Oh Chicago Pubic School Students You are Getting a Bill of Goods
Life continues to get worse for the children of the Chicago Public Schools. I have heard it said that given enough time, 90% of students can learn 90% of the material they are presented. That is probably why Chicago has now decided to increase the school week by an additional 7 1/2 hours. Since the school children of Chicago perform poorly, I suppose the educators are willing to try nearly anything to make it look like they are worth the handsome salaries + a more-than generous retirement that they receive that is breaking our state budget.
School is just starting, and various initiatives have spent the entire last month telling Chicagoans that school will start this year at about the same time it does every year. What a surprise! If you treat people like idiots, one should not be surprised when people respond in a less than brilliant manner. Some people simply aren't cut out for the academic life, but in Chicago the educational establishment seems under the delusion is that inside every child is a lurking PhD. That however, seems far from the case.
Students who don't see the value of an education aren't likely to want to spend the energy to be good students, and I cannot see the good of holding them for ever longer hours in schools that have been incapable of turning out anything other than under performers. For those students who are bright and motivated, this time takes away from Internet learning, educational TV, the library, studying the out-of-doors, and (dare I say it?) good, old fashioned play, long considered essential for child development. Remember when it was decided good nutrition was the key to getting kids educated? That one didn't work either; we have all heard the stories how school breakfasts and lunches are making kids fat.
And to those CPS students who detest the idea of a longer school day which will begin next year, I'm with you. Hopefully you will have enough free time to go to the library so you can smuggle a book into your class, hide it on your lap during class, and have the chance to learn something that interests you. From your test scores, I would imagine it is impossible to score so poorly unless you are bored to death.
School is just starting, and various initiatives have spent the entire last month telling Chicagoans that school will start this year at about the same time it does every year. What a surprise! If you treat people like idiots, one should not be surprised when people respond in a less than brilliant manner. Some people simply aren't cut out for the academic life, but in Chicago the educational establishment seems under the delusion is that inside every child is a lurking PhD. That however, seems far from the case.
Students who don't see the value of an education aren't likely to want to spend the energy to be good students, and I cannot see the good of holding them for ever longer hours in schools that have been incapable of turning out anything other than under performers. For those students who are bright and motivated, this time takes away from Internet learning, educational TV, the library, studying the out-of-doors, and (dare I say it?) good, old fashioned play, long considered essential for child development. Remember when it was decided good nutrition was the key to getting kids educated? That one didn't work either; we have all heard the stories how school breakfasts and lunches are making kids fat.
And to those CPS students who detest the idea of a longer school day which will begin next year, I'm with you. Hopefully you will have enough free time to go to the library so you can smuggle a book into your class, hide it on your lap during class, and have the chance to learn something that interests you. From your test scores, I would imagine it is impossible to score so poorly unless you are bored to death.
posted by Publia at 7:40 AM
1 Comments:
Recent studies have show placing kids in school for longer hours had significant effect. I'm not sure what generation you're from but times have changed. Take Wilmette which only offers a 2 1/2 hour kindergarten class, yet kids are measured on whether they can read and write full sentences in their kindergarten report card. It just seems like a double standard. I understand what you're saying about play based education, but then why are we measuring our students on this way?
Post a Comment
<< Home