Eleven District 150 schools will split $1.3 million earmarked for underprivileged students under a plan still being finalized by school officials.
Okay, remember those numbers: 11, $1.3 million.
But the plan, nearly doubling the number of schools designated as Title I, comes at a cost to 13 other schools within the district already receiving the grants.
Ah, so 13 other schools already receive Title 1 funding. If we take that number, plus the aforementioned 11 schools that will be added, we come up with 24 schools total. Got it.
Despite the district increasing the number of Title I schools from 15 to 24, it won’t receive any additional money.
Wait a minute. Now they’re saying 15 schools already receive Title I funding, but the total is still only going to be 24, which is an increase of 9. This must be a typo; I’m sure they meant to say “from 13 to 24.” Maybe the editor will catch it before the paper copy goes to press.
Essentially, it would redistribute the same $7.5 million it receives annually.
What? How did we get from $1.3 million to $7.5 million? From the article, it appears the $7.5 million is the total funding District 150 gets, and of that amount, $1.3 million is going to be going to the 11 additional schools. But how is that figured? How did they arrive at that number?
Enrollment at the 13 additional schools represents a combined 5,000 students.
I thought it was 11 additional schools. Thirteen was the number of schools “already receiving the grants,” wasn’t it? This is so confusing!
Of the little more than $7.5 million District 150 receives, $2.2 million is set aside for pre-school, $755,000 for professional development, $75,500 for parental involvement and $255,000 for administrative needs. The remaining $3.5 million goes directly to the schools.
$2.2 million, plus $755,000, plus $75,500, plus $255,000, plus $3.5 million equals $6,785,500. Where does the other “little more than” $714,500 go? That ain’t chump change, especially on an annual basis!
Not being factored in is some $4.4 million in federal stimulus money headed for Title I programs at District 150.
Good, because none of the other numbers are adding up anyway. Does anybody at 1 News Plaza have a calculator?
Frustrated: Thank you for the kind words. I guess we strayed off the topic of the original post, but it was interesting discussion!
Sharon… WHY? You keep saying the ultimate goal of education is to get employed by someone… WHY?
Kcdad: A quick why would be to survive and to provide for one’s family. I “lost” one of my usual lengthy responses to your last post. Now it doesn’t seem worth it to continue this argument -30-
Why teach them to get employed by someone else, to become wage slaves… why not teach people to provide for themselves? Why not teach people NOT to become employed… that way they can’t get fired. Don’t you see how you have been teaching your students to perpetuate the status quo instead of allowing children to create their futures? You were teacher, and yet you write about fixing the system as if you are a smithy who instead of getting rid of the horse and buggy, and building a rocket ship, you want to put a “better” shoe on the horse.
Sorry you don’t get it… or are afraid to get it.
I did have students who created their own futures (at least, they rejected the education offered them)–and what they created wasn’t good. Did you create your own future and career? How do you differ from all the other teachers at ICC? You might not be making as much money as you could make, but you seem to be providing for your family in a very traditional way. Can I assume that you don’t have the credentials (education hours) to teach in 150? If not, you will be eligible to teach at the new charter school. Does that interest you?
“I did have students who created their own futures (at least, they rejected the education offered them)–and what they created wasn’t good”
Sharon, your good. Excellent come back.
kcdad – “Why teach them to get employed by someone else, to become wage slaves… why not teach people to provide for themselves? Why not teach people NOT to become employed… that way they can’t get fired. Don’t you see how you have been teaching your students to perpetuate the status quo instead of allowing children to create their futures? You were teacher, and yet you write about fixing the system as if you are a smithy who instead of getting rid of the horse and buggy, and building a rocket ship, you want to put a “better” shoe on the horse.
Sorry you don’t get it… or are afraid to get it.”
You just made a pure capitalist statement! I am proud of you! There is hope!
Frustrated… don’t be sarcastic. Bill Gates rejected traditional education and made his own future… plenty of people reject traditional education and do just fine for themselves.
Sharon you live in a dream world of elite white blinders.
