School Reform Irk St Louis Parents

Chicago Tribune ^ | 3-14-2004 | Stephanie Simon

[blam]

School reforms irk St. Louis parents

Mon Mar 15, 9:40 AM ET Chicago Tribune

By Stephanie Simon Tribune Newspapers: Los Angeles Times

Nine months ago, the school board hired a corporate turnaround company to run the troubled public education system here.

The consultants will return to New York in June, their $4.7-million contract up.

They will leave behind a school district in chaos and a city enraged.

Applying business models developed to save casinos and clothing chains from bankruptcy, the outsiders slashed the district's expenses by 15 percent. They shut 16 schools, laid off more than 1,100 employees and hired private companies to handle food service, building maintenance and payroll accounting.

They made the moves quickly, with minimal public input. Many parents felt betrayed. Accusations of racism filled the air as some activists protested that the cuts fell most heavily on black neighborhoods.

The uproar is getting louder.

The restructuring experts, from Alvarez & Marsal Inc., announced this month that their budget cuts haven't been deep enough. To close a $23-million gap projected for the 2004-2005 school year, they have proposed shutting more schools, boosting class sizes or eliminating such extras as field trips, library book purchases and enrichment programs for gifted students.

[blam]

The Chicago Tribune must be excerpted.

[blam]

Previously posted (September) article on the same subject.

St Louis Parents Hit School Overhaul

"ST. LOUIS -- The school district was broke -- and failing. Half of all high school freshmen quit before graduation. Less than 7 percent of juniors scored "proficient" on a state reading and writing test. In desperation, the school board took a radical route: It handed control of public education to a corporate-turnaround company from New York."

[Redcoat LI]

"Dorris Walker-McGahee, who has a daughter and three grandchildren in city schools."

Priceless

[blackdog]

When you're taking flak, you're close to the target.

My wife's company offers employees as teachers for free. Experienced research and production chemists, accounting, statistics experts, etc.... The best chemistry and science teachers you could get and for free to boot.

The school districts will not accept them because the unions and the University of Wisconsin insist on having morons teach instead. The UW system has a very unhealthy effect on the public school system.

The free teachers go to the local private high school instead, where they score 45% higher on SAT/ACS scores.

[Clara Lou]

Applying business models...
Business models are not the solution to our educational problems. Kids aren't widgets. Education would be easier if they were.

[blackdog]

So would raising them.

[Redcoat LI]

Sending your children to public school is child abuse.

[blackdog]

A broad brush statement, unfair to a small portion of schools and teachers but essentially true.

We need grass roots efforts to increase the number of prvate schools in order to provide more quality education.

Let the public school system consolidate and improve based on competitive losses and gains against private schools.

[blam]

" Education would be easier if they were."

It's a social problem. Teaching would be easy if the students arrived at school ready and willing to learn. A good teacher that insisted on discipline and accountability from the students would be run out of town as a racist. (even if the teacher was black)

[blam]

"Sending your children to public school is child abuse."

I agree 100%. I have two friends who are teachers. They say that young black males have destroyed their school. Caring parents around here sent their kids to private or religious schools...and, there are many here.

[Clara Lou]

I completely agree that it's a social problem. Add to that wimpy principals who kowtow to any disgruntled parent who walks through the door to say her child has been picked on/mistreated/discriminated against or has been given too much homework.

[lizma]

Business models are not the solution to our educational problems.

Maybe not but public education in this country is a huge bloated bureaucracy. The national teacher:administrator ratio is 1 to 1!!! Anything that could streamline this mess may send more money to the classrooms.

Besides since it pi$$es off the teacher's union, it's probably a good thing!

[Teacher317]

I'd make a minor correction to that post... it is "urban culture" that is ruining schools. Young black males are the major proponents of that culture, to be sure, but there are more than enough (hyper-aggressive) black females and ("wannabe") white students around to wreck that stereotype in any school. (We should avoid stereotypes in any event.)

Open disdain for authority, education, morality, order, and achievement, combined with cowed administrations, enabilng parents and teachers, teacher unions, eager lawyers, and an apathetic "tolerant" public...
"Now EDUCATE them... every single one... even against their will, teacher317!
If you don't, then YOU face sanctions and consequences!"
Uh-huh.

(Gee, why is it again that I'm now in Law School?)

[blam]

"(Gee, why is it again that I'm now in Law School?)"

You get it!

[steplock]

I LOVE the "republishing" from these so-called newspapers ...

Yahoo - Chicago Tribune - Los Angeles Times - Tribune Newspapers - Stephanie Simon


I think I have that line up correct???

[blam]

"I think I have that line up correct???"

Maybe.

Did you click on the link in post #2 and see that Stephanie Simon authored the article for the Boston Globe too? (LOL)

[Clara Lou]

public education in this country is a huge bloated bureaucracy.
Very true. I teach in Texas for a 5A school district. We have a superintendent, an assistant superintendent, and various curriculum supervisors. We have 3 administrative "cluster leaders," numerous learning specialists on all campuses who don't teach students. And the list goes on. In addition, the district's school board just bought off the unsatisfactory high school football coach's contract. You do know how important a successful football team is to education, don't you? Don't you?

[ladylib]

Well, apparently sending your child to a St. Louis school is child abuse. Some public schools are great, others aren't. From what I've read over the years about St. Louis public schools, they should be shut down.

St. Louis doesn't have any churches? Churches usually have classroom space. What does it take for a group of dedicated parents to form a board, order curriculum, hire a few teachers, and rent some classroom space in a church? Private schools get started this way every day of the week.

It seems that for many children in St. Louis, public schools don't work. They should be abandoned.

[Redcoat LI]

I don't say that with any sense of satisfaction,It saddens me greatly that those who need the most help in our society are being held back by those who claim to be helping them.

They have enough money,and I'm sure there are enough good teachers to get the job done.

The professional educrats are to blame,and they couldn't care less.

[TheBattman]

Tell that to the "No Child Left Behind" crowd who insist that EVERY child perform at the "proficient" level by 2010. Tell that to the thugs and "wannabe" thugs....I am sure they will understand and co-operate!