Everybody is talking about education. Is anyone listening?
"Incarceration is becoming the new American apartheid, and poor children of color are the fodder," said Marian Wright Edelman (Children's Defense Fund)
Over the past few weeks Georgia has been the epicenter of education debate, hosting some of the most notable — and controversial — voices in the field today.Speaking to the Georgia School Boards Association in Savannah 10 days ago, historian Diane Ravitch urged, “Don’t stand by and let politicians tear down a public institution that has been the foundation of our democracy for 150 years.”
Reminding the audience that more than 90 percent of Georgia’s students attend public schools, Ravitch, author of “The Death and Life of the Great American School System, ” said: “We must improve those public schools. We must not pretend those children don’t exist while we are creating more choices for 2 [percent] to 3 percent of them.”
Following her to the podium was a politician, Gov. Nathan Deal, who won applause with his pledge, “We have to restore the joy of teaching to our teachers. And that means diverting away from the concept that everything hinges on a CRCT score.” (If that sounds familiar, it’s because Deal, the candidate, said much the same thing to the same group last year in Savannah.)
Last week, the National Charter Schools Conference brought 4,000 charter school advocates and a pantheon of national figures to Atlanta, from former President Bill Clinton to Newark Mayor Cory Booker.
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan spoke to the conference attendees from Washington, telling them, “I think one of the most insidious things that’s happened in this country over the past couple of decades has been the dumbing down of standards for children. In far too many states, including the state I come from, Illinois, we have been lying to children and lying to families in telling them they are prepared for college and careers when, in fact, they are nowhere near ready.”
The charismatic and fiery Mayor Booker was more preacher than politician in his speech, calling education the new civil rights challenge and declaring, “We fought the greatest war on American soil for the liberation of our people yet we imprison more and more of our own in prisons of ignorance every single day.”
Children’s Defense Fund president Marian Wright Edelman also spoke at the charter conference and amplified Booker’s theme of ending the cradle-to-prison pipeline.
“Public education is the battleground for the future and soul of America, ” she said. “Today education is the Freedom Ride and the sit-in movement of this era.”
Edelman described the moment in which she realized the desperation of many poor children’s lives. The day after the murder of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Edelman went into Washington, D.C., schools to warn students not to riot or loot because arrests would hurt their futures.
A boy about 12 looked Edelman in the eye and said, “Lady, what future? I ain’t got no future. I ain’t got nothing to lose.”
“I have spent the last 40 years and will spend the rest of my life proving that boy’s truth wrong, ” Edelman said. “I had no idea how hard it would be. This boy saw and spoke the plain truth for himself and millions of others like him.
“Despite great progress for some over the last 40 years, so much peril remains to snuff out the hopes and dream of children like him, ” she said. “Incarceration is becoming the new American apartheid, and poor children of color are the fodder.”
America’s most pressing dangers come not from an enemy without, she said, but from a failure within to invest in its children.
Quoting Frederick Douglass, Edelman said, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”
Donald L. Hense, a Morehouse College graduate and founder of the Friendship Public Charter School in Washington, came to Atlanta to receive a hall of fame award from the charter conference. Hense’s charter high school, which awarded its first diploma in 2003, awarded its 2,000th this year.
As the student representative on the Morehouse board of trustees, Hense served alongside King, who was a Morehouse grad. When King was killed, Hense ushered at the funeral. In the aftermath of King’s assassination, Hense recalled sleeping in his Atlanta dorm room with buckets of water for fear of bombs and fire.
“What with everything that we faced in the 1960s, I feel threatened more today as a part of the so-called education reform community than I did then, ” he said.
“Our schools are threatened not by people who don’t believe in charters or school choice, but by education reformers who believe that reform is best charted and directed by the same public school system that did nothing the previous 100 years, ” he said.
Hense said the charter movement is under siege, adding that he lives in “a city that will try to kill charters by a thousand cuts. Every single year, something happens to try to knock the legs of education reform from under charter schools, every single year.”
