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| KIds Aren't Cars; and our schools shouldn't be dropout factories | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: May 5 2011, 12:01 PM (804 Views) | |
| Ava | May 5 2011, 12:01 PM Post #1 |
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So what? Who cares?
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http://www.kidsarentcars.com/blog/ Trailer: Interviews (in no particular order): Mike Reno, former school board member Talia Reed, Indiana teacher Scott Reeder, former Illinois statehouse reporter Iris Salters, MEA president Sir Michael Barber, McKinsey & Company Stephen Becher, former local union president Dr. Tony Bennett, Indiana state superintendent Ken Swanson, IEA president Steve Conn, Detroit teacher Dr. Robert Bobb, Detroit Public Schools emergency financial manager Russ Simnick, Indiana Public Charter Schools Association president Dr. Beverley Geltner, former superintendent Arch Lewis, MEA research consultant Marilyn Stewart, former Chicago Teachers Union president John Boyle, former Ford executive Nolan Finley, Detroit News editorial page editor Marcus Robinson, Tindley Accelerated School principal Keith Johnson, Detroit Federation of Teachers president Frank Webster, former MESSA executive director Ade, Mason, Trevor and Juslyn, Indianapolis students Mona Franklin, Detroit parent Margaret Williamson, Pro Literacy Detroit executive director DeJuan Cullins, DPS graduate and Pro Literacy Detroit client Mitch Gerig, Indiana teacher Dan Quisenberry, President Michigan Association of Public School Academies Must-see video: America's assembly line public school system is hurting kids' education and causing us to slip further behind globally. Last year, McKinsey & Co. reported American students were 25th globally in math scores and 24th in science, behind countries like Iceland and Hungary. Many of our public schools are controlled by collective bargaining agreements, tying the hands of effective, hard-working teachers and administrators who are seeking to reform the education process. Employee contracts create a one-size-fits-all compensation method for teachers, regardless of effectiveness, which penalizes hard work and innovation. And worse yet, we continue to spend more and more each year but get the same or worse results. Unions need to be held accountable for the damage they have done to our public education system. The adult priorities - pay, benefits and other perks - have created dropout factories, broken budgets and systems where students actually graduate without being able to read the diploma he or she receives. Something needs to change. How do we fix public schools? •Put the needs of students first. What do students need in order to be successful? A quality teacher in every classroom. Up-to-date teaching methods and supplies. "Quality-blind" layoff rules, particularly those tied to seniority, are an insult to effective teachers. •Put the needs of adults second. During contract time, the fight is invariably about pay, benefits and retirement, not "what policies need to change in order to increase student achievement." •Empower parents to choose the school option that best meets the needs of their children. •State governments should enact reforms to give schools more control over their budgets and personnel decisions. |
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| Ava | May 5 2011, 12:50 PM Post #2 |
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http://www.livoniapublicschools.org/district.cfm?subpage=36797 Contact Your Legislators/Governor : Governor Rick Snyder: 517-373-3400 SnyderR3@michigan.gov Senator Glenn Anderson: 517-373-1707 SenGAnderson@senate.michigan.gov. Representative John Walsh:517-373-3920 JohnWalsh@house.mi.gov Representative Richard LeBlanc:517-373-2576 richardleblanc@house.mi.gov House Speaker Jase Bolger:517- 373-1787 JamesBolger@house.mi.gov Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville :517-373-3543 SenRRichardville@senate.michigan.gov Senator Carl Levin: 202-224-6221 senator@levin.senate.gov Senator Debbie Stabenow: 202-224-4822 senator@stabenow.senate.gov Representative Thaddeus McCotter :202-225-8171 tmccotter@mail.house.gov Representative Phil Cavanagh: 517-373-0857 philcavanagh@house.mi.gov Representative Fred Durhal: 517-373-0844 freddurhal@house.mi.gov Senate Fiscal Agency http://www.senate.michigan.gov/sfa/Departments/DPk12_web.html |
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| Justasking | May 6 2011, 12:43 PM Post #3 |
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Interesting. I would like to see a teacher's perspective. |
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| uh-oh | May 6 2011, 02:29 PM Post #4 |
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I would too, but all my teacher friends and relatives suggest the answer is to simply raise taxes. |
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| Deleted User | May 6 2011, 07:33 PM Post #5 |
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Youtube has many shorts from Nolan Finley, Dr. Beverly Gettner, Keith Johnson, well worth a listen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQF_lnOUpEk 'Assembly-Line Education' - Episode 1 When the auto assembly line model was brought into American public schools, it was an achievement of efficiency, but it has now produced its consequences. Organized labor, too, has made its mark in creating a one-size-fits-all way for treating and compensating teachers. http://www.kidsarentcars.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-W3R7W4UJLU Give up the Bucks - Episode 2 Public education in America is a multi-billion dollar industry where we seem to spend more and more each year (perhaps with the exception of 2010) but get the same - or worse - results. And the fights between adults seldom involve what's in the best interest of children but rather pay, benefits and "working conditions." Who are public schools designed to benefit? http://www.kidsarentcars.