Are education reforms hurting the students who need the most help, poor and minority kids?
In his blog “becoming radical,” Paul Thomas, a Furman University associate professor of education, contends that the education reform movement perpetuates inequity and increases segregation. Thomas draws on the findings of the Civil Rights Project, which has done extensive research on the resegregation of schools.
While the South once led the nation in integrating its schools, it’s now become a leader in the resegregation of America’s classrooms, largely as a result of housing trends.
In 1960, The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Only 7.8 percent of the Negro students in the South are attending integrated schools this year, a hundred years after our emancipation from slavery. At this pace it will take 92 more years to integrate the public schools of the South.”
King would likely revise his prediction dramatically upward if he observed his namesake schools in the Atlanta region, most of which are now attended by all black students. That’s because schools mirror the resegregation of neighborhoods.
Here is an excerpt of Thomas’ blog posting, but please read his full piece before commenting:
Changing standards ignores that children in poverty and children of color tend to experience test-prep courses regardless of the standards, and thus receive a reduced educational experience when compared to middle-class and affluent (and disproportionately white) students.If education reform were committed to equity, public schools would insure that all students, regardless of race or socio-economic status, would receive rich and engaging educations.
Increasing the amount of testing and the stakes associated with that testing (for both students and teachers) ignores that standardized testing remains more closely linked with the child’s home status than with the child’s learning or their teachers’ effectiveness.If education reform were committed to equity, high-stakes standardized testing and using test scores to label and rank students and teachers would be completely eliminated. Test-driven education stratifies students by race and socio-economic status, discourages teachers from seeking opportunities to work with high-needs students, and misrepresents school quality (see the historical failure of relying on the SAT, for example.)
Charter schools are not producing outcomes superior to public (or private) schools, but charter schools (such as KIPP) are stratifying (re-segregating) schools and focusing education for children of color and children from poverty more on authoritarian discipline policies and test-prep than rich experiences being experienced by their more affluent (and white) peers. If education reform were committed to equity, children of color and children from poverty would be provided public education that mirrors the education being experienced by affluent whites; instead, charter schools are segregated and “no excuses” environments designed for “other people’s children.”
Funding and expanding TFA candidates in high-poverty and high-minority schools ignores that the single greatest inequity experienced by children of color and children from poverty is being assigned un-/under-certified and inexperienced teachers. If education reform were committed to equity, education reform would abandon test-based teacher evaluations as well as supporting TFA, and instead would insure equity of teacher assignment for all students while also acknowledging the importance of experience and expertise for teachers.
Focusing on school-only reform (the tenet of “no excuses” school reform) ignores the corrosive power of poverty.
–from Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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127 comments Add your comment
Private Citizen
February 26th, 2013
12:18 pm
What I don’t get is that who knows what the Gates Foundation in doing, he seems to be focused on vaccinations, then in a recent chat transcript that he typed himself, twice he says that “the Scandinavians do it best” for healthcare and eduction, meaning “Finland / Norway / Sweden.” The thing is, I do not think what the “Gates Foundation” is doing for education in the U. S. is anything like the Scandinavian system, especially if they have anything to do with “Race to the Top.” Does anyone know what this is about, do some ’splaining on how Mr. Gates says on thing and maybe the foundation with his charasmatic name on it is doing something basically opposed to Mr. Gates’ “goodtimes” interview talk? Is this guy Dr. Jeckle / Mr. Hyde?
Private Citizen
February 26th, 2013
12:20 pm
living in an outdated, sounds like you two have a little folie-à deux going.
AtlTeacher
February 26th, 2013
12:31 pm
Atlanta is a perfect example of resegregation. I’m at one of those “namesakes”. Our demographics illustrate Thomas’ findings. (There’s a Charter School down the street. It does as well…) It might take more than 92 years!
living in an outdated ed system
February 26th, 2013
12:54 pm
@Private Citizen, I guess I let the protectors of the status quo get to me from time to time. Get a few tums and then look at his blog posts. Tell me what you think : )
reality check
February 26th, 2013
1:01 pm
michelle middle is right about what they do in other countries. Putting people into programs that are more appropriate for their aptitudes has many advantages. I believe it is one of the main reasons the US has fallen behind in testing averages conpared with other countries. There is very little being done for gifted children in this country compared with other countries. On the other hand, our system requires many to take tests that they are doomed to fail and that doesn’t help. Catlady is fighting the good fight every day and doing the best she can but in the end a 1 out of 14 success rate is not unusual.
