Comments on: When “bad” schools close

By: somos americanos

somos americanos — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:47:16 +0000

Research — and I know you love research — shows that schools that underperform do so because of poverty issues and lack of access to quality books. Look up Stephen Krashen et al.

By: 2ndtimearound

2ndtimearound — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:37:36 +0000

I think that some schools really do have a bunch of bad apples on board. As a former south side elementary school teacher, I saw my fair share of security guards throw students up against the wall and berate them in front of their peers. I saw teachers giving up on students based on their past academic history and other teachers having harsher consequences for students they perceived as troublemakers. I also saw new teachers who really tried to make a difference and spent extra time preparing for class or going roller blading with students after school around the (unsafe) neighborhood. And I saw a lot of misappropriation of schools funds.I agree with some of the above posters about how to decide if a school should be closed and/or turned around. I think we need a smaller public school system run by knowledgeable individuals who understand education, the current trends, how different students learn and the role that culture and community play in each school. They need to be able to effectively use that information to partner with the parents and communities to make that school work for the students who attend. And of course, the schools and the district need to be more transparent.

By: cpscounselor

cpscounselor — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 03:29:02 +0000

I agree with Anne. How can people expect a school to be “turned around” by simply changing the staff? The neighborhood problems don’t change. (gangs, drugs, etc.) The parents don’t change. I don’t understand how CPS keeps thinking that turning around schools by replacing the (usually) very dedicated staff and expecting miracles. The students keep experiencing changes, lack of consistent role models, and realize they are at “failing schools.” How can we expect them to succeed? They’re up much more difficult obstacles than most other kids and certainly many more obstacles than all of the students I work with now. Teachers aren’t miracle workers and we cannot expect them to be-especially when there is no family support an we all know how important and essential that is to kids’ success. Kids with no parental support don’t have parents on their back about homework, reading books, studying for tests, or completing projects. A lot of times, their parents don’t even know that they’ve missed 20 days of school that semester. I think this is a huge factor, after working in a 2 schools-1 in low income and 1 in a higher income bracket. The major difference was parent involvement.

Let’s be honest here. The reason why some schools have really improved test scores is simply because of gentrification. More white, higher income families have moved in and are sending their kids to the neighborhood schools. The neighborhood changes, and so will the test scores. I don’t think there is much more going on at these “amazing” schools whose test scores have gone up so much.

I don’t know what the answer is, but there are many factors to consider when closing a school, and I really don’t think it’s always the answer to just close a school, hire new people and call it a day. I think it takes a lot more than that.

By: CPS Gawker

CPS Gawker — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:44:53 +0000

Anna:

What makes you assume the mentors would be white?

By: cpsobsessed

cpsobsessed — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:52:16 +0000

I had an interesting conversatio last night about what makes good teachers and how those who are the smartest may not have the best classroom skills and vice versa.
This past year I watched a documentary about 2 Chicago schools that have made great gains and one principal was a woman who was using “aint’” repeatedly in her conversation and around the kids. Of course I winced. But on the other hand, she really had that intangible skill that is needed in certain schools to rally the teachers, involve the parents, help kids care, etc that seems so hard for others to achieve.

By: dave4118

dave4118 — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 01:12:50 +0000

I just chatted Thursday with a former CPS h.s. math teacher….she lasted 3 years.She applied to a turnaround school because she said that she thought it ‘had a chance to get it right’. She isn’t bitter, she seemed mystified…at the lack of parental support, at the woeful undereducation of SOME in the central bureacracy(She incredulously described one repeated encounter with someone whom she couldn’t believe had graduated h.s., let alone a college.) She is pursuing a masters in a medically-related field now.

By: chicago parent

chicago parent — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 23:07:27 +0000

There are some students who do not care about getting a good education and are disruptive. In my opinion & experience, these are the minority of the students even in the high poverty schools. Expel & suspend students with bad behavior, focus on those who want to achieve — which are the majority of students. Hold teachers accountable for achievement. Improve, even though the starting point may be lower. Charter schools with poor performance close. Public school teachers should be held accountable as well.

By: 2ndtimearound

2ndtimearound — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:36:06 +0000

I agree it is so hard to make change for the better. As a former teacher in a poor, dangerous and under-performing neighborhood I too have seen what does and does not happen in the schools that should, as well as the lack of preparation that some children have. I also agree that cultural background needs to be considered and that the principal and their vision and commitment are equally important. Lastly it is not a quick fix. If students are in third grade and reading at a first grade level, you cannot expect them to jump several grade levels and be at grade level within a year because you change staff, curriculum or make it a turn round school, etc. It takes time for them to eventually catch up if they have good teachers, admins, support, etc, in place. And of course it takes more time if the students we are talking about are older (like the math students mentioned in another above post). Not sure what the solution is, but I think we can do better than we are now. We need the right people in place making decisions who know about education, who look at research about how different children learn and what some of the factors are for them to be successful. We don’t need a CPS created position called the Director of Culture of Calm at a high 2 figure salary to make violence go away at the HS level.

By: amy

amy — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 03:09:24 +0000

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/07/magazine/07Teachers-t.html?src=me&ref=general

Really interesting article entitled Building a Better Teacher in the NYT recently. Check it out and let me know what you think.

By: Anne

Anne — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 03:08:39 +0000

Great blog. I am a teacher at a CPS high school. What goes on inthe system is beyond belief. Chaos reigns in the hallways. Drug deals go on, dice games, are played and the smell of pot is sometimes overwhelming. Our principal sits in her office, never to be seen around the school. I am supposed to teach Algebra to freshmen. In truth, the children I have are barely performing at 6 to 7th grade math readiness. Some can’t add, most can’t multiply and very few bother to do any work. We can’t assign them textbooks because our loss rate is ridiculous. Our curriculum is structured for high school level algebra. We are continuously pounded to make sure we are teaching the curriculum. Forget about readiness or pre-requisite skills: just teach the curriculum. It is a complete nightmare.

I guess I’m telling my story because I know our department works like crazy to teach these kids while facing every obstacle possible. We come to school, day after day, meet late into the evenings to try to make things better. We aren’t the “older” teachers. We are all young(ish) with graduate degrees and dedication that far surpasses the norms. Firing the teachers isn’t giving things a “fresh start.” It changes the players, not the game. Until administrators get out and walk the halls and see what is going on, until Huberman and Co. realize that the curricula they are mandating is garbage and data whateveryoucallit is not going to solve cultural problems, what goes on in the buildings will remain the same.