Providing for my family in a very traditional way… you have no idea… I am an adjunct professor… a part time independent contractor with no possibility of becoming full time. The answer adjuncts are given is get another degree, get another job adjuncting somewhere else or take a part time job counseling or advising for minimum wage. I have several jobs. I have no insurance medical or otherwise. We paid almost 600 for a mammogram last year because my wife’s insurance that we paid for said they didn’t cover them. DIDN’T COVER MAMMOGRAMS! (Thankfully Methodist reduced their charges). I have a dislocated knee that I can’t afford to go see an orthopedist about, so I will hobble around all summer until it heals itself.
I have more than enough hours to be certified in Illinois. I have my Masters in Education, completed all teacher credential courses plus about 24 hours. The only thing I didn’t do was give away a semester of my money and time to student teach. I am perfectly eligible for alternative certification which District 150 REFUSED to look into… the HR director said to me: “I don’t know anything about it. We don’t do that.”
Bradley said they would let me do student teaching if I took classes for two years from them and Northern said they would get me certified if I got another Masters… Illinois State said if i took one year of general Social Science classes they would get me certified… so I went there and then they said 2 years, and then they said 2 1/2 years each time changing the requirements and courses needed. It was then I realized it wasn’t about teaching, it wasn’t about education it was about BUSINESS. (They even encouraged me to CLEP out of some courses and afterwards told me they didn’t accept CLEP tests even though they administer them)
Who wants a white male Social Science teacher with Military disability?
Do you think a charter school would be any different? I’d be glad to consider it.
mdd “You just made a pure capitalist statement! I am proud of you! There is hope!”
I suppose you might think that was Capitalist… it wasn’t. Capitalism is not about doing something creative, it is about OWNING things. It is about possessions.
Change of subject. I was just watching the 150 board meeting about the hospital contracts. Dr. Mary O’Brian (director of special ed) got up to answer questions as to why CHOI was so much higher than Methodist and Proctor and she couldn’t even answer the questions!!! The answer she gave was laughable. Hinton brought O’Brian in and when he leaves she needs to GO.
O’Brian is incompetent and on top of that a BULLY. The woman does not know what she is talking and on top of it she screams, rants, and bullies people. That’s the kind of people Hinton has hired.
Someone at the board meeting spoke about administrators being bullies, how right she was. Do they not get their bullying is a direct correlation as to how people perform in their jobs? Bullies suck the energy right out of you.
Kcdad: I understand about the Bill Gateses of this world–they will always carve out their own futures–no one can stop them. Amazingly enough, Gates provides scholarships, etc., for young people to get a traditional education–so even he must realize that there is merit in that route, also. If student teaching is all that is holding you back from getting a job, then I am confused. You expect teachers to work for much less than they make today–to be so dedicated that money doesn’t matter. However, you weren’t willing to “give” away money and time to student teach. Even if you resented giving the money to the “system,” you still would have had an influence on the lives of the young people in your class as a student teacher. I am not totally unsympathetic with the idea that there are some uncertified college grads who would make good teachers. I have a friend and a cousin that didn’t get education hours and/or didn’t student teach–both would still make good teachers. I thought most education courses that I took were a complete waste of time–but I wanted to be a teacher, so no big deal. “Elite white blinders”–what in the world is that supposed to mean? If you have children of your own–or if you would have had childlren of your own, where would you have sent them to school. Homeschooled, I assume.
Sharon – you just keep knocking it out the ball park. I don’t even need to offer rebuttal, you do such a great job!
Bill Gates, please!!!! He is an exceptional individual that would have made it in the world regardless of the educational route pursued. Most are not so special. I know that my children need and enjoy a structured learning environment and peer interaction that attending a traditional school provides and they benefit from gaining perspective on issues from other adults (their teachers) besides their parents.
Kcdad:
There are some posts in other areas that I think you are spot on about. Other posts (such as this one) make me shake my head and wonder how someone as intelligent as you can make grossly overgeneralized statements such as:
“Oh the teacher student ratio…. here is how it works… at any given time there are (let’s for the sake of numbers ) 20 teachers at a school with 240 students. In each class there are 24 students and 1 teacher. That takes care of 10 teachers… where are the other 10 teachers? On break.”
