If Schools Are Broken, What Is the Solution? Answer: Urban School Reform-WRONG! - 18 views

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  #1 Kristen Fuson on 17 May 12

   

  http://larrycuban.wordpress.com/2010/10/17/if-schools-are-broken-what-is-the-solution-answer-urban-school-reform-wrong/

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner"><a href="http://larrycuban.wordpress.com/2010/10/17/if-schools-are-broken-what-is-the-solution-answer-urban-school-reform-wrong/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://larrycuban.wordpress.com/2010/10/17/if-schools-are-broken-what-is-the-solution-answer-urban-school-reform-wrong/</a></div>

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  #2 Kristen Fuson on 17 May 12

   

  This article was written not long after the documentary "Waiting for Superman" was released in 2010, Mark Zuckerberg donated a large amount of money to the public school system in Newark, and the controversial superintendent in Washington DC resigned.
  
  The author gives three reasons to support his criticisms of urban school reform:
  
  1. "Failing big city schools have become the image in the public mind for all school reform." The author feels that not all public schools are failing and the answer to fixing those that are does not lie in total school reform.
  
  2. "Too many policymakers think that what they say, adopt, and fund is what happens in schools and classrooms." The author states that the programs policy makers develop do not consider or encompass what happens in a classroom and therefore barely make it in the door.
  
  3. "What is prescribed now as the medicine that schools must take...ignores the history of earlier hyped cures for failing urban schools." The author goes on to mention several ideas of the past, all have failed.
  
  In summary, the author gives several examples of ideas that would best meet the needs of failing urban schools and asks that the one-size-fits-all approach be put aside.

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">This article was written not long after the documentary "Waiting for Superman" was released in 2010, Mark Zuckerberg donated a large amount of money to the public school system in Newark, and the controversial superintendent in Washington DC resigned. <br /> <br /> The author gives three reasons to support his criticisms of urban school reform: <br /> <br /> 1. "Failing big city schools have become the image in the public mind for all school reform." The author feels that not all public schools are failing and the answer to fixing those that are does not lie in total school reform. <br /> <br /> 2. "Too many policymakers think that what they say, adopt, and fund is what happens in schools and classrooms." The author states that the programs policy makers develop do not consider or encompass what happens in a classroom and therefore barely make it in the door. <br /> <br /> 3. "What is prescribed now as the medicine that schools must take...ignores the history of earlier hyped cures for failing urban schools." The author goes on to mention several ideas of the past, all have failed. <br /> <br /> In summary, the author gives several examples of ideas that would best meet the needs of failing urban schools and asks that the one-size-fits-all approach be put aside.</div>

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  #3 Maggie Steensma on 20 May 12

   

  I thought it very interesting when the article stated "Beyond grafting the one-size-fits-all urban reform agenda upon all schools and super-heated reform rhetoric, it is both a moral and operational imperative to improve urban schools. But not by mistakenly repeating the rhetoric or acting as if all schools are broken." School are not one size fits all nor are the students they serve!
  
  I also love that they pointed out that "policymakers do not know how to school, much less educate, low-income children that enter public schools." Their reforms serve one type of student and its often not the one who needs help the most.

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">I thought it very interesting when the article stated "Beyond grafting the one-size-fits-all urban reform agenda upon all schools and super-heated reform rhetoric, it is both a moral and operational imperative to improve urban schools. But not by mistakenly repeating the rhetoric or acting as if all schools are broken." School are not one size fits all nor are the students they serve! <br /> <br /> I also love that they pointed out that "policymakers do not know how to school, much less educate, low-income children that enter public schools." Their reforms serve one type of student and its often not the one who needs help the most.</div>

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  #4 Jill Hamilton on 26 May 12

   

  This brings up a point of contention that I had with Kennedy. She seemed to be advocating for a more uniform approach to school reform in which teachers did the same things the same ways so that all children had access to the same education. I think it is important, however, to realize that one-size-fits-all doesn't always fit. It would be much easier to reform schools if it did, but our schools have to rely on individual teachers making individual decisions for individual students, a much scarier proposition. That means every school must have access to good teachers and every teacher must be trained to make good decisions given a variety of circumstances. That's much more difficult than the reform efforts that have been put into play so far.

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">This brings up a point of contention that I had with Kennedy. She seemed to be advocating for a more uniform approach to school reform in which teachers did the same things the same ways so that all children had access to the same education. I think it is important, however, to realize that one-size-fits-all doesn't always fit. It would be much easier to reform schools if it did, but our schools have to rely on individual teachers making individual decisions for individual students, a much scarier proposition. That means every school must have access to good teachers and every teacher must be trained to make good decisions given a variety of circumstances. That's much more difficult than the reform efforts that have been put into play so far.</div>

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  #5 Austin Arceo on 26 May 12

   

  I took away a few different points from Kennedy's book. I think she would agree with some of the points made in this blog entry, including the fact that policymakers don't understand how to educate students - particularly low-income students - and reforms that are approved in general assembly chambers rarely make it to the implementation stage in the nation's classrooms. I also think she would agree that a uniform effort at educational reform simply wouldn't be beneficial given the drastic differences inherent in schools all across the country. I do believe that she would say that there are some common causes that unite teachers in their concerns to be able to accomplish the goals that are set for them (i.e. giving teachers time to organize and reflect on lesson plans, being able to keep a class on task for fear of losing lesson momentum, the different interruptions that are expected through the course of the day) but I also don't think that Mary Kennedy would say that successful education reforms at a struggling urban school in a section of New York City or Chicago would be just as successful with a school facing challenges in rural Indiana or Kentucky. I do think most people, though, would agree with the iconic image of "the struggling/failing urban school" has become the image most associated with the nation's education system, and politicians and other policymakers have really exploited it.

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">I took away a few different points from Kennedy's book. I think she would agree with some of the points made in this blog entry, including the fact that policymakers don't understand how to educate students - particularly low-income students - and reforms that are approved in general assembly chambers rarely make it to the implementation stage in the nation's classrooms. I also think she would agree that a uniform effort at educational reform simply wouldn't be beneficial given the drastic differences inherent in schools all across the country. I do believe that she would say that there are some common causes that unite teachers in their concerns to be able to accomplish the goals that are set for them (i.e. giving teachers time to organize and reflect on lesson plans, being able to keep a class on task for fear of losing lesson momentum, the different interruptions that are expected through the course of the day) but I also don't think that Mary Kennedy would say that successful education reforms at a struggling urban school in a section of New York City or Chicago would be just as successful with a school facing challenges in rural Indiana or Kentucky. I do think most people, though, would agree with the iconic image of "the struggling/failing urban school" has become the image most associated with the nation's education system, and politicians and other policymakers have really exploited it.</div>

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  #6 Sarah Livengood on 15 Jun 12

   

  "An urban portfolio of choices is sensible policy when you are uncertain which ways are best to get low-income children to learn and achieve in school."
  
  Deborah Meier would agree that choices are necessary for successful urban reform.

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">"An urban portfolio of choices is sensible policy when you are uncertain which ways are best to get low-income children to learn and achieve in school." <br /> <br /> Deborah Meier would agree that choices are necessary for successful urban reform.</div>

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