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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote]the overall environment at the top pyramid is simply better, especially the work ethic of the students and the range of extra-curricular activities.[/quote]

OP, I feel for you. I was you. I spent 10 years in a high poverty school, had kids, went to a high performing school because I, too, had kids and needed my life back. Sweetie and I say this nicely, but you just need to coast and enjoy your own kids. You can go back when they are older. I did. I love my high poverty, high ESOL elementary school. I am ready to be more of a teacher and less of a conduit.

Everything you said is true. But these parents don't care. Seriously. I mean, some of them might, but the quote above and high passing SOL test scores really is the entire key to parents calling a school "good." They don't care how this occurs. They'll supplement, so let them. Send home worksheets. Hell, I remember the day when my kids weren't getting a math concept. I tried to teach it and then basically said to the parents you all need to make sure your kids know this concept. It's an important standard, we test it and if their kids can't do it, it might impact their SOL performance. I did this with the blessing and support of my admin. And you know what? These parents got tutors, supplemented and everyone passed. I didn't have to do the heavy lifting because no one expects it. [b]They want the cohort of kids. They want to avoid ESOL or high poverty issues. They want peers with college educated parents where college is an expectation. They want the extras raised by a well-funded PTA. [/b]

But they don't care, OP. Hope tomorrow is better, dear.[/quote]

Clearly this is what parents prefer.  But does research support the notion that it's truly better?  Are the kids and the extracurriculars really more important than the teaching?  Maybe at the high school level but in elementary school?  Control for SES and what's the outcome?[/quote]

[b]I think what OP sees is that in high performing schools, teachers are held to less high standards than struggling Title I schools. As a result, it's easier for a lazy (or less motivated) teacher to hide out in a high performing school than a struggling one.[/b] OP seems frustrated because she sees these teachers not doing their best, but parents don't care because the peer group, test scores, extra activities, demographics, etc. are the only  thing that matters to them. But to OP, it seems like these kids' are being shortchanged.

The thread basically seems to confirm that the parents don't care about skilled teaching so much as about other things. Since the parents don't care, the state and county seem to only care about test scores, and there's nothing else holding them accountable, it creates this situation. There's no incentive to go-above and beyond because no one cares. Sure, some teachers do because they are committed professionals, but the environment is ripe for someone to take advantage of the lack of incentive to do more.

[/quote]

Actually, I don't see how it would be any easier for a teacher to hide out.  Regardless of where you teach, teachers are constantly having their test scores (not just end of the year, but unit tests) compared to each other.  If your students consistently score lower than your co-workers, administration knows and that is a problem for you.  So yes, while a teacher at a higher SES school who does little might have test scores higher than a teacher at a lower SES school who works her butt off, the former teacher would still have students who score lower than the students of other teachers at her school, and that would be a problem. [/quote]

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