-They sure are on break! They sit in the lounge and do NOTHING. The principal doesn’t care. Yeah, those 10 teachers don’t do anything. They don’t organize moonwalks, science fairs, concerts, family reading nights, neighborhood cleanups, or anything else that encourages unity between the community and school. They also don’t bother working with other teachers in developing cross-curricular activities that connect ideas and reinforce concepts that have been taught in other subject areas. They definitely don’t want to help show the relevance of those inner-core subjects (reading, math, science, etc.) to the subjects and areas of their expertise while providing solid foundation in those specialized fields. They don’t give up their planning periods to teach extra classes that students have had an interest. Whew!!! (wipes forehead)
Someone pointed out the fact that there are PE teachers, music teachers, reading coaches, etc. that do these things. In fact, the aforementioned activities are just a handful of things that I have seen at the schools I’ve been able to serve by myself and other teachers that are not self-contained teachers.
Sharon… wake up. “so even he must realize that there is merit in that route,” he needs willing, “follow orders” employees… where better to get them?
Frustrated… try thinking for yourself instead of quacking every time Sharon recants the status quo
Back to you Ms Crews: “You expect teachers to work for much less than they make today–to be so dedicated that money doesn’t matter. However, you weren’t willing to “give” away money and time to student teach. Even if you resented giving the money to the “system,” you still would have had an influence on the lives of the young people in your class as a student teacher.”
Wow.. where do I begin?
1) I don’t expect anyone to “make less”. I expect them to do more. To be successful educating the children or to get out. Getting 5% of your students to college is not successful, graduating 65% is not successful, seeing them take jobs at Walmart or Texas Roadhouse is not successful…
2) Are you willing to “give away money and time”? I give away PLENTY of time and money for the area but none of it is to enrich a business masquerading as a school.
3) The last think I want as a “student teacher” is some worn out, burned out teacher who will tell me to make sure I follow my lesson plans and keep the children quiet.
4) “you still would have an influence on the lives of the young people “… as I couldn’t eat or afford rent… yes they would get a good look at our society and how the economy works. Apprentice yourself… that is, work for free to show how much you are willing to kowtow and jump through hoops for THE MAN. MAYBE he will actually pay you to do what you have already shown you are willing to do for free… and even if he does, you committed to putting HIS job first before your pay because you already did it for free.
teachingisphun…. I never said they didn’t do anything… why so defensive? All I was doing is showing how the math works.
“They also [don’t] bother working with other teachers in developing cross-curricular activities ”
Oh my… Wacky Wednesdays are being justified again.
Regarding the entry last night about administrators being bullys.
A quote from Abraham Lincoln comes to mind.
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”
kcdad: I absolutely agree with your philosophy of education (and sports too, by the way), but I disagree with your assessment of “success” when you said, “seeing them take jobs at Walmart or Texas Roadhouse is not successful”.
I don’t care if my kids go to college or not. That is their choice, depending on what they need to achieve their goals. Right now, my son wants to be a firefighter, NASCAR driver, policeman, constructions worker…all things that don’t require a college education. I believe my entire 16+ years of “education” were mostly a waste of time and money. I knew how to play the school game and was good enough at memorization to get good grades, but I didn’t truly learn much of any value. My mom never went to college and is one of the smartest people I know, with real common sense intelligence, the kind that really matters. It may sound like I have no ambition for my kids, but in fact I have the highest ambitions for them. I want them to be future citizens of heaven and in the meantime, good citizens of Earth. I want them to know who they are and to love and respect themselves and others. I want them to learn how to learn so that they will love learning all their lives. I want them to be joyful and curious forever. I want them to know that their daddy and I are totally crazy in love with them, and most of all, that their Daddy in heaven loves them even more.
If that happens (even if they work at Walmart or Texas Roadhouse), I will consider them successful.
JANEL: Of course you are correct… success has NOTHING to do with where or if they word at a job. That was supposed to be my point. Education should not be about finding a job, but instead, finding a place in humanity.
Well said, kcdad. Sorry if I took your words out of context.
