home

Children Left Behind

By TChris, Section Other Politics
Posted on Sat Mar 05, 2005 at 07:47:06 AM EST
Tags: (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

by TChris

Poverty and social injustice are key causes of crime. Education should be the leveling force that helps disadvantaged individuals overcome those obstacles. That's why it's tragic to read accounts of public education like this one, written by Rich Halvorson, a teacher of ninth grade world history in Miami, as his students were being tested.

Just calling attendance, any illusions about "integrated" public schools are wiped away. My class was typical for the school -- 29 black students, three Latinos and one white. Once the test began and the students were quiet, we heard the intermittent traffic of rats scampering through the air ducts. ... How can it be that tens of millions of young Americans attend dilapidated schools often lacking basic sanitation, qualified teachers and up-to-date textbooks?

Virginia Gov. Mark Warner reported that "three out of 10 students who enter high school do not graduate. Four out of 10 who do graduate lack the skills and knowledge to go on to college or succeed in the work force." With a little simple math, this adds up to 60 percent of young Americans being unprepared to participate in our nation's fast-paced, high-skills economy.

Further, we must remember that this 60 percent is not evenly distributed across schools. In many low-income areas, the number of unprepared students may be as high as 90 percent. Until we remedy this vast inequality of opportunity, the national divide along race and income lines will surely worsen. ... If we continue with mere tinkering and testing, we will pay dearly for decades of worsening injustice and utter negligence.

< Hunter Thompson Memorial Today | The Price of Freedom >

  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


    • Display: Sort:
    Children Left Behind | 35 comments (35 topical)
    Re: Children Left Behind (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Mar 05, 2005 at 11:25:29 AM EST
    The bush Boys have a plan and its to make as many bankrupt/broken people that can be made, its a good start for the bush people to help in the total collapse of this nation/empire, and think how many prisons you can build and how much money a few people can make with this new idea of education. so lets hear it for the boys in washington, and the coming new third world empire, with millions and millions of good little slaves.

    Re: Children Left Behind (none / 0) (#2)
    by scarshapedstar on Sat Mar 05, 2005 at 12:23:29 PM EST
    After reading Savage Inequalities it's hard for me to believe that these "not-so-integrated" schools are not purely coincidental. It's also hard to stomach.

    Re: Children Left Behind (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Mar 05, 2005 at 12:24:10 PM EST
    Er, are purely coincidental.

    Re: Children Left Behind (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Mar 05, 2005 at 12:27:19 PM EST
    At least they're getting their marx-lite indoctrination.

    Re: Children Left Behind (none / 0) (#5)
    by wishful on Sat Mar 05, 2005 at 01:52:58 PM EST
    It makes me angry, but after the anger, what should we do? Scar is right--this atrocious treatment of our most vulnerable is no coincidence. The plan is to step it up, and so far it is working quite well. How can we unite to begin the movement back toward true social justice? So many have been so totally hoodwinked. Why? Is it that the truth is not clear? Is it that the truth is too disturbing to look at? Is it that so many know the truth, but feel that the downtrodden are just getting what they deserve? Is it that so many feel that they are not their brothers' keepers, so there is nothing they are responsible to do for the struggling? What? Is it too late, or are there enough who want our democracy back that we can do this thing?

    Re: Children Left Behind (none / 0) (#6)
    by jimcee on Sat Mar 05, 2005 at 01:58:21 PM EST
    "How do schools like this exist?" Got me by the short and curlies because I just paid my school taxes and could have sent a child to a mid-ranged private school for two years for the same amount. Perhaps they could create an alternate tax where you could donate your money to a needy student for private school? No wait can't do that because the teacher's unions wouldn't like that and would scream bloody murder or more like "NO TO CHARTER SCHOOLS!". I still can't figure out how you can't educate a kid adaquately for $8,000 to $10,000 a year in a public school. Heck my grandmother did it for 40 years in a woodframe two room school house in the middle of nowhere and through the depression and a World War for a lot less. Something is definately wrong with the US education system and I don't think that it is a lack of funding.

    Re: Children Left Behind (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Mar 05, 2005 at 03:02:20 PM EST
    How much is the Superintendent of that school district making?

    Re: Children Left Behind (none / 0) (#8)
    by soccerdad on Sat Mar 05, 2005 at 03:30:13 PM EST
    Florida's public school revenue per student and spending per $1000 of personal income usually ranks in the bottom 25% of U.S. states. Link

    Re: Children Left Behind (none / 0) (#9)
    by soccerdad on Sat Mar 05, 2005 at 03:39:01 PM EST
    in 2002 Florida ranks 49th in high school graduation rates. Florida ranks 50th in per-capita spending on education. Florida ranks 44th in student-teacher ratios. Florida ranks 46th in SAT scores. Over the last three years, Florida’s ranking has fallen in per-capita education spending, graduation rates, and SAT scores, while class sizes have increased. Link

    Re: Children Left Behind (none / 0) (#10)
    by soccerdad on Sat Mar 05, 2005 at 03:47:56 PM EST
    Over recent decades, Right Wing forces have engaged in a comprehensive assault on our nation’s public schools. From attacks on specific curricular choices in individual schools, to challenging state and national reform efforts, to diversionary schemes such as vouchers and tuition tax credits, to imposing school prayer, to challenging the very notion of a free public education for all Americans, the Far Right has aggressively sought to discredit and undermine public education.
    LINK

    Re: Children Left Behind (none / 0) (#11)
    by desertswine on Sat Mar 05, 2005 at 05:05:34 PM EST
    Ecactly; and then blame the teachers.

