Imagine Schools Closes Schools, Affecting 3,500 Students...Is the, "Standards Based Curriculum" Approach Enough, Without the Core Knowledge Sequence and a Clear Direct Instruction Initiatives.

Imagine Schools, Inc., a district that serves around 40,000 students nationwide, is closing several St. Louis schools this upcoming year.  This decision made by the Missouri Board of Education, will affect 3,500 students, and is said to be the result of their performance on the state’s standardized tests and issues that include rent and administrative costs.

Upon reading this article, with the mention of their state’s standardized tests, I was curious about the methodologies and educational approaches used by this network of charter schools, and what I found was interesting.  

At their website, www.imagineschools.com, their educational approaches are listed.  When clicking, “Core Knowledge” Missouri, is not listed as having this approach utilized within their schools.  Likewise, the “direct instruction,” approach, touted by the essentialists, is M.I.A; missing.  

From there, I naturally wondered how their schools in Arizona were fairing; the state in which I reside.  Sure enough, of the 11 Arizona schools, only 4 schools, 36% of them, received a "B" on the state’s recently instated,   A-Z scale, and the other 7 schools, 64% of them, received either a "C" or a "D."  I again wondered why, and subsequently found that in Arizona, the Core Knowledge sequence and, "direct instruction," instructional approaches again, weren't listed for their Arizona managed schools.  

While I don’t know everything about the approaches of Imagine Schools,  only what was listed on their website, I “do” know that the major themes of essentialism aren’t listed for these states in question.  Seeing as this is the case, I challenge you to answer this question.  Is the standards-based curriculum approached, listed as being used by Imagine Schools in both Missouri and Arizona, enough?  Sound off!

Original Article:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/20/charter-closures-affect-more-than-3500-students/

State Testing Week in Arizona-Can We Validly and Reliably Measure the Efforts of Progressive Educators? If Not, Where's the Accountability?

With state testing upon us, here in Arizona, it brings me to a critical question, how can progressive educational efforts be measured in a quantitative, valid, and reliable way?  


I'm sure that it's been previously acknowledged, that they cannot be, "quantitatively" measured, but instead, "qualitatively" measured.  


Now, consider for a moment, you're looking for the most qualified brain surgeon, to operate on your child.  Would you be satisfied with a qualitative measurement of how she's previously performed, measurements that include other patient opinions of the doctor's bedside manner, or instead, would you be concerned with the qualitative measurement of lives she's saved?  Just food for thought, for those teachers who despise state testing initiatives.  I believe that information should indeed be collective in an objective way.  The part that I disagree with, is how students who've entered a school district, even a week before the state exams, are counted as a part of their new school's scores.  This makes the testing efforts convoluted, and a little more aggravating.  The way the current A-F labels are calculated in the state of Arizona begs improvement for this reason, and a few others.  However, the simple act of testing the children alone, cannot be seen as the culprit.


Your thoughts? 

Vouchers and Their Effect on The Idea of the Common School

Vouchers, a system of having the government, pay for, "private" education.  Do they support, or hinder the goal of Making Americans, the goal of essentialists?  


Back in the late 1800s, the goals of education were to produce citizens that were competent and loyal, according to Horace Mann.  Can private schools still produce competent and loyal citizens, seeing as they aren't required to follow state standards, and set forms of uniformity?  Teachers and parents, let me know what you think, and whether or not vouchers should be a part of our Arizona educational system.  Answer these few questions as well:  Are vouchers a threat to the idea of the common school, that had the primary goal of preserving the Republic that our founding fathers had in mind?  Is that idea even important anymore; the idea of preserving the Republic, and our nation?  Finally, while we do need an alternative to the public school system, especially when the public school system fails, are there other alternatives to the voucher program IF it's a threat to the common school?  What about the public-charter school?


Here's a video, clearly in favor of vouchers, but I want, "your" opinions, and experience.


http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/1559363856001/the-growth-of-voucher-programs/?playlist_id=87185


Let me know what you think.

Is it the Role of Our Educational System to Seek Social Justice? What is Social Justice Anyway; Who's to Say?

