education: how to fix it?

[sammyg2]

My kids go to a private lutheran school. Tuition is $3500 each per year for grade school, after the membership discount. High school (lutheran high school of Orange) is about $8000 per year.
Both schools are regarded as some of the best in Orange County.
Public school system in this area spends lots more per student and provide less.
Much of that has to do with the quality of students.

[expat]

Here's my take as an elementary teacher.

Get rid of bad teachers. How? I still don't know a way of doing this because you have to set a level of what/who is bad and it can't be based on the child's performance because teachers aren't the only ones having influence over a child's skills and abilities (let alone their attitude).

Train parents. How? Home visits by people trained to investigate how the family runs. You would need to decide on some basics - access to books and stationary, a quiet place to study, controls on TV/computer time, suitable diet, ensuring there are opportunities for two way dialogue between the child and the parent/s.......

Get rid of all the hours spent by teachers managing behavior. How? I honestly don't know. I think it stems from the home. Ultimately its about RESPECT and ACCEPTANCE being taught at home as a basic human trait. Many of you would not believe how much time I spend each day managing behavior. This includes simple disruptive behavior during classtime, to the yard bullies.

I taught in Asia for 8 years. I can assure you when the behavior of the students is in place a whole hell of a lot more learning is occurring. The attitude in much of Asia is a desire and love for learning, as well as a complete understanding of the need to learn; to be a success at whatever you choose in later life.

In Asia I taught students about Multiple Intelligence Theory so they could find the best way for them to learn. Then I created opportunities for them to learn in the many different ways. It was hands on, very busy, much of it independent, accountable, messy and very stimulating. I tried to run MI activities here in LA - what a waste of time! Attitude.....(Roll eyes here)

Just some ideas. No real answers.

[expat]

Originally posted by sammyg2
My kids go to a private lutheran school. Tuition is $3500 each per year for grade school, after the membership discount. High school (lutheran high school of Orange) is about $8000 per year.
Both schools are regarded as some of the best in Orange County.
Public school system in this area spends lots more per student and provide less.
Much of that has to do with the quality of students.

Private denominational school student fees are subsidized by large and small private donations and funding from the church aren't they? Is the comparison apples and apples? ( Shouldn't Luthern be spelt with a capital. )

[sammyg2]

The Church and school are combined but seperate. This is not like hte catholic school system which is paid for by the church. This school is independent and fully self-reliant financially, although the purchase price was largely funded with donations. It also has a two year waiting list and the administrators are very selective when it comes to admission. they interview the student and both parents (one at a time) and then make the decision based on that.

[Wrecked944]

Todd, it appears a solution has been found - right in my town of Worcester, MA. A local college (Clark University) decided to solve the education problem on its own. So Clark created the University Park Campus School. Here is the web site...

http://www.upcsinstitute.org/

Here are some interesting data points...

University Park Campus School was developed by Clark University and the Worcester Public School District to be a public school of choice that would admit neighborhood students regardless of their academic standing. Applicants are admitted by lottery but, before they apply, they must accompany their parents to an informational meeting where they are told about the academic rigor of the school and the minimum of two hours of homework each night.

Seventy-eight percent of University Park students speak English as a second language, with Spanish, Albanian, Vietnamese, or Cambodian as their first language. This percentage is much higher than that of the district (36 percent) or of the state (14 percent). Seventy-three percent of University Park students qualify for free or reduced-price meals (compared to 30 percent in the state), and many of these students are those who had "slipped through the cracks" in their elementary schools. About 39 percent of the students are white; 34 percent are Hispanic; 18 percent are Asian; and 9 percent are African American.

When University Park opened the doors to its first class of seventh-graders in 1997, the school started the year with an "August Academy" to assess the incoming students' proficiency levels in reading, math, and English, and their social skills. The teachers found that one-half of the 35 students were reading at a third-grade level, and four of them could not read at all. Two years later, when the students started ninth grade, all of them were following an honors-level curriculum. The following year, by the tenth grade, on their initial attempt, all students passed the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment Exam (MCAS), a test in reading and mathematics required for graduation in Massachusetts.

In 2004, all University Park tenth grade students passed the English/Language Arts portion of the MCAS, with 85 percent scoring proficient and advanced, with no one failing. On the math MCAS, 88 percent of tenth graders scored proficient and advanced, with no one failing. Students' scores in both subject areas of the MCAS have consistently qualified the school as one of the top 10 percent of schools in the state, and the school was recently named the top-performing urban high school in Massachusetts.

Not only is the entire tenth grade class doing well on standardized tests, but University Park is succeeding also in closing the achievement gap for Hispanic students. In 2003, 100 percent of the tenth grade Hispanic students met or exceeded the state standards in English language arts, and, in math, 93 percent of tenth grade Hispanic students met or exceeded state standards on the MCAS.

University Park does not expect students' learning to end with high school. Since opening in 1997, all graduates of UPCS have attended college, and 80 percent of them went to four-year institutions. There is a strong emphasis, starting in seventh grade, on going to college.

Let's repeat that for those who missed it: Since opening in 1997, all graduates of UPCS have attended college - and this is a group of students from a poor neighborhood chosen by lottery. And hey, I've been to that neighborhood and it is nasty. I am afraid to park there during the day

So there is your solution. Go to their website and read all about it.

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