At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Terry Knapp spoke to the council and encouraged them all to read a new book by Diane Ravitch called “The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice are Undermining Education.” He wanted them (especially the Mayor) to read it before next week’s education symposium with Education Secretary Arne Duncan and school reformer Paul Vallas.
The book is available from Amazon.com here, but you can get a pretty good synopsis of her thesis by watching this lecture (two parts, approx. 15 minutes total, from the Radical Film and Lecture Series at NYU, via YouTube):
“Diane Ravitch is a historian of education. She is Research Professor of Education at New York University. She is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.,” and “From 1991 to 1993, she was Assistant Secretary of Education and Counselor to Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander in the administration of President George H.W. Bush,” according to Politico.
While listening to her speech, I couldn’t help but think about Peoria’s charter school, which is heavily promoted by business interests, not the least of which being the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce. I also thought about how the school board was not even invited to next week’s education symposium — a telling omission. And finally, I thought about this article I recently read from the New York Times: “A charter school created and overseen by Stanford University’s School of Education was denied an extension of its charter on Wednesday night after several members of the school board labeled it a failure. Last month the state placed the charter school, Stanford New School, on its list of persistently lowest-achieving schools.” Ravitch is quoted in that article as saying:
“Maybe this demonstrates that schools alone cannot solve the very deep problems kids bring to school,” said Diane Ravitch, the education scholar and historian. “You cannot assume that schools alone can raise achievement scores without addressing the issues of poverty, of homelessness and shattered families.”
It’s too bad Ms. Ravitch won’t be at next week’s symposium. It would be interesting to hear her spar with Duncan and Vallas.
So Sharon, what are we suppose to gather from all the Charter School data you have collected?
“I hope they get the numbers right when they are figuring up how much per pupil money should go to Quest from District 150.” Sharon, Quest is a PUBLIC SCHOOL. Dollars are not being stolen from the public coffers, they are being applied in a different manner.
What is the purpose of the Board of Education traveling road show? Is this part two of making is more difficult for people to see a BOE meeting? Are they hoping people won’t know where they are meeting?
Sharon wins!
Dimke?
We can only hope.
Frustrated, you can spin it your way if you like. The money isn’t stolen, but it is money District 150 will not be able to spend to meet its budget. However, why shouldn’t the public have been told how many students refused to go to the charter school even though they were chosen by the lottery? Why shouldn’t the public know about the movement back and forth between 150 and Quest?
Frustrated, I purposely just gave you the information so that you and everyone else can draw their own conclusions. Why would you complain about receiving information or are you one who does not want transparency from public bodies?
Of course, I was being facetious about the number error. However, I certainly hope the district is careful enough not to give Quest money for more students than actually attend Quest. Actually, I hope it is the state that doles out the money.
I have been told the the ‘money follows the student”. So if Quest has
X number of students, it will receive state dollars for X number of students. If these students had been attending other schools, those schools would have received the money instead. District 150 is not losing any money from their budget with Quest.
Engin Blackstone, principal of Quest, gives more insight into Quest on our CAPtions TV show airing Sunday, Oct. 3 5 pm Comcast Cable 22. Dr. Grenita Lathan is also on that program.
Dennis, you can look at it that way if you like. However, District 150 has less money to shuffle around. Isn’t that why the district is in so much financial trouble today–because many students have left District 150 for Dunlap, Metamora, Peoria Christian, Notre Dame, etc? What difference does it make if the money goes to Dunlap or Quest–it’s money that District 150 doesn’t have. I do understand the district is not losing money this year–that the loss will be gradual. I don’t profess to understand all that.
However, it is, also, possible that District 150 is losing some of its better students, which will result in a loss that can’t be quantified in financial terms. Also, everyone needs to remember that Quest is a company–it is in this to make money. Therefore, yet again (added to Edison and Johns Hopkins) taxpayer money is being used to provide private companies a profit. District 150 itself is still a non-profit organization.
Those who oppose unions, undoubtedly, prefer that companies, not teachers, make money.
Charlie don’t worry about kids entering the world without the ability to think, as it hasn’t slowed you down, has it?
Stop teasing everybody and tell us who resigned. 🙂
If anyone wants to know where the money is going in the education world just read the article about Shau..http://emergepeoria.blogspot.com/
I heard Dimke found another job….. notice, I said “heard,” so it is still hearsay.
I hope that conniving witch (and that is not the word that I really wanted to use) has found another host for her parasitic ways.
Did the person who resigned do so effective immediately or give two or more weeks’ notice? That should shed some light on the circumstances. PJStar Jul ’09 said D150 hired Dimke after her job was eliminated at Rockford. The Asst. HR makes $14,000/yr more than the Director.
Just heard she gave her resignation because she found another job. No idea if she gave any notice. I would hope they would ask her to leave immediately. Isn’t that usual in admin cases?
Hannah didn’t leave effective immediately when he was offered a position in Bloomington.
“Charlie don’t worry about kids entering the world without the ability to think, as it hasn’t slowed you down, has it?”
Hey, pre-fontal shortage, that’s all you got?
Charlie you use such big words! Aren’t online dictionaries great? 🙂
Hannah was also getting paid by District 150 while he was actually working in Bloomington too.
Hey folks, just a shameless plug here, so bear with me:
Experience “A New Era in Education” on CAPtions starting this Sunday. An exclusive interview with Dr. Grenita Lathan, Dist. 150 superintendent, who explains her philosophies, goals…& why she brought in the team she has. Then, Engin Blackstone tells us about Quest Charter Academy & the advantages of having that choice of education. Enter the New Era Sunday, Oct. 3rd at 5 pm, Wednesday, Oct. 6 at 7 pm, and later that night at Midnight on Comcast Cable 22 in Peoria County, East Peoria, Washington, & Creve Coeur
Dennis, did Blackstone mention anything about the reasons given that 59 of the selected students didn’t enroll at the charter school and why 35 of those on the stand by list declined to be the replacements for the 59? I found those numbers to be rather astounding myself.
The lady doth protest too much, methinks.
Protest??? I wondered where you have been, Jon. So what conclusions do you draw when 94 of 315 (over 35%) of the students chosen for the charter school decided not to attend? When I asked the question, I expected no more than 20; I certainly didn’t expect 94.
Sharon, Blackstone’s segment was taped Sept. 22…probably a few days before you (and us) knew that data.