Go go Rhode Island

[Priran]

Somebody just said "natch", we can lock the thread now.

[Beckwin]

For all the hoopla about charter schools, here are some reasons why they don't work for everyone:

1. They are not required to provide transportation
2. They are not required to provide food
3. They are not bound by state curriculum standards; only have to administer a NCLB test
4. They can cap enrollment, thus they can cap class size

On top of that, they typically don't include ELL and Special Ed kids.

Now you'll notice that 1 and 2 can combine to basically exclude a lot of kids from lower incomes, and for ELLs in that circumstance, it's even harder to find a place. Furthermore, having the luxury of capping enrollment insures reasonable class sizes that maximize a teacher's skills and provides better opportunities for students. This all combines for not having to teach so strictly for the test, as they're basically gonna be dealing with middle class kids with parents able and concerned enough to send their children to a charter school.

So while I think that there are charter schools that provide some quality education, institutionally they distort the picture of public education and often simultaneously serve as a (white) middle-class flight venue. Beyond that, each child that doesn't enroll in public school in favor of a private school costs the local district funding, and if it's a middle class kid, likely PTA or related contributions.

I'd wager that providing enough charters and including transportation, free/subsidized food, after school programs.... would cost roughly equivalent to public schools.

[Kyreth]

Their representatives would be democrats.

BLACK DEMOCRATS.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pS7sKjlzwF...bamaImage1.jpg

FEAR OF A BLACK PLANET?

[Kuya]

He's not really black anyway!

[thatwasnifty]

The correct response is, this is Rhode Island, so who gives a shit?

[Restrat]

people are just afraid of what will happen when Eleanor Holmes-Norton gets to vote

[archibaldcrane]

You can't say "Oh look, they have the nation's largest voucher program! It's evidence of why the liberal approach works!"

No, it's evidence of why the liberal approach doesn't work.

Madison has great public schools, and it's the liberal bastion of Wisconsin. It doesn't have vouchers at all.

I guarantee you that the best voucher high school in Milwaukee is a statistically worse school than the worst public high school in Madison (where there are no vouchers).

Milwaukee Public Schools are an unmitigated disaster. Holding up the mild improvements that the voucher program brought to the system is hardly a sweeping endorsement of vouchers - although in places that have gotten that bad (like apparently this Rhode Island school district has) I'd be up for trying anything.

I mean, it's not exactly a wild success. http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/41868652.html

[Olo401]

The correct response is, this is Rhode Island, so who gives a shit?

HEY!

Oh wait right, I don't even give a shit about this state. And I live here.

[RKenshin]

Ha... Wow. Central Falls is like 15m from where I grew up, and is a completely different town.

It's a small ghetto, teachers probably don't want to spend more time with the kids because it's miserable there.

Some of the worse high schools around here remind me of that stereotypical class-room tv show/movie, where a new teacher comes into a class full of the brattiest 'I couldn't give two shits about anything or you and I'm spirally into being a bum' group of kids that give the teacher a hard time and don't want to try in anything. Then by the end of the movie/show the teacher relates to the kids in some way to earn respect, and motivates the kids to have a sort of revelation and believe they can actually try and do something with their lives.

Only, that second part never happens. Friend of mine had a freshmen class of ~650, and a graduating class of only ~300-400.

[Deluge]

RI lurker here to second that Central Falls is a terrible, terrible place that I wouldn't step foot in as a teacher.

[Zansho]

Discuss:


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/0..._n_475234.html

For those at work:

Seventy-four Rhode Island teachers have been fired from Central Falls High School, as well as 19 staff members, including the principal, USA Today reports.

The elimination of the 93 school employees was validated by the Central Falls High School school board, when it voted 5-2 last night to fire all teachers from the under-performing school.

The school's superintendent Frances Gallo made the recommendation last week, stating the move was necessary due to "callous disregard" by the union.

In August 2009, the school's superintendent wrote in a message to students' parents: "Remember, we need YOU if we are to reach our potential: All Children and Adults Achieving at High Levels."

Central Falls High School offers grades 10-12 and it had been one of the lowest-achieving schools in the state, per the Providence Journal.

[Qalbert]

because having less teachers will fix the american education system
fucking brilliant

[Tajin]

Isn't this where teachers made 80k a year?

[Acturus]

http://www.bluegartr.com/forum/showthread.php?t=88755

Been there, read that.

[Neoscrilla]

I like the statement that this makes. Now lets hope that they update the curriculum to go along with their new staff.

We all know that wont happen, so this move is pointless basically. New teachers teaching outdated shit that some lobbyist paid to keep that way.

[Beckwin]

No, teachers now teach strictly toward often unattainable standards. Why are they often unattainable? Because in failing schools, you're dealing primarily with students who may not have English as a first language, have little to no home support, are impoverished, and in large classes.

but yeah guyz lets blame it all on teh unions.

[Neoscrilla]

No, teachers now teach strictly toward often unattainable standards. Why are they often unattainable? Because in failing schools, you're dealing primarily with students who may not have English as a first language, have little to no home support, are impoverished, and in large classes.

but yeah guyz lets blame it all on teh unions.

Pretty sure I didnt mention Unions one fucking time.

[Olo401]

You didn't, but the cunt superintendent in CF did..

This entire thing is a fiasco now on a national level.. and it's proof that NCLB is a fucking joke.

[Neoscrilla]

I bet the Japanese are laughing at us.

[Purrrfect]

I bet the Japanese are laughing at us.

:3