Teachers and Parents:

I found this story (below) to be very interesting, as it begs the questions, "Is it the Role of Our Educational System, to Seek Out, "Social Justice?"  What is Socially Just Anyway...Who's to Say?"  A teacher was fired for engaging her students in the Zimmerman/Martin tragedy.

Some would say, "It's the school's role to spearhead social change," while others would venture to argue that children have the job to learn academic content, and teachers have the job to educate students with just that; academic content.  However, too often, teachers push their political agendas onto kids, and, "disguise" it as something innocent, while, "using" children to pursue their own interests.  Is this what happened in the case of the fired teacher?

The teacher was fired for teaching what is a very different philosophy from essentialism.  To be more specific, instead of teaching the essentials of academic knowledge, such as reading, writing, math, etc., this teacher chose to practice the philosophy titled, "Reconstructionism/Critical Theory."

Social reconstructionism, is a philosophy that places an emphasis on addressing social questions and seeks to create a better society and worldwide democracy. Reconstructionist educators focus on a curriculum that highlights social reform as the aim of education. "

Teachers, parents.  In the article below, who got it right?  The principal for firing this teacher OR the teacher for trying to lead, "social change" with YOUR children.

That leads me to the next question.  Who defines social justice anyway???  Some would say Martin was wronged, while others would say that Zimmerman was a true victim here (depending on the news source.) Point being, should it be up to a, "teacher" to instill these values upon the children?  SOUND OFF! 

Michigan teacher: I was fired over Trayvon fundraiser

Associated Press

April 10, 2012

DETROIT –  A teacher fired from a Michigan middle school after encouraging students to raise money for the family of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin said Tuesday she is confused by the dismissal and wants the school's administration to explain.

Brooke Harris was dismissed in March from Pontiac Academy for Excellence after she supported students' efforts to plan a wear-a-hoodie-to-school day. Martin was wearing a hoodie Feb. 26 when he was shot to death by a neighborhood watch volunteer.

A number of groups, including the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Ala., have called for Harris to be reinstated.

"I'm really confused why I got fired," Harris told The Associated Press. "I don't think I did anything wrong."

According to the SPLC, a national civil rights group, Harris' eighth-grade journalism students asked her about the death of Martin, 17, who was unarmed when he was shot in Sanford, Fla. No charges have been filed.

Harris gave the students an editorial-writing assignment on the shooting. But the students wanted to raise money for Martin's family and asked the school's administrators if they could each pay $1 to wear hoodies instead of school uniforms for a day, the group said. It said the school regularly has fundraisers in which students are allowed to "dress down."

The 26-year-old English teacher said she approached school administrators "through the chain of command" but that Superintendent Jacqueline Cassell said the project could not go forward. Harris said she was in the process of explaining this decision to the students when she was called for a meeting with Cassell.

The superintendent suspended Harris for encouraging the students and then fired her after she showed up at the school to drop off prizes for students when she had been told to stay away, the SPLC said.

"I didn't tell the kids, `Let's go and do it anyway."' Harris said. "I was actually, literally, in the process of talking to my kids about what we could do instead when (Cassell) requested the meeting with me and told me that I needed to let it go."

Cassell said she couldn't discuss personnel matters but that she wanted students to focus on learning, not activism.

"I'm a child of the civil rights movement," Cassell said. But "this is not the time in the school year" to distract students from academics.

"In every situation, there are work rules," she said. "When rules are violated, there are consequences."

Harris said her teaching record was clean and that Cassell "wouldn't let me defend myself."

Harris said she still wants someone from the school to provide more details on why she was fired.

"I just want a reason," Harris said. "She's got my phone number, and I'd appreciate if she'd tell me what I did wrong."

Dawud Walid, executive director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the Academy's decision was a "travesty" that would only hurt students.

"It taught the students who tried to organize and tried to raise their voice in terms of social justice that they will be repressed," Walid said at a news conference Tuesday morning at King Solomon Baptist that previewed a rally that evening at the Detroit church. "Instead of empowering our children ... the Pontiac Academy is actually teaching children to internalize oppression and internalize racism."

