Reply to Lawmakers told Maryland Schools are Complacent and Middle of the Pack

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]     Schools like Cristo Ray can kick out students who aren't pulling their own weight. I know because one of my former students was asked to leave. He had very little work ethic and while his teachers saw potential, nobody at home cared much that he was asked to leave. To his parents, what difference does it make where he goes to school? Read this article about a Cristo Rey student who wasn't allowed to attend graduation due to his latenesses. 
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-cristo-rey-graduation-20160610-story.html
     My DS goes to a private school now after years in public school. There is much more structure, discipline (behaviorally and in terms of work ethic) and basic skills are mastered before moving on to higher order thinking skills. I work in a Title One school and our district LOVES to tout the higher order thinking skills but our students often cannot write a complete sentence. They can't spell and their handwriting is often impossible to read. "It's the message that counts!" Um, no. Kids need the basics first and then they can move on to the higher order stuff. Our teachers assign basic HW and the majority of students don't do it. Simple stuff like spelling words three times each, basic math worksheets, etc. Nobody at home makes them do it. It is not a priority. That is the difference between poor Asians. Even poor Asians prioritize education. They work multiple jobs to pay for tutors. They value teachers. I have parents screaming at me at least once a week.[/quote]

Your post seemingly supports the structure and rigor of Cristo Rey, and it certainly underscores how low the bar is set in MD with 2.0---which no longer teaches handwriting or grammar and produces students who can't write basic sentences. [/quote]

I absolutely support Catholic schools especially Jesuit schools. They teach students how to write well. I didn't mention cursive in my post. I mentioned handwriting. If students have such awful handwriting that nobody can read it, their message is worthless. Basics like legible handwriting, proper spelling and grammar and basic organization is where we need to start. Forget the bells and whistles of technology until the later grades. I wish schools would stop spending previous resources on devices for young children. Many of them enter school unable to hold a pencil or scissors but they can sure swipe and enter a password. Everything is backward IMO. Teachers in public schools need to spend time teaching basic organizational skills too. I remember my teachers would dump out messy desks onto the floor when I was in school. I do not support this practice however students need to be taught that everything has its place. Their messy desks/seat sacks show that basic organization is not important. [/quote]

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