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9vRFfdikHM 'Unions vs. Good Teachers' - Episode 3 The core belief of unions is that all teachers are equal and that is reflected in a collective bargaining agreement. There is no incentive for innovation or hard work. Public school teachers discuss their profession and pro-student reform they'd like to see. http://www.kidsarentcars.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuFQSCPuXEI 'An Epic Failure: Detroit (Pt 1)' - Episode 4 Imagine an education system that spends over $1 billion a year and graduates students who cannot read their diploma. It's happening in Michigan's largest city. We meet one of those graduates and the leaders trying to help him. We also show the powerful interests that continue to fight to put the interests of adults first. http://www.kidsarentcars.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZugKnWB8s1E 'An Epic Failure: Detroit (Pt 2)' - Episode 5 Union leaders fight for control to represent the interests of adults as students and parents are left behind. Is there hope for Detroit? http://www.kidsarentcars.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Spc5pPTjUAY 'Years Trump Effectiveness: Tenure and Seniority' - Episode 6 - What if your value to your employer was decided by the sum of the last four digits of your social security number? Or you know of a teacher accused of a serious crime that is paid to go away, along with a positive letter of recommendation? Or you win state-wide recognition for your teaching achievement, only to be fired the next day because someone else had been there longer. It happens in American public schools every year. Do tenure and seniority benefit students and their success? http://kidsarentcars.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL6kqJaMVzw 'Choose Your Boss: Electing Politicians' - Episode 7 Public education is one of the few sectors of society where employees can spend money to elect or defeat political candidates that affect their personal interest. Those that have been in the trenches - and have been on the receiving end of special interest negative campaigns - discuss what it's like to be opposed by some of the biggest spenders in state politics. http://kidsarentcars.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhK43JAZTXI 'Reforms That Work' - Episode 8 Charter schools - typically publicly-funded institutions - often deliver a better education to children and those students outperform their peers in the same neighborhood. While charter schools are no silver bullet to fix the education system, this is the story of one school in Indianapolis that took up residence in a former grocery store and because of quality instruction, flexible work rules and parental involvement, those students are excelling. http://kidsarentcars.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7pEsuCcxwM 'What Can I Do? (Pt. 1)' - Episode 9 Many parents and taxpayers feel helpless because the problems can seem so monumental. "Kids Aren't Cars" director Kyle Olson reviews what he learned in the filmmaking process and the small things individuals can do that will add up to make a big difference. http://kidsarentcars.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnIct1j9mfY 'What Can I Do? (Pt. 2)' - Episode 9 What Can I Do? Many parents and taxpayers feel the problem is overwhelming for one person and there is nothing they can do. There are several things individuals can do to make a difference. Parents • Look at all of your schooling options. • Get to know your teacher. • Find out: Does your child attend a student-focused school? o Is the staff more worried about pay and benefits than putting your kids first? • If your neighborhood school is ineffective, demand options from community and elected leaders. Taxpayers • Know your school board. o Who did the union endorse in the last election? o Are they calling for tax increases or spending reform? o If you're a taxpayer, parent or Tea Party group, interview candidates and hold them accountable. o If you don't like what's happening, run for the school board. Contact American Majority for training. • Look into how your public school is spending YOUR money. It's not their money - it's your money. • Demand to know what is going on in contract negotiations. Elected Officials • Give parents options. o Empower parents so they can escape failing schools. o Consider a Parent Trigger law, as California's Parent Revolution did. o Stand with U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) in believing that students trapped in failing schools should be rescued immediately, by any means necessary, and not wait for bureaucrats to tinker with the system. o Increase transparency. o Post financial data on your website. o Be forthcoming about teacher effectiveness. • Reform/Eliminate tenure and "last hired/first fired" policies • End the conflict of interest and money-making schemes by organized labor that are distractions and create unnecessary fights in our communities. |
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| Ava | May 6 2011, 08:35 PM Post #6 |
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So what? Who cares?
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Check out Episode #3: |
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| Ava | May 13 2011, 09:46 AM Post #7 |
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So what? Who cares?
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The question becomes should the teachers' unions have so much control over the education system? The children should be first---not the adults. Something needs to change. The only way to truly reform public schools is to make them compete. No need to do away with the union. Teachers should have the right to belong to a union, but parents should be able to send their kids to the school of their choice. Bottom line: Get rid of the the education monopoly and keep the unions. Let parents use their money where they feel their child will get the best education. When schools compete, the children win. We all want what's best for the children, right? http://www.hulu.com/watch/4163/saturday-night-live-ernestine "We don't care. We don't have to. We're the phone company"~Ernestine (Lily Tomlin) |
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