A few dozen people who attended the rally -- including a number of clergy members and community activists -- voiced their displeasure over both Martin's slaying as well as Harris' dismissal.

Speaker after speaker at the rally offered their support to Harris, who sat in a chair behind the podium and smiled and nodded in appreciation.

"We're ready to protest, we're ready to march, and we're even ready to give you legal counsel," Walid said, turning and looking at Harris. "If we can't settle this in the streets nonviolently, then maybe we need to settle it in the courts of law."

Charles Williams, the church's pastor, said that if Harris doesn't have her job back by Friday, he will lead a march at the school in Pontiac on Monday.

Harris wore a blazer to Tuesday's rally, but underneath it was a hoodie.

"I thought it was appropriate," she said.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/10/michigan-teacher-fired-over-trayvon-martin-fundraiser-group-says/#ixzz1ri4rXYjn

The Core Knowledge Curriculum (E.D Hirsch)

On my mind, E.D Hirsch and Core Knowledge program.  Known for it's essentialism ideals, it's geared towards putting every child on equal footing, and from there, it's up to the children to make the most out of it.  It's comprehensive, and only offered at a few Arizona schools.  


Parents, what do you already know about Core Knowledge?  Teachers?  Please let me know!  


His philosophy says that, "a reading problem, is a KNOWLEDGE problem."  I challenge teachers to comment on this as well.  Hope to hear from you all!

What is Essentialism? What is Progressivism? Lesson #1-Scratching the Surface

Okay.  Because this is a blog for parents and teachers, not educational theorists, I feel it's important to provide some background knowledge of the varying educational philosophies by which our schools are operated.  Today, a small bit about essentialism and progressivism.

Essentialism derives from the essentialist movement that's been around since 1938.  It is in stark contrast to the progressivism movement, around since the late 1800s that values experimentalism, and holds a belief that the needs of man are variable.  Thus, education should be tailored to each and every individual child. 

Hey teachers!  Try tailoring education to each and to every individual’s interests and needs under the No Child Left Behind Legislation that requires you teach a certain set of skills to children by the state examinations.  Try the progressivism approachin a county (the USA) in direct competition with countries like China, who, by the way, give one strong education to all children, NOT based on individual needs.  It's a lose-lose situation in the global scheme of things.

On the flip side of the coin, essentialism values the acquisition of knowledge and skills, sees the learner as a repository for knowledge and skills that will be applied and used once acquired, and believes certain skills are essential for every man.  Examples of this may include the ability to read, communicate through the written word, and engage in accurate and rigorous mathematical computation.  Sounds simple right?  But it's not, as universities charged with educating teachers, hold a strong progressivism stance, and with each graduating class of teachers, floods our educational system with progressivist teachers.

Why not essentialism?  Because many, "mistakenly," view essentialism as a philosophy that doesn't value diversity and has taken some flack because of it's, "teacher-centered approach" vs. a more, "student-centered approach."  This is because the term, "teacher-centered" has a negative connotation, and can be seen as egotistical, treating students as the passive recipients of knowledge.  However, the teacher-centered approach is truly the way to go, seeing as teachers posses, at minimum, a bachelors degree, and have taken state examinations to achieve a teaching certification in most cases.  Students however, possess none of those credentials, so really.  Who should run the show? 

The progressives would say, "the students," only because it allows students to explore.  A essentialist would say, "Why should a child's interest drive their curriculum? " I mean, along with the fact, children's interest can be superficial, teachers like you, would be creating 30 different lesson plans daily, one for each child, AND we'd have no common ground as Americans.  Here's a question for parents.  Does your boss allow you to pursue your individual interests within your work establishment?  If you are the boss, do you allow your employees to venture off on their own, and pursue their own objectives. No!  This would be a huge business mistake for the insititution.  As a result, the progressivism ideals set children up for a false sense of the real world. 

Here's my advice.  If children want to explore, take them to a park, or a family vacation.  School should be the place to acquire a set of specific skills, including reading, writing, and math, at minimum.

More to come later folks. 

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