My wife is a special education teacher and cares deeply about helping her students. It frustrates her that what she has to teach is not going to help her students in life. But it is what the system says she has to teach and almost all of her students have about as much chance to pass the CRCT as a snowball in Hades.
And discipline problems? Students with learning disabilities are shielded from discipline because their “disability” is supposedly what is causing the problem. Can parents be a problem? Oh yeah! Most definitely. But that doesn’t let administrators off the hook for the poor concepts they have developed.
OriginalProf
February 26th, 2013
1:07 pm
I wish to speak up in defense of Dr. Proud Black Man, whose blog posts I’ve been reading here for at least 6 months. He mentioned in one of them that he’s a teacher in one of the high schools in rural Georgia, not exactly an outpost of liberalism. I’ve noticed that his sharp, often witty posts only seem to come in response to some other blogger who’s posted a racist statement or something insulting black folks. I’ve always figured that “Proud” in his moniker implies that many black men aren’t proud though they should be, as HE is.
Robert D. Skeels
February 26th, 2013
1:16 pm
@living in an outdated ed system: I for one would be more than happy to repeat anything I write about the plutocracy and their hangers on by “say[ing it] to someone’s face.” Perhaps you can help arrange the opportunity for me to speak truth to power, no? As one of Professor Thomas’ writing colleagues at SchoolsMatter, I stand alongside all of the critics of those who are destroying the public commons. I am also somewhat intrigued that an anonymous commenter would accuse someone else of hiding behind anything. Projecting much?
catlady
February 26th, 2013
1:51 pm
I really think a better question is, “Are the reforms HELPING the kids who need the most help?”
Beverly Fraud
February 26th, 2013
2:22 pm
“you should review his disrespectful attacks on folks like Bill Gates and Michelle Rhee”
Which is a shame considering there are so many legitimate attacks one could make about Michelle Rhee without defending the status quo. Start with zero proof she made the “gains” she staked her reputation on, not to mention the extremely questionable test scores coming out of D.C.
Again, you don’t have to be a fan of the NEA to see Rhee for the snake oil saleswoman she is.
Truth in Moderation
February 26th, 2013
2:53 pm
“Bill Gates actually funds the programs he promotes.”
Really? Check out the history of some of his antitrust lawsuits form the good old days. He rolled his profits into the TAX EXEMPT Gates Foundation, and so far, I can’t find a CHARITABLE work they’ve done. BTW, he’s got a nice BIG PHARMA vaccine program going in Africa…WHETHER THEY WANT IT OR NOT!
Here’s his famous “TED Talk” on population control:
ht tp://www.you tube.com/watch?v=6WQtRI7A064
Of course, you think YOU will be one of the ones “worthy to live”. Think again.
Truth in Moderation
February 26th, 2013
3:11 pm
More Gates/Pharma treachery…..against Africans!
ht tp://health impactnews.com/2011/131-african-children-vaccinated-at-gunpoint-do-bill-gates-and-paul-offit-approve/ (remove spaces)
Private Citizen
February 26th, 2013
5:57 pm
living in an oudated, to honor your request,
#1. I’ve never heard of Furman University. I’ve heard of U. of Michigan, and Stanford, and Oxford, and at one school or two well above those (in my opinion) that no one here has heard of. :Let me have a look at this “Furman University.” Okay. They’re a real school, old old old medium size private liberal arts university. The one thing I was concerned about is that maybe that had been purchased by a for-profit hedge fund scheme, or somesuch (it happens). Here is an interesting note from the dreaded Wikipedia: “In recent years, more Furman University graduates have gone on to earn more Ph.D. degrees than those of any other private liberal arts college in the South,”
2. I do not resonate with anything labled “radical action.” This is bait. It is tense. It is sensational. It is trendy. I’d had my fill of radical professors, thank you. I got away from them. The best prof’s I have had might do some radical work, but none would feature themselves with such emotion marketing.
