-low-performance-and-paying-more-for-it-kleins-ideas-in-practice/comment-page-1#comment-17615 curious3 Fri, 02 Feb 2007 00:50:03 +0000 http://edwize.org/diversifying-low-performance-and-paying-more-for-it-kleins-ideas-in-practice#comment-17615 I recommend that readers refer to the "Conclusions and Implications" section of the RAND report (page 3) to get what I believe to be a more balanced summary of the findings. Some of you might find the conclusions a bit less "devastating" than Leo did. Meanwhile, charter schools in NYC are already getting comparable results, and in several cases much better results, for considerably less money per student than traditional public schools. As that situation develops and as inner-city parents flood the lotteries to gain entry into many of those schools, I hope the UFT joins the fight to take action consistent with the evidence. Ken I recommend that readers refer to the “Conclusions and Implications” section of the RAND report (page 3) to get what I believe to be a more balanced summary of the findings. Some of you might find the conclusions a bit less “devastating” than Leo did.

Meanwhile, charter schools in NYC are already getting comparable results, and in several cases much better results, for considerably less money per student than traditional public schools. As that situation develops and as inner-city parents flood the lotteries to gain entry into many of those schools, I hope the UFT joins the fight to take action consistent with the evidence.

Ken

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