“Somehow, we have to find a balance between the undertow caused by those who justify the continued existence of failing schools and the overzealousness of TV reformers who believe that schools can be transformed in 20 months, ” he said.
“We cannot allow the continued mindset of either these groups to prevail, ” Hense told his audience at the Georgia World Congress Center. “Our children’s lives depend on those of us who believe that the liberating value of education is too important to be left to either group. Thoughtful reforms with a clear sense of urgency, without gimmickry, must take the lead.”
When you attend these education events and hear how many dedicated people are working toward better schools, from small-town school board members to former U.S. presidents, you have to wonder if anyone is listening.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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284 comments Add your comment
Worried in Cobb
June 29th, 2011
1:44 pm
gamon,
If you would have read my entire first post addressed to you, you would have seen that every time a student was assigned Saturday school their parents were called. I’m starting to think you’re just a troll to elicit responses.
gamom
June 29th, 2011
2:56 pm
And a phone call is not the same as a conference. I did see your response. I believe a conference is a meeting of all parties. A phone call can easily be forgotten about. Do a conference, put it all in writing, have all parties sign an agreement, then let us all know how it goes..:)
Worried in Cobb
June 29th, 2011
3:03 pm
gamom,
Yep, you’re a troll. Have you never heard of a conference call? There is a function called speaker phone that allows everyone to hear. And for the record, the student and administrator sign the sheet agreeing to the punishment. Just think about what you want to happen. You want to have 120 face to face meetings a week. It’s not feasible.
gamom
June 29th, 2011
3:05 pm
Then that’s the problem! If you don’t have a parents signature too, what do you expect to accomplish?
Worried in Cobb
June 29th, 2011
3:06 pm
gamom
Yep, you’re a troll. Have you ever heard of a conference call? And there is a feature on the phone that allows everyone to hear what is being said. Just listen to yourself, you want 120 face to face meetings a week. It’s not feasible. It’s hard enough getting parents on the phone but you want them to come in and sit down. What do you suggest if the parent can’t make it or just flat out refuses?
Worried in Cobb
June 29th, 2011
3:12 pm
Sorry for the double post.
Worried in Cobb
June 29th, 2011
3:14 pm
gamom
I’m done feeding the troll.
gamom
June 29th, 2011
3:22 pm
Yeah I guess I am a troll for offering a parent perspective. Way to go – If u don’t agree with a parent, then call them a troll. Have a good day Worried. I hope the next school year goes smooth for you, I really do. I am telling you what I think as a parent. I want to be called, I want to be conferenced (as in face to face) – I expect that courtesy because these are MY kids your talking about. And they are important to me. A phone call to me doesn’t seem so urgent or so important in a lot of folks’ minds. I want to see what my child signed and agreed to in writing. I don’t want my child signing anything unless I know about it. Full Disclosure – in writing and face to face. That’s me.
Incredulous
June 29th, 2011
3:28 pm
@gamom, based on the content of your frequent responses, I have come to the conclusion that you are neither a mom or in anyway involved with education. Tonya C., I should have listened,
Worried in Cobb
June 29th, 2011
3:30 pm
gamom,
I’m an idiot for responding, however, the face to face meeting is what “you” want. That does not mean every other parent wants it that way. If you want a conference instead, fine, we always set them up when a parent wants them. But most just want a phone call and don’t want a face to face meeting. And again you skirt around what I ask. How do you suggest we have 120 face to face meetings a week?