3. What has he got to say? OMG he is yammering about Little Rock Central High School like it is news, when is a well known case. Using the word “Iniquity” in an article title is as repugnant as the “Radical” branding.
Article structure:
1. excellent description of current mode at the Little Rock white success, black sleep with head on desk scenario.
2. statement that new “Common Core Whoo Whoo!” is not going to change this or give students what they need.
3, statement that “standardized testing remains more closely linked with the child’s home status than with the child’s learning or their teachers’ effectiveness.”
4. Charter schools are not producing outcomes superior to public (or private) schools, but charter schools (such as KIPP) are stratifying (re-segregating) schools and focusing education for children of color and children from poverty more on authoritarian discipline policies and test-prep
5. Something about poor kids get the inexperienced TFA teachers.
__________
My cursory analysis: The author does an excellent job describing the scenario. It is good and important that he draws attention to the situation. Good middle ground about increased performance due to formula discipline requirements that likely apply to the few.
What I find missing is a greater sociological perspective. The author would do well to immediately read some Frantz Fanon that describes deeper complex sociology strata and the stubbornness of this sort of thing, the tendency for those who escape to success to them use their position to perpetuate the role-playing and oppression. Social philosophy is complex and relevant are far greater field than this box of marbles the educrats keep pelting us with. The author does well to descirbe the situation, I do not get a strong sense of relevant solutions and maybe that is not his strength. I expect, due to the lack of greater sociological complexity, if he starts blowing his bugle about specific solutions, I expect this is where you get cross-ways with such trumpeting.
Sounds like a good school / environment for undergrads. I wonder, what is their tuition and how much debt do they put on the heads of their undergrads.
Average debt of graduates 2011 $ 26,600
Looks like they keep it at the national norm, which is still a catastrophe. Looks like a pretty good deal compared to the $200k for tuition and costs for a 4 year degree there. It is obviously a very private, very nice, very special place. -Which is probably why the author has so little grit about answers, which may be a specialty for someone else who does not live in a very private, very nice, very special place.
Atlanta Mom
February 26th, 2013
6:00 pm
Truth
Just off hand Gates Millennium Scholarships come to mind
Private Citizen
February 26th, 2013
6:06 pm
The joke is that the gated community upper caste South Carolina system is sure no more nice to the poor people than the Arkansas system. If the author kept is real and kept it local, he might be out of a job. He is doing the distance-do-gooder thing that is common with education academics. You can go to Little Rock of New Orleans and kick-em-in-the-balls, but you best not do the same to within ten or a hundred miles from your own university, and especially not with the state house in your own state. Something tells me that “Furman University” might not be as tough as some of the private reasearch universities where the top administrators sometimes have to tell local power that that the university’s standing and research is more important than the kettle of power from the complaining interest. A state university, for the most part, will not ever do this.
When I get reincarnated with my next 100 lives, I’m going to start a private university where people can do humanities research on their region and tell the power people why they can do with their networks and executive compensation and “You Hurt My FEEeeeeEEELINGS!”
Private Citizen
February 26th, 2013
6:12 pm
Gates is like a hydra or Cerberus with five heads. He says “the Scandinavian system is best” but then his foundation is doing all manner of things not in accord with Gates’ stated view. Underneath it all he is a business networking mastermind, like the steel and railroad magnates of prior era. He is about stabilising revenue stream to himself and his ilk.
Dr. Monica Henson
February 26th, 2013
6:18 pm
Best statement in the blog post: ” If education reform were committed to equity, public schools would insure that all students, regardless of race or socio-economic status, would receive rich and engaging educations.”
The only change I’d make in that statement is remove “education reform” and replace it with “the public school district monopoly.”
Private Citizen
February 26th, 2013
6:25 pm
Furman U.: Proportion of graduates w/debt 2011 43%
So, doe that mean that the 43% of students who have debt have more like $60k+ debt each, and the 57% with no debt have none, since the “average student debt” is rounded to $27k.?
If it was not late in the day, I would telephone them and ask. It is possible that graduates of “Furman University” are as economically stratified as students in Little Rock, Arkansas, with more than half of the Furman graduates being carefree rich kids with no debt, and the other 43% being life long tuition debt slaves leaving with $60k around their neck.
