Turning Around Troubled Schools

AUSL has another side

What this article didn't tell everyone is that not all AUSL schools have good teacher retention. One in particular is using the mask of 'education reform' to instead teach to the test. I taught for one year at that particular AUSL school and will be the first to tell anyone that before accolades are given to this organization, some of its schools need new leadership. If teachers can't be retained because of top-bottom micromanagement and tactless leadership, then how is that benefiting urban students? This article does a great job of highlighting what it is that urban students so desperately need, however I am not convinced that wearing teachers out over student test scores--such as one unnamed AUSL school does--is the answer to urban educational problems. (by the way-not all 'mentor' teachers are actually veteran teachers).

Tlyjpivh

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Everyone's Accountable

I am a teacher who teachers at an at-risk school. Our school is successful, because we have "strong" leadership in the building. The teacher's strengths are used to get things done efficently and effectively. We have team meetings that support the teachers and students efforts. There is a consistent learning environment that has been estabhished throughout the school. Every child and parent understands the expectations and consequences of our school's behavioral and learning expectations. We collobrate to look at our assessment data and use well researched theories to plan out ways to help our students increase achievement. We reach out to our parents and develop good trusting relationships. Most students want to learn, but haven't been taught the skills to be successful.

I believe a successful school begins with a strong principal. Principals,too need to be monitored by their bosses. Principals should be walking around their buildings monitoring their teachers. Making sure that the highest quality of teaching and learning is taking place. There are many schools operating with great teachers, but led by inept principals. Look at the "whole" picture, before yanking around good teachers and principals out of their positions.

wow

i go to howe school of excellence i think it is a really good school all the new teacher are great and all the student at howe love everybody so all i had wanted to say thanks howe staff

Accountability on kids and parents too.

I completely agree with many of the comments fellow teachers have expressed about the problem with lazy students and not teachers. The gap between hard working students and lazy students is becoming ludicrous.

We had a girl who lived directly across the street from her elementary school and still missed 38 days by the 100th day of school. When we tried to counsel one parent about her unruly child, she showed up to the conference 1 hour late and drunk at 9:30 in the morning. I can give tests out to students and have the top score at 97% and the bottom score at 10%. Any exams or assignments which test classic pieces of literature have to be checked against sparknotes or cliffnotes. Nearly 80% of students have admitted to cheating at least once, and most of them see nothing wrong with cheating.

I do want accountability for teachers, but anyone who spends a few hours in any classroom will know the truth. The problem in education rests with lazy, apathetic, disruptive, and cheating students, and parents who do not parent their children. This problem is nationwide, and even major philanthropists are beginning to notice. Bill Cosby saw the problem with parents who buy $150 sneakers but don't have encylcopedias or school supplies at home. Bill Gates told students at his magnet schools that real world bosses are much tougher than teachers. And Oprah Winfrey opened her school in South Africa because she saw first hand how unappreciative and unmotivated American students are to their foreign counterparts.

fixes

Are you kidding,

Name other urban programs that seem to be working....I am an avid supporter of public education and believe that when we quit casting stones at one another, either liberal or conservative stones, and begin talking to one another about these very serious issues...then and only then will we see improvement...at least we have a president and secretary of education who are willing to try something that amounts to something more than an "unfunded mandate"......time will tell, but we cannot, as a country afford to do nothing for this current generation.

Another thing mom....

I left teaching because I felt the the way the educational system was going and the way society in the United States regarded the educational system and their teachers with blame, it was not going in the right direction. I received my MBA and currently conduct Corporate Training (Adult Education). Obviously, the pay is about double. I've also been coaching basketball at a youth organization for teens during the past 14 years and really have become a big-brother to many of them and given them direction where parenting was lacking...

Have you ever been a teacher? Have you ever tought in a school lately?