Kcdad and Janel: Idealistically I agree with what I think you are saying. Of course, I believe that being truly educated means far more than getting a job. I am sure that you must agree that both things can be accomplished. As far as my own history is concerned, my parents were not educated. My dad went to maybe the 6th grade and my mother through the 10th. My father was self-taught–he played the trombone in the Peoria Municapl Band, he did carpentry work for fun–made all our kitchen cabinets, all the furniture in my bedroom, and had a job in accounting before he retired, making very little money. I firmly believe that if my father had had more formal education, he would have had better jobs, etc. He struggled all his life to make ends meet, etc. My parents would have been unable to “homeschool” me, just as many parents today cannot. As Frustrated as said, her children and many children do require the formal, more structured environment. In fact, contrary to everything Kcdad seems to believe, I found that inner city kids, in general, often thrive on the structure that they may not have had in their lives otherwise. I believe that to be truly educated all of us must follow some passion–something that we love to learn, some field of study that we pursue completely on our own. Some of the passions lead to careers; others just lead to fuller lives. Some of these “passions” come from the many experiences to which our parents expose us, some of these passions come for some little spark that was lit during our schooling. For instance, I have friends whose son has a passion for horticulture and has pursued it as a career. His interest surprised his parents. All they remember is that some teacher in the lower grades asked their son to help her water plants. That’s what I mean some little spark lit quite unintentionally. I think that many parents send the kids off to school and expect teachers to give them a “complete” education. Education takes place 24-7–and what happens both in school and out of school can contribute to whom we each become. Schools just can’t be all thing to all people–we do have to find our own way–but often a formal education does help.
Sharon: I agree that both things (being truly educated AND getting a job) can be accomplished. Your father sounds like an amazing and completely successful person, able to teach himself what he wanted to learn, and having the skill to make furniture. I would be proud if my children turn out just like that. If he had had more “formal education”, he may not have discovered the ability to teach HIMSELF things (instead of believing that learning can occur only when someone else teaches you something), and he may not have discovered his passion for carpentry. I love what you said about passions being ignited by some little unexpected spark. I want to be the one who is there to see that spark in my children so I can fan their fires. If I send them away for the majority of the day, it would be harder for me to know them well enough to uncover their passions. You said, “Education takes place 24-7” and I couldn’t agree more.
kcdad: You didn’t answer Sharon’s question from an earlier post about how your daughter was educated?
OKAY… you asked for it. My daughter was ready for 3rd grade when she entered Kindergarten… she could read, write and do arithmetic. She had been to 2 countries, 5 different states and could carry on a conversation with kids 5 years older than she… for the first 5 years of school she was looked to as a peer helper… she was the teacher’s helper in tutoring the other kids. In 5th grade it was decided that she was being held back by the curriculum and she was promoted to 6th grade in the middle of the term.
How was she educated? We played games, we asked questions and discovered new ways to do things. We took things apart and put other things together. We explored anatomy, space, geology, weather, zoos, museums… everything that I could get her to do we did. Swim, play softball, soccer, checkers, chess, computer games like Jump Street and Where in the World is Carmen San Diego, and many others. I can’t think of any time we ever said NOW IT IS TIME TO DO _______. It was always, what do you want to learn, or what do want to do that someone else can do but you can’t or haven’t done yet? EVERYTHING was game. Playing in the leaves and then raking them up was a game. Cleaning our room or taking care of our dogs (Molly and Casper) and pet rats (Lillian and Jillian) was not a chore, but fun and a learning experience. Going to the park and playing on the “climby things”, going to Chuckie Cheese and playing in the tunnels… these were things we did together… my wife always laughed at this 30 something Dad climbing through the tunnels after our daughter… Her grandparents have traveled all around the world so she saw pictures heard stories and touched stuff from every culture on the planet. She heard stories about her grandparents, great grandparents and great great grand parents (one grandmother was a teenager in Germany during WWII so there was much to hear about that.) She played or talked on the phone with her cousins on a regular basis (they lived in Florida, Delaware, Michigan and California… so she learned about those states and what life was like there.)
How did I educated her… the same way I educate my students today.
“Love first, then teach”
I don’t know if that quote is from Saint Mother Theodore Guerin or not, but I think I read it in a book by Leo Buscaglia…he is one of my heroes.
Here’s what they say about me in return:
I loved this class, _____ is the best teacher in the world. I would recomand everyone take this class even if you dont need it. IT Rocked.
