Comments on: Schools still bad after 20 years

By: John Danner

John Danner — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 21:17:04 +0000

Eugene, since Green Dot’s Animo Pat Browne next to Jefferson has a 750 API and Jefferson has a 515, I guess I don’t understand the argument that turning around schools doesn’t make sense. From every account I’ve heard, the turnaround efforts have also stabilized Jefferson.

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By: Paul Muench

Paul Muench — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:22:36 +0000

So we’re going to find out if any of the “drastic options Obama is proposing” amount to much more than “tinkering with the rules”.

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By: Eugene Jackson

Eugene Jackson — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 05:30:16 +0000

Since I worked in the lowest performing high school in the LAUSD conglomerate, I would like to infuse a little reality to the converstaion. The turnover in students and staff exceeded 100% per year, and unfortunately, sometimes by semester. Jefferson High School, my home for three years. Granted, this was many years ago, but I think the lessons are relevant today. Why would anyone ignore the real reasons for underperforming, and just say “do it”?” I didn’t have the same students every day, nor were my colleagues consistently there. Now, Why was there no growth in the phantom students’ scores? OK fire them all.

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By: CarolineSF

CarolineSF — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 23:34:29 +0000

I know that “no excuses” is the big fad these days (since “fads” are mentioned here), but there actually are some basic life conditions that need to change before student achievement in “bad” and “failing” schools can improve.

Note today’s California Watch post on hunger and students:

http://hungerincal.uscannenberg.org/?p=122

Another fad is disdaining out-of-fashion notions like compassion and empathy, sad to say. All thoughtful people should object to the labels “bad” and “failing” as brands of shame for the schools that struggle with the highest-need, most-at-risk kids. I propose that anyone who thinks those labels are valid (and you know who you are) spend a month volunteering in one or more of those “bad” and “failing” schools and then see whether you really think the educators (and the students) deserve those brands of shame.

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By: Chris Stampolis

Chris Stampolis — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:13:38 +0000

Readiness-leveled classrooms are the number one data-proven criterion that separates high achieving economically-challenged schools from lower-achieving schools. Rich area schools almost always achieve decent scores, but there is a statistically obvious difference between economically-challenged schools with high scores and economically-challenged schools with low scores.

One either can champion differentiated classrooms or one can champion readiness-leveled classrooms. The readiness-leveled classrooms trounce the differentiated classrooms all over the state in API score performance.

We need a journalistic outcry about this clear-for-those-who-look achievement issue.

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By: Virginia

Virginia — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:31:22 +0000

And people wonder why our kids are in so much trouble. We forget they are the future leaders of our country! Educators need to go back to the true reason why being a teacher is one of the most powerful positions anyone could have. It is the chance to make a true difference because they are the key factor in molding our children for a better and far more evolved and educated America…

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