I wish every single American Mom and Dad could be a teacher for atleast one year. See how it is to actually teach a class where students don't behave and parents aren't on your side and at the same time your trying to teach them why we fought the British in the Revolutionary War when all they care about is their I-POD, cellular phone, and what Kim Kardashian or Tila Tequila is going to do tonight... IT's in our society... We need to flush it away and we need parents to take charge...

Response to the CA Mom and all other parents in the US

Hey, I'm not saying every parent is bad. When I make a generalization that parenting needs to step up, I'm not saying that the parent needs to teach the subject. The subjects are taught in class, and it's up to the student to actually listen, learn, and grasp those points. The ones that go home and ask their parents for help are the ones that weren't paying attention in class. Those are the ones that either have behavioral issues are were too busy passing notes and talking, or they may have ADD. There are plenty of great parents too who instill good values and hard working ethics in their kids. They instill ACCOUNTABILITY. Those are the ones who sit in class and even though may not like Math, English, and History, they realize the importance of those 12 years of schooling prior to being let out into the real world. From my experience growing up in America and going to public schools and teaching for some years, I have seen the effects of parenting on kids. Good parents who don't blame teachers and instill strong learning values in their kids are ones who see their children go to college and amount to something. On the other hand, bad parenting leads to children not caring about school, not respecting the teacher, and most of all, not seeing the importance of those 12 years. I totally understand that it is much more challenging today to be a parent. It's not easy having both parents work full time jobs in order to pay expenses and then have to do full time parenting as well. It's too bad it's not like the 1950s when the dad went to work and brought home the bacon. And the mom was a mom and was able to parent. That entire balance of parenting is now in trouble in this country due to high divorce rates and dual income families. We need to change that structure. But regardless, parents can still do a lot. Setting parameters and expectations is the way to go. The child fails the math test, take away the video game system. If they don't have a 3.0 GPA in high school, don't buy them that BMW or SUV. If they are struggling to finish their homework, well tell them to not watch tv for 4 hours afterschool.And when I indicate the middle east or some third world countries have students that show much higher results, it's because we as Americans need to face the TRUTH. Get off the high horse and realize we aren't the best at everything. Look at our Colleges and Universities. The Computer Science, Technology, Engineering, Medical School, and Business departments are filled with foreigners (Chinese, Japanese, Indians, Arabs, Persians, and other foreigners). That's because they have always been taught strong educational values. And when you indicate the subject material is too difficult in our schools for them to grasp, I SAY IT'S TOO EASY. That's why they are stuggling. Alegebra and Geometry are taught in the elementary level in all other foreign countries. In the US, it's taught in the high school level. YOUR CHILDREN CAN AMAZE YOU. Give them a chance....

Stop being an Obama hater.

90% of what Obama has done thus far is way far better than what Bush has done by a long shot. Anything Obama does will never be good enough for the haters out there. Get a life!!!

Parents are not the problem!

Thank goodness the last poster "used to teach", and no longer has the benefit of abusing the children and community. If you like the way teaching is done in the Middle East, then by all means...YOU ARE FREE TO GO! How dare you categorize us parents and place blame on the very hands that fed you while you were employed. You ought to be ashamed, and I hope you are! The problem with Education in California now exists due to Standards that were set by an overacheiving narcissistic group of Napoleons, who care not about the psyche's of the children or the families that live there. Rather than use public education as a tool at which to teach children, they have used it as a way to seek control over the population. It is evident in the two hours worth of homework issued per day, covering subject matter that is set far above what is psychologically feasible for a child to know for his/her age. Teachers do not go into detail on the material in class, leading the parents to "have to" tutor their child after coming home from his/her own job, only to find that the worksheets sent home, are not explanatory of the concept at hand. We have adopted subject matter from around the globe, for which no one book can hold. The teachers have books, and ideas on what they need to cover and teach. Parents have to search the internet in hopes we can get more information or recall the concept to teach the child. Meanwhile, the teacher gets paid and holds the credentials. We get to work our day jobs, come home to tutor our children, and consider it lucky if we get to sit down for a family meal together!