Unique teaching style, but very helpful.Overall a great teacher, and very understanding.
_____is extremely awesome! I loved this class and would recommend him to any student in the future. I learned a lot in this class and now find myself questioning things in my life much more. He made sociology very crystal clear to understand and he enjoys the interaction between students in the classroom. Thanks_____
_____ is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. He is a phenomenal professor. His lectures are very entertaining. Assignments cause you to think about the subject matter much deeper. And his sociological observations were fun. By far the best professor I’ve had so far in college.
Now you know why I don’t do it for the money.
Kcdad: I still do not understand your unwillingness to give the public school and its teachers credit for doing much of what you have done. You are obviously a wonderful teacher. I just would like you to acknowledge that you aren’t the only great teacher–that District 150 has more than its fair share–and that teachers can and do rise above the system with all its faults. There is no doubt that some teachers do not inspire, etc., but they are the exception, not the rule. And there is no doubt that we have our really great moments and our medicore moments, etc., that some students love us and some don’t, etc. I know that you have said that your ICC students come and tell you horror stories about their high school teachers, etc. I heard stories like that, also–kids enjoy telling those stories when they have the “opportunity” for whatever reason. Also, you sound like a wonderful father–not all children are blessed with parents and grandparents who can or do provide all the educational experiences that your daughter enjoyed. However, by the same token, there are many mothers and fathers and grandparents who enrich children’s lives as your daughter’s was enriched.
Janel: Because the sparks are “small,” most teachers will never know how we have influenced the lives of our students–but we have. Quite often those sparks are something we are totally unaware of lighting–they just came about in the normal course of day to day interaction with young people. That is one of the reasons that I am so opposed to “computer” learning, a “cheaper” way of offering education, that seems to be catching the attention of District 150. I believe 150 has already bought into some such program from Edison for summer school.
You aren’t going to like this.
“I still do not understand your unwillingness to give the public school and its teachers credit for doing much of what you have done.”
Because you get paid 5 times what I get paid and still 30% of your students fail. You don’t DO anything that couldn’t be done by uncertified people, uneducated people and “unqualified” people. I am not talking about you personally, it isn’t about you. I mean the school system. They talk about certification, accreditation, graduation rates, class size and special ed and advanced programs an AYP scores… but the truth is overall the students don’t do as well as students that DON’T go to school.
The system is not here for the students. It is here for the employees, businesses and politicians.
What is the biggest complaint about vouchers? Schools would close and teachers would be out of jobs.
What is the biggest complaint about homeschooling and private schools? Teachers losing jobs and schools closing.
What is the biggest complaint about merit pay? Teachers would lose their jobs.
The Public School System is not about the students. It hasn’t been for a long time. It is about MONEY.
“Also, you sound like a wonderful father–not all children are blessed with parents and grandparents who can or do provide all the educational experiences that your daughter enjoyed.”
Thanks. I wish I could have been there more. As to other children not having those opportunities…
Of course not.. that is why the schools and teachers are granted In loco parentis status. That is what teachers and schools should be doing.
My daughter was punished in first grade for looking out the classroom window at the first snowfall of the year during story time (Sammy Squirrel storing up nuts for the winter). I asked the teacher, “Don’t you teach about the weather? Isn’t that what the story was about?” She said of course but it wasn’t weather time, it was story time…
CARUMBA! I then told her, that what she didn’t know about my daughter (KC… get it KCdad?) was that she was born in California and had never seen the first snowfall of the year… she had seen snow, of course, but never the first snowfall. Wouldn’t that have been a great opportunity to talk about changing seasons and weather… rather than some Capitalistic squirrel teaching them to save your nuts in the bank so you can retire in Arizona away from all of your friends and family????? (just kidding… had to get some marxist anger in there somewhere)
Kcdad: That’s what’s great about living in America–we are all entitled to our own opinions and then we get this wonderful blog so that we can have these discussions. I hope your daughter had some good experiences at school, but I suppose that if she had you would have shared them.
Good experiences… JrROTC was a good experience for the most part. She was top drill captain in the country… her unit came in second place overall in nationals at Pensacola. I went down and watcher it.. it was pretty cool.
