News Tribune

JCLifer 5 months, 3 weeks ago

What hoops and other craziness is the Obama administration going to require JCPS to do if they get this money? There has been no evidendence that all this federal money being pumped into local schools has accomplished anything except distract schools and teachers from teaching students.

The Feds need to keep their nose out of education. That is a states' issue, not the feds. The federal government has plenty of other messes to work on besides meddling with our schools.

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PeggyRobertson 5 months, 3 weeks ago

As a graduate of Jefferson City High School and an education activist who has been following the destruction of Race to the Top policies, I can tell you right now that accepting this Race to the Top money is the death of real learning and real teaching for the children of Jefferson City. All of the Race to the Top policies are tied to high stakes testing measures and teacher evaluation measures which do not work and create a system of fear among educators and students. The name itself says it all - "racing to the top" does not allow everyone to receive a whole and equitable education, racing means there will be losers. High stakes testing attached to teacher evaluation means that teaching to the test will increase immensely - you can throw critical,creative and conceptual thinking out the window. Race to the Top policies profit only the politicians and corporations - no one else. The goal under Race to the Top is increased testing - testing in every single subject, such as library, yearbook, P.E. All of this will be tied to the common core standards which are now the cash cow for all of the testing and textbook companies as they create new tests, new textbooks tied to the common core. The common core standards will give you one thing - common children. Not to mention the fact that the common core standards were NOT created by educators, have never been field tested and are not developmentally appropriate. If this money is accepted you will be a testing machine like no other with children working for Pearson using your tax dollars. If I can answer any questions please feel free to email me at writepeg@juno.com and check out our website at United Opt Out National. Peggy (Wolf) Robertson

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klnielsen74 5 months, 3 weeks ago

Remember that documentary, Waiting for Superman? You know, the one that pitted parent against school, student against teacher, union against state, and showed the whole world that the United States was the dumb country, according to the illustrious Michelle Rhee? Do you remember the one and only hope for those poor, urban kids–the savior? It was a lottery drawing. After applying for help, and desperately praying, hoping, and losing sleep, these families were duped into the idea that the only way their students could be successful was if their Bingo ball rolled out of the cage. It’s a ridiculous notion that has been chewed up several times, so I don’t need to go into it. However, it’s easy to see that exact same game now being played by the Great Hand of Duncan. This Spring, 372 applicants–often at great expense–applied for the next phase of Race to the Top grants, which is comprised of a $400 million jackpot. This week, the Department of Education released its list of 61 finalists. On December 31, the Department will select between 15 – 25 winners. Do you see the connection? When a student from Waiting for Superman wasn’t selected, it was made a point to show the crushing disappointment on camera (whether or not those scenes were staged is up for debate). I’ve seen the meetings of two of North Carolina’s school districts as they spoke about how badly needed new funds were, and how losing the competition would devastate the budget. Now, we’re not just talking about one child crying in his pillow for missing the opportunity to join a charter school, we’re looking at hundreds and thousands of students whose schools will getting poorer and poorer. On the other hand, there are intelligent educators, superintendents, and union leaders who recognized that the strings attached to the grant were not worth the extra efforts and costs. In fact, several districts estimated that the cost of implementing those strings would outspend the money being awarded. So, it sounds like it was a lose-lose situation to begin with. What really gets me riled up is the premise. The competition is not only poorly designed and, let’s face it, pretty childish, it’s also antithetical to the mindset that Americans must adopt if we are to maintain any position of respect, power, or wealth in the rapidly-changing world economy. Why do we work so hard to convince our students to work together, cooperate, collaborate, and share their knowledge, when our own president and secretary of education are calling on districts to fight among themselves for funding? DOE Secretary Arne Duncan says that the winners are those who will develop the revolutionary tools to close achievement gaps, and other districts can then adopt those programs. Am I the only one who sees how limiting and close-minded this is? Is anyone else just plain insulted?

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JCLifer 5 months, 3 weeks ago

Arney Duncan failed Chicago School District and didn't fix a thing, despite spending millions and millions of tax dollars. Arney Duncan needs to take a hike.

It saddens me that Governor Nixon and the State Board of Education have drank the Race to Top KoolAide hook, line, and sinker. Our kids will be the losers and our tax dollars are being wasted to pay all their cronies at Pearson for all these tests.

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