RSSMessage is clear: Improve state's education system now
Yakima Herald-Republic
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The following editorial appears in the Sept. 9, 2009, Yakima Herald-Republic.
The message that President Barack Obama delivered Tuesday to students in the Yakima Valley and across the nation can best be summed up in two words: Get serious.
That same message should also be extended to those trying to reform this state's public education system. Granted, we are in tough economic times, but they are no excuses for delaying a systemic transformation of how we educate our children.
So far, for all of the money this state has spent on school reform initiatives, the results have been spotty at best.
Despite the fears of some parents about a hidden political agenda in Obama's speech, what the president had to say should stir the spirits of parents, educators and students alike. Obama again drew upon his personal life -- of being raised in a single-parent family -- to detail the importance of what he was telling today's students.
"At the end of the day, the circumstances of your life -- what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going on at home -- none of that is an excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude," the president said. "That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. There is no excuse for not trying."
Motivating students to do better in class is something that shouldn't be left to the president. We all need to repeat the message and, right now, we all need to get serious about finding better ways of reconfiguring our public education system.
Recently, a new education reform committee held its first meeting in hopes of one day meeting the state's constitutional requirement of providing basic education to all students in Washington. Whether this state has met that requirement has been hotly debated and is now the focus of two separate lawsuits to determine if basic education is indeed being fully funded.
Also being hotly contested is the end result of what this state has spent so far on public education. It's not a rosy picture, especially when it comes to preparing high school students for the future. According to statistics provided by the Washington Policy Council, a Seattle-based nonpartisan research organization, more than 30 percent of the state's students fail to graduate from high school, and among those who move on to a trade school, some 52 percent must take remedial courses in English, math or writing. If students head off to a four-year university or community college, 37 percent must first take remedial classes.
Those are not encouraging figures. The reforms laid out by the Legislature earlier this year are ambitious, and would be very costly if fully implemented. In revamping the way the state hands out education funding, a special task force noted these changes could amount to additional costs of up to $4 billion a year on top of the $7 billion a year already being spent on K-12 education.
Spending more money, even during times when the economy is robust, doesn't guarantee success. Decentralizing the education system may be one approach, while creating new mechanisms such as merit pay for teachers surely is another.
Accepting some of the president's favored ideas about education reform, namely the opportunity for charter schools to take root, should also be part of this mantra for getting serious.
Improving the state's public education system will require bold moves and creative approaches. Not trying is unacceptable.
* Members of the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board are Michael Shepard, Bob Crider, Spencer Hatton and Karen Troianello.
"Motivating students to do better in class is something that shouldn't be left to the president."
Perhaps the President should have addressed the parents instead of the students. Does anyone really think that an underachieving student is even going to listen to the President's speech? Does anyone think that this student even CARES what the President - or anyone else - thinks about his/her education?
If they did care, they would be in school and trying harder to make it work.
"...more than 30 percent of the state's students fail to graduate from high school, ..."
All the more evidence that the public school system, under the direct micro-management of the State, is NOT working, regardless of the constant bond issues that throw, (read that WASTE) money at the problem and a self-centered teacher's Unions that could care less about their members' job performance.
I blame the "village" concept of Liberals for a lot of this slow degradation of our public schools qualities. We need, instead, to bring back the paddle, teachers with some guts, limited liability for teachers who require discipline in class and demand respect from students, even if they have to wash their mouths out with soap.
As long as the parents are relying on teachers to babysit their children, as they seem to do anymore, the teachers should have the authority to enforce their rules or boot their unruly hooligans out of school. We are raising a generation of wastrel smart-mouths who will eventually be a burden on society.
I tend to remember hearing much of the same from my grandfather and my parents many years ago. Let's beat them til they learn. It didn't work in the 30's, the 50's or now. Maybe it's time for a new approach.
Report ViolationObama's children go to private school. What's the message there?
Report ViolationThat message is simply, "We're oo good to mingle with the masses."
Report ViolationOOps, sorry, I dropped the "t" in too.
Report ViolationI agree with huh. Physical punishment is pointless. All it does is promote ideas that fear based superiority is acceptable. Plus, if it does show results, those results dissappear once the paddle is gone. I remember when I was little, back when paddling in school was legal, I got hacked by the principal for getting in fights at recess. After the hacking the bell rang for recess. I went outside and told my friends that getting hacked wasn't going to stop me. Then we went and beat up some kids.
Some people believe that it was the paddle that made them into good people. It most likely wasn't. I've heard people say that their parents used to beat them mercilessly and they turned out just fine. All that means is they turned out just fine despite what their parents did to hold them back. The catalyst of understanding goodness more likely came while they were debating thier own injustices while sitting alone in thier rooms after taking a beating, once the fear was gone, once the paddle was gone, thinking for themselves.
There are more intelligent ways of introducing that catalyst that won't leave the kids with a complex. For instance, giving logical examples of why what we're saying is important, putting them in real, safe, situations and showing them, and listening and answering their questions instead of "lecturing".
