Schoolchildren need a bailout more than Wall Street
By WALTER BACKSTROMBellevue Reporter Columnist - Dec, 2008
Bill and Melinda Gates recently met with several superintendents of large school districts, including Washington, D.C., New York and Chicago.
These groups also included the usual suspects: Politicians, teachers unions, etc., discussing how to improve the sorry state of education in America.
One of the biggest drawbacks to these types of conferences is that people who truly can make a difference are never represented, such as parents. You have school superintendents whose track record for improving education for poor and minority kids is shameful. For example, children of color whose graduation rates are 30 percent. You have the teachers union whose main goal is to improve and acquire extra benefits for its members, not for the kids. They are against pay for performance, where some of the best teachers could be retained to teach in inner-city schools. They are for extra waiver days.
Does anybody other than this writer think that these kids are out of school too much?
I am just a single African American dad and an observer on education issues. My daughter is in the fourth grade, and every day for four years, I have had the privilege of being part of her education.
Since she’s been in school, I have witnessed the good, the bad and the ridiculous. I have argued with school superintendents, disagreed with arrogant principals, talked to clueless school board members and endured teachers who were afraid of me because I am black.
It has been quite a ride........(click here to continue)
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