She made and kept a lot of friends. She participated in Track her Senior year when JrROTC got too political and one of her friends stabbed her in the back and lied to the Commander about her in order to get the Student Commander position. Other than that, she spent 11 years in relative confinement against her will listening to people tell her what THEY wanted her to be interested in and what THEY wanted her to learn. She coped with her impressment fairly well, I think.
What kind of “good” experiences did your students experience in school… that had to do with education? (You know of course why they have theater, band, sports and all the other EXTRA CURRICULAR activities? It is the only “good” memories of school most kids have) Before you suggest they are a part of the education “experience”, let me remind you that every single extra curricular activity is duplicated in the park district or elseswhere.
She received a full scholarship to Illinois Institute of Technology… despite her public school experiences.. or because of them.. I don’t know. maybe just because…
kcdad: Why didn’t you homeschool?
Sharon: “Quite often those sparks are something we are totally unaware of lighting–they just came about in the normal course of day to day interaction with young people.”
You’re right. That’s why I’m not willing to give the day to day interaction with my own young people to someone else. I’m not saying there aren’t great teachers out there, but it’s not their responsibility to educate my children. It’s MY responsibility and my privilege.
Janel: I understand that–schools just have to be available to those whose parents can’t homeschool or have to work, etc., or just prefer the traditional route. Parents can still be the spark–and still have to be a very important part of their children’s education.
What a great and wonderful world some of you live in where the parents are engaged and educated, willing and able to work with their children and raise them up so the children can embrace the world around them. Gosh, if I lived in this candy coated world, I would be able to see there is no need for teachers too. Unfortunately, the world I live in has children who live with someone other than parents who are too old or uninvolved to give a damn. Children who don’t even know their dad and rarely see their mom or vice versa. First and second graders who have to get themselves up in order to get to school so if they are late we rejoice just because they made it. Children who don’t know there is something special about them and, if their teacher doesn’t tell them, they may never hear it. I don’t see teachers as robots who drill students in math and science and indoctrinate their students with the idea—you must find a job. I see loving, caring, giving individuals who embrace their students both physically and emotionally in order to give them some sort of order in their lives…..to give them some of the things Janel and kcdad were able to give their own children. Not every child comes into this world loved and wanted and celebrated. Those children need schools more than anyone…they need the love, the stability, the kindness, and the lessons on humanity as well as addition they receive among everything else. My world isn’t candy coated…it’s reality.
Powerful, Teachingrocks! Very well said.
TEACHINGROCKS: “I see loving, caring, giving individuals who embrace their students both physically and emotionally in order to give them some sort of order in their lives…”
I suppose you see what you are looking for… or what you remember from your days in school.
What I see is a group of over paid, under thumb state employees using the their union as a bludgeoning tool against the administration, and memories of yesterday against the public and and administration who has given up on the idea of educating anyone but not given up the pretense of keeping the bureaucracy alive and well fed.
Why didn’t I home school? Because I had some good teachers when I was a student. For example, Mary Greener taught me: “I can only teach you, you must educate yourself.” I thought schools were about teaching kids. just like many of you do. It wasn’t until I starting working towards my MA and Teaching Certificate that I discovered I was wrong.
I will remind you what the purpose of the teachers’ union is: to secure teacher jobs, pay and benefits… not to improve education or administration policies towards education. (It is a LABOR union, not a professional union) They have been selling themselves out to the administration for pay and benefits for the past 40 years.
TEACHINGROCKS: “Gosh, if I lived in this candy coated world, I would be able to see there is no need for teachers too. ” well that is just cute… and even cuter that Diane thought is was “very powerful”.
NO ONE WROTE THAT. Just like other popular reactionaries, you are rewording, reshaping and changing the subject. No one is suggesting there is no need for teachers… or parents or children. No one is suggesting we kill all the teachers, or parents or children, no is suggesting that illegal immigrants or terrorists are coming over here to blow up school buildings or your home with dirty suitcase nuclear devices or poison you with anthrax letters.
