When you look at the dismal results in Tennessee education and around the country I believe there is merit in what was said. It it time to face the facts. Public education in America is a disgrace. It is not what it once was. The teachers colleges are not producing educators and haven't for a long time. Teacher colleges produce teachers that are far from the educator of the past when schools stuck to the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic. My nephew a recent graduate from a "teacher" college had to spend one semester course (required) on the 72 different genders. Really?? So because some people cannot handle the truth we are now going to dig our hole even deeper than it already is by denying a good education alternative that just might actually teach students to read, write and do math. Anyone that looks at the performance metrics of our students and then denies a good alternative to our students because their feelings were hurt is now part of the education problem and proves he was right. I hope Governor Lee does what is right for our children and if teachers and faculty are insulted then perhaps they should pull up their big girl/boy panties and try to prove him wrong but let's not put our children's future in the middle of this issue. The fact is these Hillsdale charters have excellent student results unlike many or our public/charter schools and my priority is results and a good education for our children. It is time to face some harsh realities. Perhaps the real reason Hillsdale is not welcome in Tennessee has more to do with fear that the Hillsdale schools and student performance just might prove to be Arnn right.
A few questions that need to be looked at here so that the comparison you make is actually apples to apples. When you make the claim that Students in Hillsdale charters perform better than students in public schools, what are the demographics of those students? How many students are from poverty stricken homes? Single parent homes? Inner city or rural homes? How many have a language barrier? Are these charters selective or do they take all applicants? Are the scores you are making a comparison with scores from the same test that students take in public schools? Does the charter give the state mandated tests or a test they generate themselves?
When statistics and blanket claims are thrown around like, 'Hillsdale have excellent student results unlike many of our public schools' and all their students are from two parent upper middle to upper class taking different tests that are not the standardized tests from the state and they are hand picked instead of open door enrollment, you can imagine that the statement you are making can be subject to criticism.
You see, if we are going to compare the achievement of students, all these factors make a big difference. It is easy to boil education down to this kind of simplicity in comparison but in reality, education is more than just the teachers and the education programs. It is also a thermometer of our social climate. It is about businessman stacking the deck, so to speak, and raking in money hand over fist. Its about money and politics. its about kids and how their environment and home life supports how they view going to school.
I would suggest looking closer at these issues. I am always of leary statements that claim that a private or charter is better than public for these very reasons.
But she does raise a valid point about the increasing frustration with public schools. And that needs to addressed. My fellow Republicans often think that competition is the key to promoting better public schools. But we have not created an environment for competition. Instead, we are hamstringing our public schools with abusive testing, horrible scripted curriculum, and taking independence away from our classroom teachers. If this continues, we may very well see the frustration with public schools reach a critical mass. Then, as public education implodes, there will be no more competition. There will be a monopoly owned by people like Arnn who see education as a profit making business and teachers as low level employees who staff the business. I believe, there is much common ground for people with differing political beliefs to work together to prevent this from happening. If only, we would…
Thanks for that perspective, Terri - appreciate your advocacy for public education. I think there is definitely common ground on issues like testing and teacher autonomy. It's unfortunate that the current administration (Lee) is only perpetuating all of those issues - more testing, more scripted curriculum, and more public money sent to private schools.
Yes, I agree, Gov. Lee is no friend to public education. I am ashamed at how he and his administration behaved to pass the ESA voucher bill. It is also upsetting that the State Constitutional challenges to that bill will now be heard by a handpicked tribunal instead of the Chancery Court where they were originally filed.
When you look at the dismal results in Tennessee education and around the country I believe there is merit in what was said. It it time to face the facts. Public education in America is a disgrace. It is not what it once was. The teachers colleges are not producing educators and haven't for a long time. Teacher colleges produce teachers that are far from the educator of the past when schools stuck to the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic. My nephew a recent graduate from a "teacher" college had to spend one semester course (required) on the 72 different genders. Really?? So because some people cannot handle the truth we are now going to dig our hole even deeper than it already is by denying a good education alternative that just might actually teach students to read, write and do math. Anyone that looks at the performance metrics of our students and then denies a good alternative to our students because their feelings were hurt is now part of the education problem and proves he was right. I hope Governor Lee does what is right for our children and if teachers and faculty are insulted then perhaps they should pull up their big girl/boy panties and try to prove him wrong but let's not put our children's future in the middle of this issue. The fact is these Hillsdale charters have excellent student results unlike many or our public/charter schools and my priority is results and a good education for our children. It is time to face some harsh realities. Perhaps the real reason Hillsdale is not welcome in Tennessee has more to do with fear that the Hillsdale schools and student performance just might prove to be Arnn right.
A few questions that need to be looked at here so that the comparison you make is actually apples to apples. When you make the claim that Students in Hillsdale charters perform better than students in public schools, what are the demographics of those students? How many students are from poverty stricken homes? Single parent homes? Inner city or rural homes? How many have a language barrier? Are these charters selective or do they take all applicants? Are the scores you are making a comparison with scores from the same test that students take in public schools? Does the charter give the state mandated tests or a test they generate themselves?
When statistics and blanket claims are thrown around like, 'Hillsdale have excellent student results unlike many of our public schools' and all their students are from two parent upper middle to upper class taking different tests that are not the standardized tests from the state and they are hand picked instead of open door enrollment, you can imagine that the statement you are making can be subject to criticism.
You see, if we are going to compare the achievement of students, all these factors make a big difference. It is easy to boil education down to this kind of simplicity in comparison but in reality, education is more than just the teachers and the education programs. It is also a thermometer of our social climate. It is about businessman stacking the deck, so to speak, and raking in money hand over fist. Its about money and politics. its about kids and how their environment and home life supports how they view going to school.
I would suggest looking closer at these issues. I am always of leary statements that claim that a private or charter is better than public for these very reasons.
Thanks for sharing your perspective, Karen. Good to know you stand firmly on the side of Arnn, Hillsdale, and Lee.
But she does raise a valid point about the increasing frustration with public schools. And that needs to addressed. My fellow Republicans often think that competition is the key to promoting better public schools. But we have not created an environment for competition. Instead, we are hamstringing our public schools with abusive testing, horrible scripted curriculum, and taking independence away from our classroom teachers. If this continues, we may very well see the frustration with public schools reach a critical mass. Then, as public education implodes, there will be no more competition. There will be a monopoly owned by people like Arnn who see education as a profit making business and teachers as low level employees who staff the business. I believe, there is much common ground for people with differing political beliefs to work together to prevent this from happening. If only, we would…
Thanks for that perspective, Terri - appreciate your advocacy for public education. I think there is definitely common ground on issues like testing and teacher autonomy. It's unfortunate that the current administration (Lee) is only perpetuating all of those issues - more testing, more scripted curriculum, and more public money sent to private schools.
Yes, I agree, Gov. Lee is no friend to public education. I am ashamed at how he and his administration behaved to pass the ESA voucher bill. It is also upsetting that the State Constitutional challenges to that bill will now be heard by a handpicked tribunal instead of the Chancery Court where they were originally filed.