gamom
June 29th, 2011
3:42 pm
split the responsibility and delegate, that’s what good leaders do. – just a suggestion. let’s not get our pants in a bunch. Incredulous, u never did answer any of my questions either. Now I’m not even a mom. I’ve got 3 kids, I have had all kinds of experiences with each of my kids between good, bad and mediocre with regard to educators. I have spoken several times in front of my school board. I have attended conferences at school, occasionally have attended school council meetings, have written to lawmakers on several pressing education issues (school choice, the special ed voucher program and of course, the glaring ridiculous problem of educators still believing hitting kids in a school house is an acceptable and legitimate form of discipline – which it is not. BTW incredulous – please listen and watch the youtube I posted, please pay attention to what the mom of a schizophrenic young man had to say about the issue. Sometimes behavior is an indication of an illness that has not been diagnosed – and that is where the problem of spanking comes in. That is why kids with disabilities are being smacked in a disproportionate higher rate than the general population. As I said, I have first hand experience in that, my child’s hearing deficit was not determined by a general screening, it took a long time to resolve. If my kid was in a hitting school, chances are she could have been struck and I’m glad my district does not recognize spanking as a legitimate form of discipline whatsoever. They will fire folks who try that trick, thankfully.
Incredulous
June 29th, 2011
3:46 pm
@worried in cobb…. this works for me ” I will not feed the troll”, “I will not feed the troll”. repeat as many times as necessary, until the desire to respond with reason and logic passes.
Worried in Cobb
June 29th, 2011
3:47 pm
gamom
Good thing you aren’t in education then. We have 5 administrators and you’re asking them to all do 24 meetings a week on top of all their other duties. Way to think this thing out.
gamom
June 29th, 2011
3:50 pm
Have a nice day incredulous. My guess is, some of the bloggers here would rather parents not be involved as much as I am. They don’t want people at school board meetings, they don’t want people to write lawmakers, heck they really don’t like anyone pointing out the obvious to them. That’s the problem.
Ronin
June 29th, 2011
3:56 pm
Worried in Cobb, as to your 1:07 post. That’s it, we need good electricians and auto mechanics too.
As for the “other stuff”, that’s why I say BASIC, to the degree that they can function in society.
If they can pass the test at 14, they’re done. It’s a waste of time and funds to have someone in an alternative school, who does not want to be there. That’s why I offer the suggestion of giving them an “educated choice”. k-12 should offer technical training starting in 8th grade. Have the same type of mechanical classes that Lanier Tech offers on a two year program. The problem is, that cuts into a Tech schools business model and costs them money. Still, it’s better to train people at public expense in k-12, than to have them drop out with no market skills.
Incredulous
June 29th, 2011
3:57 pm
@gamom, last time! I applaud your efforts, obviously unappreciated by the rest of us, to rid the state of corporal punishment. I suggest that you offer your prodigious communication skill set to the national setting and work as an advocate alongside Michelle Reed and Arne Duncan. I know that you’ve been hiding your own stellar education and remarkable resume. Dang! I didn’t repeat the mantra enough.
gamom
June 29th, 2011
4:07 pm
incredulous – you’ve made me laugh today. Thank you. I spoke to a state board of ed member about the issue after I attended a hearing on restraint and seclusion and the adoption of the new rule last year on Restraint and Seclusion. When I pointed out the shear number of children getting struck still in Georgia, they were incredulous. It’s up to the lawmakers though. A ban will happen within the next year or two – mark my words (I’m being hopeful here). Why am I passionate about this issue – because it was the norm in the schools when I was coming up. It was bad then, it’s bad now. It was always the same kids getting hit back then – it never changed anything! I was simply shocked that this was still going on! I simply did not know until I moved here from another state that outlawed it way back in the 80’s!
Cliff Claven
June 29th, 2011
4:26 pm
What’s so wrong about corporal punishment? It’s been my experience that most kids who get it are well deserving of it.
gamom
June 29th, 2011
4:31 pm
it’s unacceptable for a myriad of reasons, too many to list. As well as ineffective, that’s been proven.
Cliff Claven
June 29th, 2011
5:10 pm
On a case by case basis it works. I’ll bet that schools that have it are better discipline than those that don’t use it.
gamom
June 29th, 2011
5:22 pm
from where do you get your assertion? It does not work. Please don’t tell me your a teacher.