There is a need for teachers… REAL teachers, who do act in loco parentis. There is no need for school district bureaucracies. There is no need for spending $15,000 per kid to not be successful. There is no need to be paying 4 people to do the job of one person, when we don’t even need that person… Hinton…
Sharon:”Parents can still be the spark–”
Read this carefully.. OF course parents can still be the spark… but that is not the purpose of schools. Schools are there to be the spark in place of the parents. Please look up “in loco parentis”.. you seem to have forgotten what it means. Public mandatory schools were started because parents couldn’t teach their children “American” ways because they were immigrants or laborers who often didn’t even read, write or speak English.
“schools just have to be available to those whose parents can’t homeschool or have to work, etc., or just prefer the traditional route. ”
The traditional route???? Homeschooling IS the traditional route. Mandatory public education, as a nation is less than 100 years old. The first state to mandate education through 8th grade was back in 1852 in Massachusetts or so, the last in 1918 or so.
Now we graduate kids out of high school without an “traditional” 8th grade education.
in loco parentis”.. When applied to schools, in loco parentis has limitations. First of all, if parental responsibility and influence were to be replaced by the schools, we would put children in orphanages run by schools. in loco parentis simply gives schools some rights and responsibilities while the students are in their care–that still leaves about 16 hours a day, weekends, vacations, and summers. No parent would or should ever give up the right or privilege to augment his/her child’s formal education. Yes, Mary Greener had the reputation of being one of the best. Yes, I erred by giving public schools the “traditional” label. And, Kcdad, I thought you considered the rest of us to be reactionary.
“if parental responsibility and influence were to be replaced by the school”… THAT is reactionary… no one suggested that.. you re a taking something completely out of context to the point of absurdity.
The schools MUST act in the place of the parent where the parent fails to act.. THAT is the law. (That is also why schools are “mandatory reporters”)
I don’t know who “the rest of us” is.
teachingrocks: I never said there was no need for teachers. Just because my kids don’t need teachers doesn’t make me unaware that others do. The kids you describe are lucky you have you. My children were not wanted, loved, or celebrated when they were born. My husband and I adopted them. Our “candy coated” life, as you call it, is NOT perfect (very far from it), but I am thankful for it.
Janel – Yes they were! There was just a slight delay 😉
You’re right, Diane. We definitely wanted and loved them, even before we met them, and there was a big celebration when we got them!
kcdad,
Please forgive my curiosity but would you share whether your daughter is an only child? If not, where does she fall in the birth order?
Janel: That is wonderful. I’m glad they have you two rather than what might have been. I agree with Diane–they are definitely wanted, loved, and celebrated. We are lucky there are people such as yourself to give some of these children the lives they deserve.
KCdad:
Shouldn’t I defend the “other 10 teachers” because you think we are “on break”? Just letting you know those specials teachers educate the children as well.
Thank you, teachingrocks, but I must admit that we didn’t do it for them. It was motivated by our own selfishness (aren’t almost everyone’s actions ultimately motivated by selfishness?), because we wanted children, and it wasn’t happening the traditional way. Adoption is a huge blessing, even more so for the parents than the kids! Sorry I got way sidetracked off the topic at hand.
kcdad: I am talking about children who need schools and teachers and you start talking about illegal immigrants and anthrax letters. Are you sure I am the one who is “rewording, reshaping and changing the subject”?
teachingisphun: I would whole heartedly agree that “specials” teachers educate children along with the classroom teachers. Art, music, science, pe, etc. are critical subjects for our students.
“No one is suggesting there is no need for teachers… or parents or children. No one is suggesting we kill all the teachers, or parents or children, no one is suggesting that illegal immigrants or terrorists are coming over here to blow up school buildings or your home with dirty suitcase nuclear devices or poison you with anthrax letters.”
My point, that you so cleverly missed was that no one is attacking or trying to get rid of teachers or schools. Some of us want the inept and poisonous SYSTEM changed. I am sorry there are so many teachers in a system that exists for self preservation instead of education. I am sorry we are flushing so much money into the toilet of The Public School System. ($40 million in bonds to pay off old debts… RIDICULOUS! It’s criminal!) Unfortunately to fix it, a lot of people will have to lose their comfortable guaranteed incomes. Tenure has to go. It is nonsense in elementary and high school. Administrators are going to have to take huge cuts in pay or go back to the classrooms.
