The State of Public School Education in Chicago
Pejman Yousefzadeh ·
September 18, 2012 at 8:39am
It ain't good. Some key takeaway points:
- Making teachers less accountable leads to worse schools.
- Ignoring the fact that merit pay works (via the Economist article) when formulating education policy leads to worse schools.
- Grade inflation in the evaluation of teachers leads to worse schools.
- Socioeconomic conditions may have something to do with the poor state of Chicago schools, but there are plenty of cities facing similar socioeconomic challenges, and yet, the kids in those cities are outperforming public school students in Chicago.
- Families--who aren't stupid, after all--are voting with their feet in unprecedented numbers, leaving Chicago for the suburbs, taking talented students with them, and giving up on the city and its public school system.
And of course, the Chicago teachers' strike is ongoing, which makes none of these conditions any better. Some wonder why people like me think that the teachers' unions and all of the people involved in the Chicago teachers' strike are doing more than any school choice advocate ever could to show why choice is so desperately needed to save our education system. They need wonder no more.
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Comments:
Aug '12
Re: The State of Public School Education in Chicago
Free will (choice) was the greatest, most terrible and awesome gift God gave to man. It was essential for the entire experiment. Without it, we couldn't freely love Him and thus bring Him pleasure. A short, simple argument for free will, sorry, I am not a theologian. But any other way would be illogical and against reason (creating bots who are preprogrammed to love Him...) considering the nature of God.
Extending this first instance in all the world of free will/choice to even the most basic of choices, which I submit includes the free will of parents to determine the education of their own children, and if the government decides it's in the business of paying for its citizens' education...
What did God have to be afraid of? If you know you are the very best choice, that your way brings enlightenment, salvation, the greatest nourishment, yet you still want to offer freedom and a "real" choice, you will without doubt offer choice.
However, if you have something to be afraid of? You get irrational behavior like we're seeing in Chicago.
Sep '12
Re: The State of Public School Education in Chicago
Merit Pay : The ultimate bête noire to the teachers union.
But; it is all about the children. Right?
May '10
Re: The State of Public School Education in Chicago
School choice was derailed by the Combine (the only actual political party here in the kakistocratic People's Republic of Illinois, yes, there's a right wing and a left wing, but they flap in unison when it comes to raiding the public fisc).
The suburban Republicans are just as in thrall to the teacher's unions as any Chicago Democrat. Whether Republican or Democrat, their unified rallying cry is "where's mine?" And it's the teacher's unions that give it to them.
Sep '10
Re: The State of Public School Education in Chicago
Vouchers are like food stamps. They let you go and find what your children need to excel. Public schools are like Welfare cheese, and I think a lot of Americans are becoming lactose intolerant.
Jul '11
Re: The State of Public School Education in Chicago
But when things feel right it's better to just ignore results. Move along now.