Cliff Claven
June 29th, 2011
5:27 pm
I have worked in several schools as a teacher and the ones who allowed it had better discipline. The students were on task because they feared the punishment.
gamom
June 29th, 2011
5:37 pm
Where do teachers get the assumption that kids learn better under the specter of fear? Cite me one peer- reviewed study to support your assertion Cliff. Where do schools get these supposed ‘paddles’. WTHeck???????? You know there was a hearing on this very issue a while back. An educator tried to bring in a paddle to a state capitol – apparently he had to hide it in a box, cuz it was considered a weapon. It’s the same kids getting hit, over and over – therefore if it worked it wouldn’t happen but one time. Well guess what Cliff – there is not even one college of education that trains teachers on this ‘paddling’ crap. It’s sick. Demented and disturbing.!!!!!! Bring it on if you wanna debate – keep it clean though, because this subject brings out the worst in people.
Cliff Claven
June 29th, 2011
6:00 pm
It’s not an assumption. I have seen it with m own eyes. The first two schools I was at had tons of discipline problems and no paddles. The school I am currently at has tons of paddles and no discpline problems. The only difference are paddles. I have first hand experience, you have “studies”. Mine trumps yours.
gamom
June 29th, 2011
6:00 pm
Taken from the Center for Effective Discipline – this is a just a few professional organizations that oppose hitting kids in school …
National Association for State Departments of Education
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
National Association for the Education of Young Children
National Association of Elementary School Principals
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
National Association of School Nurses
National Association of School Psychologists
National Association of Secondary School Principals
National Association of Social Workers
National Association for State Boards of Education
National Council of Teachers of English
National Education Association
National Foster Parents Association
National Indian Education Association
National Mental Health Association
National Organization for Women
National Parent Teachers Association
National Women’s Political Caucus
Prevent Child Abuse America
Society for Adolescent Medicine
Unitarian Universalist General Assembly
United Methodist Church General Assembly
Cliff Claven
June 29th, 2011
6:11 pm
And?
gamom
June 29th, 2011
6:12 pm
one last one just came this year : The National Association of Lieutenant Governors issued a strong resolution against it and supports laws to ban it.
Parents – here’s a warning to you! Know the laws in Georgia. put it in writing that You don’t want anyone to lay a hand on your kids in a school. don’t let 3rd parties raise your kids. Never give permission to someone else to hit your kid. They are not trained, there are no standards, no one ever answers where they get these wooden boards from (God only knows). I am appealing to Parents right now, not teachers. Because they are the ones with this mindset – not parents. Never give permission to allow this EVER and work to change the laws. See I believe this is being done because educators are only using anecdotes, whereas the studies show something very different. The stats show something different. And it is being done because we parents have been asleep at the wheel, allowing them to have full immunity for any accountability. SHAME ON US. The stats are available to any taxpayer in the state of georgia from the State DOE. Look up your own district and see how many times this is really happening – it can be done and start asking questions and urge your school boards to bring the system into the 21st century. I am done talking to people on these blogs who think its o.k. to hit kids. It’s not. Not Ever in a school. Protect your children! They are not safe
Incredulous
June 29th, 2011
6:19 pm
Cliff, don’t waste your fingers. She? has been obsfucating the argument for awhile. Look carefully at her very limited position and sources. She? has pulled the basis for her position from a variety of sites that cater to fear and overall social irresponsibility.
Cliff, corporal punishment is effective on a select number of students. Part of the schtick to her argument is to continue funding and increase programs specifically to avoid any real solutions to classroom discipline. Citing one or two case studies involving very polarizing subjects to further whatever agenda feels right. The method is part and parcel for several leading news/entertainment giants. In order to get attention, they depend on sensationalism. If people insist on looking behind the curtains, they change the subject. When it’s all said an done, no credibility is no credibility. I think that’s one of the key issues in education today.
Incredulous
June 29th, 2011
6:22 pm
@gamom …And when your argument fails, divide your audience( I am a parent also ), and threaten and shame them into compliance. No one is buying what you’re selling.