Private Citizen
February 26th, 2013
6:29 pm
I think in the French system every school / district in the country gets the same serving of money per student. This is a huge huge huge difference from the U.S. system, where within one community, district, or state, different public schools are being funded at different funds per student.
Private Citizen
February 26th, 2013
6:34 pm
But the featured author is talking about something completely different, as his featured model / scenario is within one school. Arkansas is definitely a throwback to really fierce tightly held local power, and the difference than with Atlanta or DeKalb is that local power is not black, I am guessing.
It is a different world over there. No state lottery last time I was there. Well, looks like that dominoe has fallen. http://www.myarkansaslottery.com/
Someone should do a paper on the “lottery” culture being a stepping stone out of oppression.
Lee
February 26th, 2013
7:43 pm
Cue the violins, another politically correct, sad sack song blaming everything from testing to textbooks to resegregation on why black students are STILL underperforming their white peers almost SIXTY years since Brown vs Board.
You would think after SIXTY years, the race traitor apologists would run out of excuses. But no, just this past week, we had another politically correct pathogen blaming racist police officers for black school violence.
And in SIXTY years hence, we’ll still be talking about the black/white “achievement gap” and some other way that teachers will have to go through scholastic gyrations to try to close it.
White flight and resegregation is simple, when whites start noticing the quality of life factors such as crime rate and deteriorating schools, they move to greener pastures. Show me one neighborhood that went from majority white to majority black that didn’t see a decline in these quality of life factors and I’ll shut up about it. I’ve been posting that challenge for years and nobody can come up with even one.
The highest performing private schools use the same textbooks and the teachers graduate from the same educational programs as the 90%+ black schools, so what is it?
Maybe a little something called ABILITY??
Lee
February 26th, 2013
7:48 pm
I’m also wondering what Paul Thomas’ excuse is for desegregated schools. The black and white kids are sitting in the same classrooms, using the same textbooks, the same teachers, etc, etc, etc, for their entire school experience. Then, come graduation day, the most segregated area on the field is the one for the HONOR graduates.
But, but, but, but, Lee….
Ronin
February 26th, 2013
10:15 pm
Monica @ 6:18, I agree…
In 200 years, people will look back at digital article news sources for cases such as the APS and Dekalb County debacle and wonder…. how could this happen.
Again, two words: culture and environment.
can't win
February 26th, 2013
10:56 pm
@jarvis, Believe what you want about homeschoolers, but they are out performing public schooled students on the very standardized tests that are so valued by districts. Difference is, homeschooling families do not spend tons of time on test prep. Heck, most homeschoolers I know go in cold to those things and STILL outperform public schooled and test prepped to the Nth degree peers.
@Truth in Moderation… Many parents of public schooled chidlren do not meet the minimum legal requirements to homeschool since they don’t have a high school education or equivalent. Many of the parents of the poorest performing students are barely literate if at all. We have generations of students we have failed in the public schools. Until we address the depth of that literacy problem, education is not going to improve.
Private Citizen
February 27th, 2013
10:28 am
Lee, Generally I’ve got no use for Moonies and followers of “Reverand” Sun Myung Moon, especially since they prohibiit young members of their cult from contacting their parents, but anyway….
a Moonie once tried to recruit me and I ate a few healthy-food meals with them as a guest visitor in their culty house (located EAST OF MORELAND AVENUE, I MIGHT ADD, DR. WALKER), Anyway, I got a look at some of their Moonie literature and in one of their telephone book sized expensively printed color information books, the Korean Sun Myung Moon, world evangelist that he is, said something about different races having different attributes, gifts, and strengths,
In summary, if you make a jazz record, I’d like to hear it. Ever heard of Lionel Hampton? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_rTICMVXQQ
Private Citizen
February 27th, 2013
10:32 am
Maybe a little something called ABILITY??
You play double-bass or reed?
annodenak
March 2nd, 2013
9:17 pm
Sounds like we need boarding schools for those children who are disenfranchised.
Online CBSE Results
March 9th, 2013
4:28 am
May be education reforms hurting the students who need the most help like poor and minority. we should do some thing these kind of kids. we should allow special education for poor and minority kids.