Schools in D.C.

[redcliffsw]

More on the public school mess in America........

Obama betrays blacks in D.C.
-Walter Williams

Instead of President Obama addressing school students across the nation, he might have accomplished more by focusing his attention on the educational rot in schools in the nation's capital. The American Legislative Exchange Council recently came out with its 15th edition of "Report Card on American Education: A State-by-State Analysis." Academic achievement in no state is much to write home about, but in Washington, D.C., by any measure, it approaches criminal fraud. Let's look at the numbers.

Only 14 percent of Washington's fourth-graders score at or above proficiency in the reading and math portions of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test. Their national rank of 51 makes them the nation's worst. Eighth-graders are even further behind with only 12 percent scoring at or above proficiency in reading and 8 percent in math, and again the worst performance in the nation. One shouldn't be surprised by Washington student performance on college admissions tests. They have an average composite SAT score of 925 and ACT score of 19.1, compared to the national average respectively of 1017 and 21.1. In terms of national ranking, their SAT and ACT rankings are identical to their fourth- and eighth-grade rankings – dead last.

rest of the story:

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=109890

[Varmit]

Red, I usually agree with Mr. Williams, however, this time I do believe he is full of crap.  I have never agreed with gov't grants to "low income" families for private education.  I don't think it is a money problem.  I believe it is a parental and teacher problem.  The public school system would produce educated children if the parents actually gave a damn and made their children learn...if the teachers that are hired actually WANTED to teach and not just draw a paycheck...and if the standards were actually raised instead of lowered. 

And another thing, claiming that obama "betrayed" students simply because he is black is moronic.  I am so sick of the race card being played that I could just scream.  Poverty and a lack of a good education are not racial problems.  How many families in Elk county are at or below the poverty level?  And yet their kids still manage to get a decent (I won't say that it is a great one) education.

[pamsback]

Damn Varmit!! I have to agree with you!!!  What the hell??  I don't feel so good........................

[Diane Amberg]

Statistics are hard to use in DC when it comes to identifying education of their blacks. Their lows are very low in the "bad" sections of DC, but the number of college educated, well employed blacks is very high too. More than half the city is black and minority so the numbers are skewed when someone wants to play with statistics.

[Varmit]

That may be true Diane, but this is something that is nation wide.  How many times have we heard parents, teachers, and various liberal groups screaming about the poor, minority children not being able to get a good education?  Or about how standardized tests are racially biased?  Or about the violence that occurs in minority populated schools?  And their reasoning is always the same,  "the gov't isn't giving enough money to our schoold district".  Instead of placing the blame where it belongs, that is with the parents and teachers of these minority schools.  All you have to do is go into these "bad" sections of town to see these peoples mindset.  Most of these neighborhoods look the same.  They are trash ridden, drug addicted, prostitution rampant, waiting on their welfare check, give me something for nothing havens.  And unfortunetly that mindset is projected onto their children.  How many of these parents actually sit down with their children after school and help them with their homework?  I don't mean doing the homework for their children, but teaching the child to do it for himself?  How many of these kids are allowed to turn on the T.V. or video games, or go shoot hoops immediatley after school?  How many of the children in these neighborhoods are allowed to drop out because "I don't need no schoolin' I gots mad skills on da' court, yo!"  instead of parents applying the under used method of "foot to ass" and making their children actually learn something?

[momof 2boys]

Varmit, I agree with your first post up to the point when you state that the students of Elk County don't get a great education.  Have you checked out the grade card for West Elk School District?  Our students are well above the state norm for the Kansas state assessments.  Both grade schools have received Standards of Excellence for the past several years in both reading and math.  Elk County should be extremely proud of those accomplishments!

[Tobina+1]

This is a tough one.  Another Catch-22 situation.  Race aside, I would say I agree with poverty levels and low education going hand in hand (in large cities...).  People who live in poverty areas probably live there because they can't (or won't) get a job.  Therefore, their kids suffer from similar mindset about education (love the quote, Varmit).  And what teacher in their right mind would WANT to teach in an environment like that? 

I don't know how "poverty" is calculated, but in Elk County you have to also take into consideration that the cost of living is also very low compared to the rest of the state.  "Poverty" should be a calculation of both gross income and cost of living.  Then Elk County probably wouldn't rank so low.  Also, like skating or gymnastics, they should also throw out the top and bottom percentages to get a better acurate average. 

[Varmit]

Gina, I get what you are saying.  However, saying that students are preforming above the state norm loses its punch when we look at how low the "norm" has fallen.  It seems that year after year our children are being held to a lowering standard instead of a rising one.  Through no fault of their own our students are being dumbed down by an educational system that lowers the goals for students to achieve instead of making those goals a challenge, which require deterimination and hardwork to reach.  If private school is so much better, why aren't public schools being held to the same or even higher standards?

[momof 2boys]

The norms, according to No Child Left Behind ( Brought to us by the Bush Administration), increase each year.  And by the year 2012 one hundred percent of all school children should be performing on state assessments at the meets standard level, which that score increases each year also.  So I am not too sure about your statement that educational systems are dumbing down the system.

[Varmit]

Increases each year, reallly??  If that is the case why do we have kids that are graduating high school yet are unable to read above an 8th grade level?  Who don't know their states and capitals?  Are lost in math without a calculator?  Who can't write a paper without the aid of spellcheck or the internet?