We need to ensure that teachers have the ability to do this with great force by whatever reasonable means possible. If that means a complete overhaul of the public school system then so be it, but, then, all it might take is smaller classrooms coupled with competant teacher's education, which from what I have seen is already very good. Either way, everyone in this community has the responsibility to ensure posterity and therefore must be active in helping meet the standard's we've set no matter the cost.
Our state spends over $9200 per student per year. 65% of 10th graders failed the math section of the WASL test. Public schools are failing.
http://reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us/summary.aspx?year=2008-09
I believe parents could get much better results if they were given the choice on how to spend this money to educate their children. For example, 10 families could combine their $9200 to hire a full time teacher. There would be a 10:1 student to teacher ratio and the teacher would have up to $92,000 yearly salary (minus various expenses). Parents would be able to boot out any disruptive students who are holding back their child, or find a different arrangement.
When people have the financial ability, most choose private schools over public schools, including Obama and most politicians.
The responsibility for a child's education is always that of the parent or guardian. The parent should have the option and the financing to elect public schools, private schools or home schooling for their child. For most of us, we do not have the funds to pay for both public school taxes and then private school or home schooling. The tax money going to public schools should be allocated by the parents to meet the needs of their child, whether it be public, private or home. With only two thirds graduating and nearly 40% of the graduates needing remedial classes to continue beyond high school, the responsibility and control of their child's education, particularly the financing, needs to be returned to the parents or guardians.
Report ViolationSJuan - I liked your post. You are so correct on many thing. I wrote a letter to the editor in Sunnyside's paper regarding the Sunnyside school's. I said our superintendent should be fired. I had a school board member call me and we have set up a meeting with two of the board members. They are going to try to brain wash me that our superintendent is great.
Sunnyside has 5 school that are not meeting standards for education in the state of Washington. Our high school has one proncipal and three asst. principals and a dean of students. Yet, I do not think they graduate 40% of their students. The students can have a .04 grade point and still be in athletics. I see something wrong with our school system and yet our school board doesn't. Am I stupid or something? I always thought this school board or superintendent were stupid. But am finding out from the elected people I am!
Our Math and science WASL test scores are much lower than most schools in the state. A teacher just applied to work for Sunnyside school district who raised the math test scores in Union Gap. The principal gave her the credit for doing it. She got bumped by the Union, thus lost her job there. She applied in Sunnyside and was not hired. They hired a first year teacher instead. Why, because the Union Gap teacher had a masters and would cost the sunnyside school district more money. Now what I am reading here is that the sunnyside school district thinks money is more important than a students education. What I see is our district is overloaded with administration and using monies that could go in the classrooms.
Ever since the WASL tests have come to light. Our superintendent always has an excuse. All the hispanic farmworkers kids. Give me a break. This could be part of it. But it is not the actual cause. The cause is that these school are so used to this free money that not a principal nor superintendent could ever run a private business. Our school has a vice principal that does nothing but write grants. Hey, schools are not for making money. They are to educate the students. I am wondering if the administrations understand this. Good teachers educate. Administrations put our tax dollars in a rat hole! Forgive any mispelling, but I will not change it being I am applying for a school administration job !
I also think charter schools are the only way to go in the State of Washington. I feel our public schools need a competitor to keep them honest. Besides the union are actually running the teachers unfortunately and then the administrations are saying how they can teach !
Report ViolationI also think charter schools are the only way to go in the State of Washington. I feel our public schools need a competitor to keep them honest. Besides the union are actually running the teachers unfortunately and then the administrations are saying how they can teach !
Report ViolationInfernus, I guess I learned my lesson from the first few hacks, (which are NOT a case of "beating"). Too bad yo obviously can't say the same. With some people, it just takes more. It brings to mind the old saw about the stubborn donkey: The owner had to hit him in the head with a 2X4, just to get his attention....Then, the donkey would listen to his commands and do waht he was expected to do.
Sound familiar?
A bill was passed last legislative session that opens the door for the legislature to put new pay structures in place for teachers, higher graduation requirements, more accountability for schools, but there are many, many forces that don't want this change. We need community members to speak up in a loud, organized voice. If you have any interest in working with a statewide organization, check out the League of Education Voters www.educationvoters.org and contact Kelly Munn
Report ViolationWashington state is on the same level as the rest of the nation in Education. Yakima, with it's high number of minority population, is at risk for this figure being higher than the state average. Nothing will ever change unless people work to change it instead of pointing fingers and muddying the waters. It is very easy to do this and that is part of the education problem...we want everything easily.
This is not an issue that has anything to do with politics but some want to make it that way. The village concept has worked well for the amish/menonites. New ideas are what has made this country great and original concepts can help the schools too, if you give them a chance.
BTW The president's kids couldn't possibly attend public schools because they would not be safe. Too many fanatical weirdos out there wanting to do him harm.
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