Reply to Soaring Child Poverty in DC

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Reply to "Soaring Child Poverty in DC "

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I understand that THE ROLE OF SCHOOLS IS TO EDUCATE CHILDREN.

Do you understand that THAT CAN'T HAPPEN AMONG POOR CHILDREN UNTIL POVERTY IS ADDRESSED?

And that TEACHERS CAN'T OVERCOME POVERTY ANY MORE THAN SCHOOL SYSTEMS CAN, SO SHOULDN'T BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS EFFECT ON THEIR STUDENTS?
 
That if you REFUSE TO SEE THAT, then you are HURTING CHILDREN while FEELING SUPERIOR and FEATHERING YOUR OWN NEST?  assuming that you work for DCPS, that is.

And frankly, I don't hear parents defending DCPS leadership anymore.  Even if they were once hopeful, they've seen  that it's not been successful.

Unlike DCPS employees, parents' primary interest in DCPS is  not collecting a paycheck or clinging to a failed ideology.  Parents care about  their kid's welfare first.[/quote]

Great, we'll have to agree to disagree on whether poor children can be taught anything, or whether having a good teacher or bad teacher makes any difference.  I say it does.  You say it doesn't.  But if you're correct, it's time to shit-can all professional teachers, and just open their positions up to anyone with a high-school degree at minimum wage.

If teachers can't make a difference without eliminating poverty, there's no point in paying them the premium we do.  Our education system isn't a jobs-program for adults, it's a system for teaching our children.[/quote]

There’s no need to agree to disagree - I agree that poor kids can be taught and that teacher quality has an effect on learning.   I also agree that poverty does not need to be “eliminated” before kids can learn.  I do think it needs to be addressed, though.

Here's the difference --I don't put success in improving kids’ academic achievement  completely on the backs of teachers.  I realize that factors beyond the control of teachers make a huge difference and I fear the attitude that getting the most qualified teachers (if that can even be accomplished) will solve the underachievement problem we have here in DC with some children – overwhelmingly those who are poor.

I also agree heartily that education system is not a jobs program for adults and feel that DCPS focusing primarily on teachers is keeping the people who hire, fire and evaluate teachers very busily employed.  Unfortunately, it’s not helping kids who need help the most.

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