Comments on: Rise & Shine: Speculation mounts that Klein could get the boot http://gothamschools.org/2009/02/23/rise-shine-speculation-mounts-that-klein-could-get-the-boot/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:27:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Leaderboard for week of 2-23-2009: Independent blogger edition | BeatBlogging.Org http://gothamschools.org/2009/02/23/rise-shine-speculation-mounts-that-klein-could-get-the-boot/comment-page-1/#comment-46800 Leaderboard for week of 2-23-2009: Independent blogger edition | BeatBlogging.Org Tue, 24 Feb 2009 21:16:33 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=10031#comment-46800 [...] Rise and Shine is a daily link journalism post that sets the agenda each day for GothamSchools. GothamSchools is a new media operation that wants to be an online community for discussion about New York City Schools. That would be impossible if GothamSchools didn’t link out. Rather, GothamSchools offers a blend of original reporting and curation. [...] [...] Rise and Shine is a daily link journalism post that sets the agenda each day for GothamSchools. GothamSchools is a new media operation that wants to be an online community for discussion about New York City Schools. That would be impossible if GothamSchools didn’t link out. Rather, GothamSchools offers a blend of original reporting and curation. [...]

]]> By: Ellen McHugh http://gothamschools.org/2009/02/23/rise-shine-speculation-mounts-that-klein-could-get-the-boot/comment-page-1/#comment-45349 Ellen McHugh Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:03:19 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=10031#comment-45349 Although the Daily News may be saying that graduation rates have risen for all other students but English Language Learners I would like to point to a real problem with their report: students with special needs have a graduation rate of 18%.......yes, 18%...after four years of school and 24%...yes, 24%....after seven years of schooling. While I understand the consternation that the ELL graduation rate can engender, I am appalled at the graduation rates for students with disabilities. I wish that the NY Daily News had decided to delve a little deeper into the reports. Although the Daily News may be saying that graduation rates have risen for all other students but English Language Learners I would like to point to a real problem with their report: students with special needs have a graduation rate of 18%…….yes, 18%…after four years of school and 24%…yes, 24%….after seven years of schooling.
While I understand the consternation that the ELL graduation rate can engender, I am appalled at the graduation rates for students with disabilities. I wish that the NY Daily News had decided to delve a little deeper into the reports.

]]> By: District 13 mom http://gothamschools.org/2009/02/23/rise-shine-speculation-mounts-that-klein-could-get-the-boot/comment-page-1/#comment-45203 District 13 mom Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:21:29 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=10031#comment-45203 Re the Times article on class size: it matters. Yes, a first-rate teacher can do magical things with 30 8-year-olds, although it is difficult, and one wonders how many teachers the system loses as the good ones become burned out and figure out they can go elsewhere. But put an inexperienced teacher, or, worse, a poor one, or one who is just marking time, in that same classroom: the result will be actively damaging for most of the children in the class. In today's test-ridden environment, that poor teacher will, of necessity, focus only on test-prep, to the detriment of, well, education. The teacher will focus on those children who are performing below grade level, to the active detriment of the high achievers as well as those who are already at grade level. What is lost? The children will perform adequately on the tests, but they will not be educated. They will forget what it means to exercise their minds, to be challenged to perform. In an elementary classroom of 20 children, an inexperienced teacher will muddle through, will teach the children and learn something as well, and a poor teacher will find time to focus on all the children, if not at the level one would wish. But in a classroom of 30--the children suffer badly. It's a tragedy that class size is rising, and that the DOE seems to feel this doesn't matter. Re the Times article on class size: it matters. Yes, a first-rate teacher can do magical things with 30 8-year-olds, although it is difficult, and one wonders how many teachers the system loses as the good ones become burned out and figure out they can go elsewhere. But put an inexperienced teacher, or, worse, a poor one, or one who is just marking time, in that same classroom: the result will be actively damaging for most of the children in the class. In today’s test-ridden environment, that poor teacher will, of necessity, focus only on test-prep, to the detriment of, well, education. The teacher will focus on those children who are performing below grade level, to the active detriment of the high achievers as well as those who are already at grade level. What is lost? The children will perform adequately on the tests, but they will not be educated. They will forget what it means to exercise their minds, to be challenged to perform. In an elementary classroom of 20 children, an inexperienced teacher will muddle through, will teach the children and learn something as well, and a poor teacher will find time to focus on all the children, if not at the level one would wish. But in a classroom of 30–the children suffer badly.

It’s a tragedy that class size is rising, and that the DOE seems to feel this doesn’t matter.

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