    Re: Children Left Behind (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Mar 05, 2005 at 05:38:27 PM EST
    The schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg system are quickly heading back toward pre-Swann conditions. If the folks on Lake Norman and in southern Mecklenburg County have their way, that's exactly what will happen, as CMS would be split into three separate districts. The schools in Charlotte proper, having the highest populations of African-American students and the lowest outlay of funds for capital improvements, would be left behind in this scenario. Although observers have said this is the result of several years of frustration with the school system, it actually has its roots in white flight to the suburbs that truly began in the 1970s. What we'll see here, if secession plans go through, are three systems--two with up-to-date facilities and the money to keep them up, and one that will struggle not to leave anyone behind.

    Re: Children Left Behind (none / 0) (#13)
    by jimcee on Sat Mar 05, 2005 at 07:27:50 PM EST
    Soccerdad, If you don't like your kid's school, move. Yeah it blows but do it. Or if you're doing well economiclly go private. Anecdotely I had a friend move back to NYS because her kid was suffering in Florida schools. He came here and was 2 years behind everyone else and honestly our schools are more expensive but the quality is dubious. If you want your schools to be better then get involved, lobby your school board and make them improve the school. If your not willing to make that investment yourself for your own kid's sake then just quit whining. If you think that Bush is causing your kid to be poorly educated than you have abandoned you parental responsibility and found a scapegoat. It is not the government's, responsibility, especially the Federal gov'ts responsiblitiy to educate your kid. Grow up and take some reponsibility yourself. Public education is not the be all to end all, just ask Ward Churchill at the State U of C. Is that what you want to pay for with your tax/tuition dollars? Sheesh.

    Re: Children Left Behind (none / 0) (#14)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Mar 05, 2005 at 07:34:18 PM EST
    Florida is going to be a terrible state for public education funding because of the retirement population. They generally don't have school age children and they aren't interested in passing levies. But generally speaking I believe like others stated above that wealthy conservatives are engaging in class warfare. Education stories like this one are just one aspect of the war.

    Re: Children Left Behind (none / 0) (#15)
    by soccerdad on Sat Mar 05, 2005 at 07:40:44 PM EST
    Jimcee - wtf are you talking about. There is nothing wrong with my kid's school's. They are doing fine in public schools in the NE. i supplied some data on Miami school after Ace's snarky comment about the superintendent. The second post was to point out that it has been a well known goal of the Christian right to get rid of public education. So your tirade is misplaced. Better luck next time. However, I do feel public education is one of the factors that made this country great. Destroying public education will hurt this country in the long run. Its the religious right who want the government to pay for their kids to go to religious schools maybe you should go lecture them,

    Re: Children Left Behind (none / 0) (#16)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Mar 05, 2005 at 11:10:02 PM EST
    I don't like to throw the "racist" term around, because I think it gets abused. But I've seen it in Alabama. A couple years ago, Montgomery's schools were going broke, they were cutting programs, and they were worried they'd have to shut the doors. The lead solution being discussed at the time? Raise the sales tax, which was already at something like 8.5%. Bear in mind that property taxes were quite low. In Montgomery, Alabama, political power lies with the "old money" crowd. Dividing lines between rich and poor are alarmingly sharp, as are borders between white and black neighborhoods. The well-off people all send their kids to private schools. So the unspoken undercurrent driving the political debate was "public schools are for the po folks; let them pay for it." Hence a regressive tax proposal that put most of the burden on the lower class. In the Deep South, social status is extremely important (far more so than most Northerners realize), and it's amazing how far some people will go to maintain their positions and keep the caste system in place. But I don't think that's a nationwide issue. Other states take a more communal approach and believe good schools are an investment in the community. The problem lies with the states, not the federal government.

    Re: Children Left Behind (none / 0) (#17)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Mar 06, 2005 at 12:02:03 AM EST
    They are doing fine in public schools in the NE. i supplied some data on Miami school after Ace's snarky comment about the superintendent. The second post was to point out that it has been a well known goal of the Christian right to get rid of public education. Soc, My primary education was both private and public. No doubt, religious conservatives truly hate public education (still ingraining racist attitudes towards social/racial/cultural integration into their children). The problem is, our public schools have eliminated racism but have entrenched classism and economic discrimination through local laws, zoning laws, districting laws, and appropriations. The money goes into a black hole somewhere above the school level and somehow ends up being spent on the new suburban schools for the latest textbooks and football uniforms. Meanwhile the inner city kids go to school with lead paint, asbestos, decades old window unit air conditioners, under prepared teachers, and no materials available for them to work with. And as much as I detest Doctor Ace, I have a very low opinion of our County schools administration. They're woefully inept, but they are woefully inept alongside their equally guilty compatriots at the County Commission and the State Legislatures. Local politics and local laws are responsible for localized economic discrimination, which in turn, leads to racial discrimination. Those laws are the crux of the problems with education, local governance, enticing low end employers paying non-living wages, spiking (highly concentrated) property values in suburban areas, gentrification, suburban sprawl, the destuction of wetlands (FL), etc.

    Re: Children Left Behind (none / 0) (#18)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Mar 06, 2005 at 02:20:40 AM EST
    Tampa: You wrote: ", religious conservatives truly hate public education (still ingraining racist attitudes towards social/racial/cultural integration into their children)" Is that eveyone who sends their kids to private schools? If you could prove it was everyone, I bet the Old Grey Lady would be all over it. Does it include the families who have sent their kids to Sidwell Friends School? My kids go to a Christian School ($3600 a year). About 20% of the kids who go are black. Am I a racist for sending them there? Please inform me. Next year my kids start at public school. Don't you worry though, the public schools are excellent here.

    Re: Children Left Behind (none / 0) (#19)
    by soccerdad on Sun Mar 06, 2005 at 03:47:41 AM EST
    Ta