Comments on: Students Speak About “Failing” Schools

By: Gabriella

Gabriella — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 03:10:46 +0000

I get to work with these guys and girls in July and I’m so excited. They sound like they know exactly what up.

Gabriella, future Pie Ranch Intern!

By: glen matlock

glen matlock — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 02:27:39 +0000

Parent, your post makes no sense.

It is not the governments responsibility to solve all of your problems, and the problems of your pets. I have no idea how you decided it was, your post is jingoistic anti-sense.

If the government moved in to solve the problems of disfunctional families you would howl about the invasive state.

I’m just honest about my wanting the state out of our lives.

By: Parent

Parent — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 15:03:10 +0000

The “causes” of struggling schools’ challenges? Poverty, hunger, families in crisis, overwhelmed or unsupportive or absent parents, community dysfunction.

The solutions are NOT the harsh, punitive, destructive, reckless magic feather/silver bullet fads currently favored by everyone from the free-market right to Obama’s shallow and unqualified education secretary. Those magical-thinking snake-oil “cures” only harm our schools and students.

Mission Loc@l, please call out these destructive fads for what they are! Support our struggling schools, not the efforts to crush them.

Everyone covering education — please read up on Diane Ravitch’s new book via Google News, and read the book when it becomes available. Ravitch, one of the nation’s most respected education commentators and a former insider in both Bush administrations, explains why she has recognized that these fads — which she once believed in and supported — have shown themselves in real life to be destructive to schools and students.

By: glen matlock

glen matlock — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:37:05 +0000

Yes parent, as the schools run down, don’t look at the causes, just keep hiring liberal middle class professionals who are experts on what the under class need, more good intentions and new-speak non sense.

By: Remainders: No “hitbacks” in this class, please | GothamSchools

Remainders: No “hitbacks” in this class, please | GothamSchools — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:27:44 +0000

[...] Some California students argue that their schools are unfairly labeled as “failing.” [...]

By: Parent

Parent — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 23:55:30 +0000

The biggest current education fad of all is bashing, blaming and shaming teachers.

By: glen matlock

glen matlock — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:14:58 +0000

What makes high test scores are motivated students and good teachers.

What motivates students are good parents.

Going to the jingo filled web page of John O’Connell makes me think that the administration and teachers are just progressive hacks chasing the latest education fads.

So with many of the students they are at a disadvantage from the start, parents who don’t see the value of an education and a school that puts ideology ahead of education.

By: Parent

Parent — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:14:19 +0000

The “failing” schools list attacks, shames and punishes schools that serve disadvantaged students — the teachers and staff, administration AND the students.

Thank you, Youth Outlook, for giving those students a voice. I hope you will continue to focus on the absolutely wrongheadedness of harming schools in retaliation for their serving low-income, limited-English students. Huge money and massive power are behind those attacks.

To be clear, firing the staff is just punitive, counterproductive and disruptive to the school community.

Also, re the notion of forcing schools to become charter schools: There is zero evidence that charter schools perform better than true public schools or that private charter operators have shown any ability at all to “turn around” a school. Please Google Diane Ravitch and read about her new book to learn more about how bogus – and harmful — this notion is.

Schools that serve high-need students need support, not shaming, blaming, punishment and disruption. Please continue to speak out!