You were not talking about children who need schools… you were implying ALL children need schools, and that all teachers and schools are necessary for all children.
“Those children need schools more than anyone…” and those are the children schools are failing most. The ones that succeed in public schools are the ones that least need it. Schools DON’T do what they need to do most. District 150 is terrible at dealing with special needs kids. I have a friend who had to go to Chicago to find someone who understood special education… they have forced 150 into admitting they were clueless and now they have to fork out the dough because of it.
Even “good” kids from “good” families are graduating without reading and critical thinking skills necessary. What hope do those special needs kids have?
The first step to recovery is admitting that there is problem. Teachers, administrators and politicians are all pointing fingers everywhere but at themselves. (It’s the parents’ fault, it’s the kids’ fault, it is society’s fault…) No, it is the SCHOOL SYSTEM’S fault.
j-darcy: Each of my students is an only child to me. I don’t have any idea why you asked that.
Quote:
kcdad: “The first step to recovery is admitting that there is problem. Teachers, administrators and politicians are all pointing fingers everywhere but at themselves. (It’s the parents’ fault, it’s the kids’ fault, it is society’s fault…) No, it is the SCHOOL SYSTEM’S fault.”
I could not agree more. Could you give those of us in education that agree with this statement a chance?
I have made my share of enemies in education by making similair remarks.
I went into administration because I firmly believe that buildings Principals have the most influence on the effectiveness of a school…. both good and bad.
Its the “Triangle of Blame”. In each corner are parents, teachers, and politicians blaming each other. In the middle.. sitting safely .. are the administrators.
I would have loved to have stayed in the classroom teaching physics, but while teaching at Cahokia High School I realized that my ability to correct the flaws that I worked around was limited. I challenged myself to “put up or shut up”.
Management is about accountabilty and responsibility….. not excuses. This is why I have offered to sit and talk with anyone reading these blogs. We need to form a partnership with the students’ future success as our common goal. We all want the same thing… or at least we all should.
Mr. Ptacek:
I would like to sit and talk with you in June about your vision for Richwoods and what it has to offer students. How do I best contact you?
Steve! There is hope for Richwoods!!!
Any chance you are leading a secessionist movement from the District?
I am curious as to what you think you can do as a Principal when the District is so inept.
I do plan on taking you up on your offer to talk.
Frustrated: 693-4414… Please do
kcdad, I was brought here by the district because I made these strong claims in my interview process. I do feel supported with the direction that I want RHS to go. But I am glad that we have reached an agreement on an crucial issue.
Clarification:
This is my first year in Peoria and my frustration at the lack of acceptance of responsibility was developed LONG before I came to PSD 150. I don’t want anyone to think that I made my comments solely about this district. My most serious arguements and debates occurred when I was getting my Masters at SIUE.
It was shocking to see so many teachers wanting to be administrators but not willing to accept the responsibility for the job……. not just shocking, but upsetting.
My comments are about my experience with education in general in multiple school districts in two states.
Steve, you are to be commended for sharing yor thoughts on this blog. I hope the district continues to let you voice your opinion and challenge the staus quo that exists in the district. Unfortunately, the odds are stacked againgst you. If you go to far or upset the wrong people you will be sent packing. Don’t believeme, look no further than Lindbergh.
Mayor Ardis had an interesting quote in the PJS this a.m. “”District 150’s disadvantage is not the growth cells but the real or perceived opinion of the (District 150) product by the decision-maker,” Ardis said. “Many are and have been making decisions to move outside the (District 150) boundaries because of those opinions, and this places homes within their boundary at a disadvantage for potential single-family home purchases.”
I think he is on target with this comment, but the district continues to make questionable decisions. Also in the PJS this a.m. was the story of the coach at your school (Richwoods) who is on leave for allegedly viewing pornography at school. I believe it is appropriate for him to be on leave even though the district said he did not break any laws but did violate district policy.
What about Mary Davis? She clearly violated district policy with the issues regarding the student teacher and bogus addresses for students. Also there is currently a police investigation regarding the credit card. Is she on leave? NO! Why not! Is there a double standard? The mayors comments about the image of the district are appropriate given these issues.