Not meeting your standards? Get a new standard!

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   JaxsonRaineposted 12 years ago

   http://tampa.cbslocal.com/2012/10/12/fl … mic-goals/
   
   Our public schools are so messed up...

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      Repairguy47posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      When government controls something it will get stupid.

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      Josakposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Oh wow I am probably going to get my head bitten off here...
      
      When I was young I spent a few months going to school while living in complete abject poverty, I was always a pretty good student but I just couldn't keep up, I had no time to study because I was begging or trying to find some work, I couldn't concentrate because i was too hungry and I had no electric light to study after dark with.
      
      Now if kids are facing those sorts of conditions (and it seems they are though perhaps not quite as bad) and the number in those sorts of conditions is different for each race then it seems very tough on the school to set them all the same targets.
      
      If for example (to use unrealistic theoretical figures) half of all black children are living in those conditions and only 10% of white kid are and you have a school with a 90% black population then if you set the targets to be the same as for a school with a 90% white student group the school with the students largely unable to study is going to look like it's providing a terrible education even if it's doing just as well as the other school by merit of the students not sharing the same conditions.
      
      So for the schools to have realistic targets that are equal across schools this is one method...
      
      *prepares for imminent death*

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         JaxsonRaineposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Lol, I'd bite, but I just ate dinner
         
         To me, this just tells (working off the top of my head) black children 'You're not expected to be as smart as hispanic/white/asian kids.'
         
         It tells hispanic kids 'You're not expected to be as smart as white/asian kids.'
         
         And white kids 'You're not expected to be as smart as asian kids.'
         
         Whatever the rationale, it's wrong. If you are concerned with poverty, then do something that will actually help kids in poverty, instead of just lumping races together.

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            Josakposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Helping kids in poverty directly isn't really the Florida department of educations job...
            and I think it's impossible for kids living in abject poverty to compete with kids who are not.
            The only other solution I can think of would be to track the poverty level of school districts but that changes and is probably harder to do for the same result.

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               JaxsonRaineposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               I mean, adjust for poverty, not race. Adjusting for race to account for poverty doesn't work.
               
               I didn't mean have the DoE get kids out of poverty.

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   Mighty Momposted 12 years ago

   You nailed it, Jaxson. That is MESSED UP!
   I will be curious to read Habee's comment on this one. Perhaps it makes sense from the teacher's perspective (although I doubt it).
   
   Is it too simple to suggest revising these goals to 100% of ALL students being proficient?
   

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   lrohnerposted 12 years ago

   This has nothing to do with the children; it's all about money. Schools that achieve their goals (no matter how messed up they are) tend to get more recognition and funding. This school system is trying to ensure they meet their "goals" without actually having to work at them.

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