tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7097158142844550473.post7504377377521615086..comments2023-10-01T06:53:05.812-04:00Comments on The Washington Teacher: Closing Time For More DC Public SchoolsCandi Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266880795971626269noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7097158142844550473.post-45394144636605517312011-11-21T19:18:15.621-05:002011-11-21T19:18:15.621-05:00I am for closing the "idea" of a traditi...I am for closing the "idea" of a traditional school. Naturally, we don't want oversized classrooms. What I am saying here is that the idea of the traditional classroom is not what the students of the future need. Students need the real esate of the actual building that houses the classroom, but not the current educational paradigm. I imagine that students in a iTouch world would do well in a classroom that keeps up with the way society has rewired their brains. It does no good to put today's student in a traditional analog classroom where they are bored and failing. This is a new time that requires from teachers and communities innovation that at least matches the innovation of the emerging young mind.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7097158142844550473.post-4510339661751308982011-11-08T06:17:54.826-05:002011-11-08T06:17:54.826-05:00Closing is a necessity. We cannot afford to give...Closing is a necessity. We cannot afford to give everyone a "neighborhood school." That is crazy. We are ruining our budget. It will lead to teacher layoffs,Marvin the Wisenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7097158142844550473.post-5547776537379775672011-11-07T14:29:49.723-05:002011-11-07T14:29:49.723-05:00Glad to see you back blogging and writing in thema...Glad to see you back blogging and writing in themail.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7097158142844550473.post-89910348283520453982011-11-06T12:33:36.421-05:002011-11-06T12:33:36.421-05:00I think there are a few very important issues with...I think there are a few very important issues with the IFF report. First IFF is a charter advocacy organization and it will work to analyze data to<br />support the idea of closing traditional public schools and replacing them with charters. It sets a standard of "good schools" based on test scores and will not include in that analysis different subgroups within a school.<br /><br />So if one school has overall worse scores than another but out performs the "better" school on every subgroup it will be closed because of overall<br />test scores are lower. It will not do any adjustment for charter dumping, and it will not evaluate any other value of schools, or legal requirements.<br />So if closing a school will mean many thousands of dollars in additional transportation costs for DCPS that will not be included. I'm not sure DCPS<br />would do that analysis either, but that is a separate issue.<br /><br />The other thing is the IFF report is happening at the same time as the Public Education Reform Commission is doing work on the "fairness" of the<br />allocation of funds between DCPS and charters. The commission has 4 charter representatives for one DCPS representative and their first list of<br />data needs read like a laundry list of complaints by charters about DCPS getting extra funds. Some of them were incredibly egregious, like looking<br />at special directed funds for DCPS outside of the per pupil allocation, but not looking at the same for charters. Nothing about charter dumping,<br />nothing about extra requirements for DCPS like guaranteeing walking distance to schools. Additionally our deputy mayor for education has<br />suggested that Ward 5 doesn't need to improve middle grade offerings from DCPS, we should just get a nice charter school. And he probably won't be<br />working with our local charters but bringing in national chains where he might get a cushy job after he has messed things up here.Mary Melcohiornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7097158142844550473.post-16988402682020965752011-11-05T09:40:59.235-04:002011-11-05T09:40:59.235-04:00This appeared on Concerned4DCPS list serve and is ...This appeared on Concerned4DCPS list serve and is a must read:<br /><br />"School closing in DC only in a tangential sense have anything to do with educational policy. Closing schools in DC is more about housing and <br />social policy designed to displace middle and work class families with those of how in theory have higher incomes and demand less city services. This<br />primarily means a community and economic development public policy designed primarily to displace Black middle and work class families with children, although Latinos are also negatively affected by this public policy.<br /><br />Education reform for the most part is a vehicle for implementing this larger policy, which charters being a significant tool. In the policy charter schools served two purposes, income for developers early on to help them generate income why land banking parcels of land and two to accelerate the depopulation of public schools in targeted neighborhoods. If this was the deep south this policy would be illegal under civil rights laws.<br /><br />School closures are a disinvestment policy to accelerate this policy. The results of this disinvestment policy is then used to justify further<br />disinvestment. Biases around race, class and ethnicity allows policy makers to get away with this."<br />WilliamInteresting post by Williamnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7097158142844550473.post-46941960962086981552011-11-05T08:56:17.039-04:002011-11-05T08:56:17.039-04:00Thanks for putting the word out on school closings...Thanks for putting the word out on school closings. I shared with my principal and the teachers and PTA at my school. Keep up the good work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7097158142844550473.post-85475601906365789792011-11-04T15:41:38.674-04:002011-11-04T15:41:38.674-04:00Considering that charters aren't performing at...Considering that charters aren't performing at higher levels than regular DCPS schools it seems like closings will just shift kids, not improve their education.<br /><br />It sounds like the adults have given up on trying to improve education and are now focused on moving the money from public to private hands.efavoritenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7097158142844550473.post-26465648243509803322011-11-04T15:15:14.585-04:002011-11-04T15:15:14.585-04:00We need to get more people on board to stop these ...We need to get more people on board to stop these closures. It is very apparent that this type of reform is about privatizing the school system.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com