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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I was trying to make two points:

(1) more money is not always the answer

(2) there is a huge amount of experimentation and different approaches used throughout the world and that change/adaptation of the pedagogy is required to compete and to adopt new technologies and new approaches.  If we don't adapt and try new things - and perhaps most importantly - evaluate and REJECT that which doesn't work - we will fall behind.

Sorry if I wasn't clear in my post.[/quote]

And I fundamentally disagree that we should turn something of such vital importance over to private companies for profit. Schools aren't lagging because they're not adapting fast enough or not trying enough gimmicks (are you kidding me--districts around here push new educational fads and gimmicks all the time: open classrooms, workshop models, magnets, etc.). Charters can keep out kids who'd bring down their stats--they're not doing anything better necessarily. They're gaming the system.

How about we try something that has actually proven to be effective at closing achievement gaps: desegregation by socioeconomic status. It's not new, but it requires buy-in from those who don't really want anything to change. So, there we are. [/quote]

We rely on private companies to provide do all sorts of vitally important functions so I don't understand the objection to their involvement in the K-12 education.  They are effective at providing higher education.  What is intrinsically problematic with for-profit and/or non-profits companies providing education?  FCPS spends a lot of money on for profit and/or non-profit consultants to advise and provide curriculum and teaching support - is this problematic?

I also question whether they are doing anything better - but many studies suggest that they are; by freeing teachers from stultifying curriculum, reducing overhead and oversight, focusing on core functions and excluding distractions etc, etc.  They are evidently effectively teaching kids; otherwise the parents would not be on waiting lists to attend.

I attended a school under METCO in Boston where poor black and white kids were bused to the rich, white suburbs - in my experience, it didn't close any achievement gaps.  Interestingly, my black neighbors' (a doctor) children were very successful.  My take away is that it was a cultural difference - expectations from the parents and accepted by their kids. It wasn't racial or class or ethnicity or religion.  This program went on for years but didn't have any real success.  I'd be interested to see the studies that show that the achievement gap can be closed by integrating across SES and cultural barriers.  But you're right that there will be substantial push back - unless the benefits can be shown to be compelling.  I suggest that in an area like NoVa, there are no substantive barriers to educational attainment in the school systems themselves - the barriers are cultural and personal (familial support and individual student motivation). But these are within the purview of the family/individual and are not something the schools system (private or public) is responsible for.  The segregation is thus between those who are ambitious and those who are not.  I don't think rich ambitious people mind if poor ambitious students attend their schools.

Highlight the data showing effective approaches to addressing the achievement gap, and why charter schools couldn't employ the same techniques and be successful.[/quote]

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