Cliff Claven
June 29th, 2011
6:29 pm
You sound like someone who was paddled as a student and now you hate teachers and think you could do a better job. Here is a hint, if most parents would do there job at home I wouldn’t have to use my paddle.
Ronin
June 29th, 2011
7:32 pm
@incredulous, 6:19 that’s pretty much it. I can conduct a study or poll to produce any result I want.
While I’m not a fan of paddling (I think the parent should be the one to handle that) I would agree that it’s effective in with some students.
Cliff, that’s correct, if parents would discipline their children, there would be far fewer issues at school.
gamom
June 29th, 2011
7:38 pm
Total load of crap and more excuses. The best schools in America don’t hit any kid at any time.
gamom
June 29th, 2011
7:53 pm
Tulane study
http://tulane.edu/news/releases/pr_03122010.cfm
Ronin
June 29th, 2011
7:57 pm
@gamom: 6:12, “I am done talking to people on these blogs who think its o.k. to hit kids.”
FIBBER.
gamom
June 29th, 2011
7:58 pm
ronin – u got me. I am not talking to them – I really dont think either of them are teachers really.
Ronin
June 29th, 2011
8:00 pm
gamom, if you have this much time on your hands, why don’t you home school your three kids?
It can we a tremendously rewarding experience.
Stacy
June 29th, 2011
8:03 pm
Gamon–
If all parents were as involved as you are we would not be having this discussion. The problem is that you are in the minority, maybe 10% of parents are as involved. Teacher would never have to worry about your kids not doing what they are told, and if there was a problem all it would take is a call and conference. A teachers dream to have a classroom full of your kids. Imagine the amount of learning that would go on in that class. Everyone would be on task and the teacher could spend all their extra time coming up with unique and fascinating lessons to enhance the learning. Sadly, we do not live in a society where that is possible, probably not even in a private school. I applaud you for being a great parent, but you are few and far between so all the issues that you have addresses in this blog would be correct in a perfect society. As far as your question of where teachers get their paddles, I don’t know about them, but I made the one that I use on my two kids.
Cliff Claven
June 29th, 2011
9:18 pm
Stacy
Preach on sista. I agree 100%. It still amazes me that someone like gamom thinks she knows more about the classroom than actual teachers. We don’t go in the private sector and assume we can fix their jobs.
Cliff Claven
June 29th, 2011
9:20 pm
gamom
You bet I am a teacher. A dang good one at that.
gamom
June 29th, 2011
9:28 pm
From the Dignity in Schools Campaign..
http://www.dignityinschools.org/category/tags/corporal-punishment
gamom
June 29th, 2011
9:33 pm
UNICEF Report:
http://www.endcorporalpunishment.org/pages/frame.html
Cliff Claven
June 29th, 2011
9:36 pm
Enter your comments here
Cliff Claven
June 29th, 2011
9:43 pm
gamom
Can you state your own case instead posting links?
gamom
June 29th, 2011
9:49 pm
A parent testifies in Washington DC on what happened to her child:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWv1penj3AM
People opposed to these dangerous abusive practices will no longer be silent. Join the fight. Contact your lawmakers in Georgia.
Cliff Claven
June 29th, 2011
9:56 pm
So that’s a no?
gamom
June 29th, 2011
10:01 pm
Blogger and other ga parents speak out:
http://passionateteaching.wordpress.com/2011/03/14/teachers-who-beat-kids-should-be-put-away/
Dekalb Oldtimer
June 29th, 2011
11:44 pm
After reading all 5 of these posts, I am more convinced than ever that all of this nonsense going on in our much maligned public schools can be blamed on………..TA-DA….CARL RANSOM ROGERS et al …..the “self esteem” gurus.
Dekalb Oldtimer
June 29th, 2011
11:44 pm
OOPS…that would be 5 PAGES of the posts.
Robert Penland
June 30th, 2011
6:07 am
Enter your comments here
Robert Penland
June 30th, 2011
6:11 am
get non_ citizens out of our schools. they and their culture dumb us down.