fixation on school districts

[Eugene]

Anyone here bothered by the implications of this discussion on our future class divisions based on race and income? If the test scores now more starkly define school quality, and the savvy, higher income parents gravitate to these area, where does this leave the poorer blacks and latinos? They are stuck with the failing schools and impossible-to-fire teachers.

The question is, to what degree do test scores define school quality as opposed to student quality?

If you take a group of poor latino students and put them into La Jolla Elementary, would they achieve much higher scores than they would in their “native environment”?

API web site gives individual scores for all statistically significant races in every school. Can you find an example of a good elementary school with a black population that scores above 800?

[Coronita]

I’d say irrespective of how good a school is, most of it has to do with parental influence and peer influence. I went to a good public school, but I probably learned mostly from good parents and a good deal from peer pressure to do as well.

I guess I didn’t have friends who only wanted to be a mechanic for example

[Coronita]

I’d say irrespective of how good a school is, most of it has to do with parental influence and peer influence. I went to a good public school, but I probably learned mostly from good parents and a good deal from peer pressure to do as well.

I guess I didn’t have friends who only wanted to be a mechanic for example

[Coronita]

I’d say irrespective of how good a school is, most of it has to do with parental influence and peer influence. I went to a good public school, but I probably learned mostly from good parents and a good deal from peer pressure to do as well.

I guess I didn’t have friends who only wanted to be a mechanic for example

[Coronita]

I’d say irrespective of how good a school is, most of it has to do with parental influence and peer influence. I went to a good public school, but I probably learned mostly from good parents and a good deal from peer pressure to do as well.

I guess I didn’t have friends who only wanted to be a mechanic for example

[Coronita]

I’d say irrespective of how good a school is, most of it has to do with parental influence and peer influence. I went to a good public school, but I probably learned mostly from good parents and a good deal from peer pressure to do as well.

I guess I didn’t have friends who only wanted to be a mechanic for example

[JustLurking]

I think a lot of people are missing a point that sduuude mentioned in his post. The “good” schools ALL have significant parent financial support. My son goes to one of the top 10 elementary schools and it IS a great school. But parents are very involved in the school – volunteering a lot of time and making significant donations each year so that the school can have all of the “extras” – like enough teachers to keep the class sizes reasonable.

I don’t see how a voucher system would work. Parents would use vouchers to send their kids to “good” schools, but might be unable (or unwilling) to donate the time and money necessary to make the school “good”. So now all schools sink into mediocrity? I just don’t see how it would work. School districts SHOULD be able to run good schools with tax money, but the truth is that they don’t. The public school system is a ridiculously bloated bureaucracy and it is hard to imagine that changing.

[JustLurking]

I think a lot of people are missing a point that sduuude mentioned in his post. The “good” schools ALL have significant parent financial support. My son goes to one of the top 10 elementary schools and it IS a great school. But parents are very involved in the school – volunteering a lot of time and making significant donations each year so that the school can have all of the “extras” – like enough teachers to keep the class sizes reasonable.

I don’t see how a voucher system would work. Parents would use vouchers to send their kids to “good” schools, but might be unable (or unwilling) to donate the time and money necessary to make the school “good”. So now all schools sink into mediocrity? I just don’t see how it would work. School districts SHOULD be able to run good schools with tax money, but the truth is that they don’t. The public school system is a ridiculously bloated bureaucracy and it is hard to imagine that changing.

[JustLurking]

I think a lot of people are missing a point that sduuude mentioned in his post. The “good” schools ALL have significant parent financial support. My son goes to one of the top 10 elementary schools and it IS a great school. But parents are very involved in the school – volunteering a lot of time and making significant donations each year so that the school can have all of the “extras” – like enough teachers to keep the class sizes reasonable.

I don’t see how a voucher system would work. Parents would use vouchers to send their kids to “good” schools, but might be unable (or unwilling) to donate the time and money necessary to make the school “good”. So now all schools sink into mediocrity? I just don’t see how it would work. School districts SHOULD be able to run good schools with tax money, but the truth is that they don’t. The public school system is a ridiculously bloated bureaucracy and it is hard to imagine that changing.

[JustLurking]

I think a lot of people are missing a point that sduuude mentioned in his post. The “good” schools ALL have significant parent financial support. My son goes to one of the top 10 elementary schools and it IS a great school. But parents are very involved in the school – volunteering a lot of time and making significant donations each year so that the school can have all of the “extras” – like enough teachers to keep the class sizes reasonable.

I don’t see how a voucher system would work. Parents would use vouchers to send their kids to “good” schools, but might be unable (or unwilling) to donate the time and money necessary to make the school “good”. So now all schools sink into mediocrity? I just don’t see how it would work. School districts SHOULD be able to run good schools with tax money, but the truth is that they don’t. The public school system is a ridiculously bloated bureaucracy and it is hard to imagine that changing.

[JustLurking]

I think a lot of people are missing a point that sduuude mentioned in his post. The “good” schools ALL have significant parent financial support. My son goes to one of the top 10 elementary schools and it IS a great school. But parents are very involved in the school – volunteering a lot of time and making significant donations each year so that the school can have all of the “extras” – like enough teachers to keep the class sizes reasonable.

I don’t see how a voucher system would work. Parents would use vouchers to send their kids to “good” schools, but might be unable (or unwilling) to donate the time and money necessary to make the school “good”. So now all schools sink into mediocrity? I just don’t see how it would work. School districts SHOULD be able to run good schools with tax money, but the truth is that they don’t. The public school system is a ridiculously bloated bureaucracy and it is hard to imagine that changing.

[an]

Seems like a lot of people here are against allowing parents to have choices to move their kids to better public schools. Do you guys know that it’s already possible to do that, through inter-district and intra-district transfer? You have to jump through hoops to do it, but it’s possible. The country that was rated with the best public school system (Finland) have a voucher system. It forces schools to compete for the money that follow the student. This also open up for charter schools and private schools as a choice to middle & low income students. To those who thinks students from low income students can’t do well, you might want to check out Preuss School UCSD.

[an]

Seems like a lot of people here are against allowing parents to have choices to move their kids to better public schools. Do you guys know that it’s already possible to do that, through inter-district and intra-district transfer? You have to jump through hoops to do it, but it’s possible. The country that was rated with the best public school system (Finland) have a voucher system. It forces schools to compete for the money that follow the student. This also open up for charter schools and private schools as a choice to middle & low income students. To those who thinks students from low income students can’t do well, you might want to check out Preuss School UCSD.

[an]

Seems like a lot of people here are against allowing parents to have choices to move their kids to better public schools. Do you guys know that it’s already possible to do that, through inter-district and intra-district transfer? You have to jump through hoops to do it, but it’s possible. The country that was rated with the best public school system (Finland) have a voucher system. It forces schools to compete for the money that follow the student. This also open up for charter schools and private schools as a choice to middle & low income students. To those who thinks students from low income students can’t do well, you might want to check out Preuss School UCSD.

[an]

Seems like a lot of people here are against allowing parents to have choices to move their kids to better public schools. Do you guys know that it’s already possible to do that, through inter-district and intra-district transfer? You have to jump through hoops to do it, but it’s possible. The country that was rated with the best public school system (Finland) have a voucher system. It forces schools to compete for the money that follow the student. This also open up for charter schools and private schools as a choice to middle & low income students. To those who thinks students from low income students can’t do well, you might want to check out Preuss School UCSD.

[Author]

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