How to fix our public schools?

[pgardn]

Arne Duncan’s Race to the Bottom: Our national test fixation isn’t just bad for kids — it doesn’t even work

The president's surprise announcement that testing is out of control is more than welcome: The tests deserve an F

Sometimes events happen that seem to be disconnected, but after a few days or weeks, the pattern emerges.

Consider this:

On October 2, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced that he was resigning and planned to return to Chicago. Former New York Commissioner of Education John King, who is a clone of Duncan in terms of his belief in testing and charter schools, was designated to take Duncan’s place.

On October 23, the Obama administration held a surprise news conference to declare that testing was out of control and should be reduced to not more than 2 percent of classroom time. Actually, that wasn’t a true reduction, because 2 percent translates into between 18-24 hours of testing, which is a staggering amount of annual testing for children in grades 3-8 and not different from the status quo in most states.

Disconnected events?

Not at all. Here comes the pattern-maker: the federal tests called the National Assessment of Educational Progress released its every-other-year report card in reading and math, and the results were dismal. There would be many excuses offered, many rationales, but the bottom line: the NAEP scores are an embarrassment to the Obama administration (and the George W. Bush administration that preceded it).

For nearly 15 years, Presidents Bush and Obama and the Congress have bet billions of dollars—both federal and state– on a strategy of testing, accountability, and choice.

They believed that if every student was tested in reading and mathematics every year from grades 3 to 8, test scores would go up and up.

In those schools where test scores did not go up, the principals and teachers would be fired and replaced. Where scores didn’t go up for five years in a row, the schools would be closed.

Thousands of educators were fired, and thousands of public schools were closed, based on the theory that sticks and carrots, rewards and punishments, would improve education.

But the 2015 NAEP scores released today by the National Assessment Governing Board (a federal agency) showed that Arne Duncan’s $4.35 billion Race to the Top program had flopped.

It also showed that George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind was as phony as the “Texas education miracle” of 2000, which Bush touted as proof of his education credentials.

In his Race to the Top program, Duncan made testing the primary purpose of education. Scores had to go up every year, because the entire nation was “racing to the top.”

Only 12 states won a share of the $4.35 billion that Duncan was given by Congress: Tennessee and Delaware were first to win, in 2010. The next round, the following states won multi-millions of federal dollars to double down on testing: Maryland, Massachusetts, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and Rhode Island.

Tennessee, Duncan’s showcase state in 2013, made no gains in reading or mathematics, neither in fourth grade or eighth grade. The black-white test score gap was as large in 2015 as it had been in 1998, before either NCLB or the Race to the Top.

The results in mathematics were bleak across the nation, in both grades 4 and 8. The declines nationally were only 1 or 2 points, but they were significant in a national assessment on the scale of NAEP.

In fourth-grade mathematics, the only jurisdictions to report gains were the District of Columbia, Mississippi, and the Department of Defense schools.

Sixteen states had significant declines in their math scores, and thirty-three were flat in relation to 2013 scores.

The scores in Tennessee (the $500 million winner) were flat.

In eighth grade, the lack of progress in mathematics was universal.

Twenty-two states had significantly lower scores than in 2013, while 30 states or jurisdictions had flat scores. Pennsylvania, Kansas, and Florida (a Race to the Top winner), were the biggest losers, by dropping six points. Among the states that declined by four points were Race to the Top winners Ohio, North Carolina, and Massachusetts. Maryland, Hawaii, New York, and the District of Columbia lost two points. The scores in Tennessee were flat.

The best single word to describe NAEP 2015 is stagnation.

Contrary to President George W. Bush’s law, many children have been left behind by the strategy of test-and-punish.

Contrary to the Obama administration’s Race to the Top program, the mindless reliance on standardized testing has not brought us closer to some mythical “Top.”

Disgusted with the testing regime, experienced teachers leave and enrollments in teacher education programs fall.

The past dozen or so years have been a time when “reformers” like Arne Duncan, Mic e Rhee, Joel Klein, and Bill Gates proudly claimed that they were disrupting school systems and destroying the status quo. Now the “reformers” have become the status quo, and we have learned that disruption is not good for children or education.

http://www.salon.com/2015/10/28/arne...snt_even_work/

"Some think" that an (economically) advanced country like USA would know, at this point many decades after compulsory education, how THE to teach K-12.

==============

History of education in the United States

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_education_in_the_United_States#Religion _and_schools

=================

More Countries Pass U.S. by in Education Rankings

http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/b...ation-rankings

So clearly you want federal oversight of education out and leave it to local en ies?
This is not the first time the US has cycled through the Test frenzy phase and accountability.

[boutons_deux]

So clearly you want federal oversight of education out and leave it to local en ies?
This is not the first time the US has cycled through the Test frenzy phase and accountability.

so clearly, you are wrong, again.

I think Common Core (it ain't Federal) was, is a great program, no curricula, just expected achievement at various stages, leaving the how-to details up to the states, districts.

The most credible analysis I've seen is that the problem is teachers (how much "local" can you get?). Undertrained, underpaid, over stressed (esp by childish "carrot-stick" authoritarianism), under resourced, and disrespected and viciously trashed non-stop as the sole reason of educational failure by the VRWC/Repugs/BigCorp who want to pocket taxpayers' education $Ts with selling tests, selling books (corrupted with capitalist,religious indoctrination), with running for-profit charter schools.

VRWC/Repugs/BigCorp trashing and firing 100Ks of union-contributing teachers, cutting education budgets ("small govt"), busting teacher unions are political moves, with not the slightest concern for actual educational impact. All Politics, All The Time, and predatory greed for the $Ts they don't already own.

America is ed and un able.

[pgardn]

So clearly you want federal oversight of education out and leave it to local en ies?
This is not the first time the US has cycled through the Test frenzy phase and accountability.

uhhhhh....

What am I wrong about?

I asked you a question.
And I made a statement about heavy testing cycling through our educational history.

You say you do want fed control, ok.

[boutons_deux]

uhhhhh....

What am I wrong about?

I missed your "out".

The only Federal involvement in K-12 should be regs about teacher qualifications

1. 4 years of general college education

2. 2 years of teacher training plus "residency" of monitoring experienced teachers before becoming a teacher.

3. teachers can only teach subjects in which they are themselves educated (no more picking up a lesson plan in an unknown subject and following it mechanically)

4. "entrance exams" to the K-12 teaching PROFESSION must be rigorous as law or med school exams.

no more mba/business managers running schools "for profit, as a business", all school administrators must come up through teaching.

[pgardn]

I missed your "out".

The only Federal involvement in K-12 should be regs about teacher qualifications

1. 4 years of general college education

2. 2 years of teacher training plus "residency" of monitoring experienced teachers before becoming a teacher.

3. teachers can only teach subjects in which they are themselves educated (no more picking up a lesson plan in an unknown subject and following it mechanically)

4. "entrance exams" to the K-12 teaching PROFESSION must be rigorous as law or med school exams.

no more mba/business managers running schools "for profit, as a business", all school administrators must come up through teaching.

Sounds good.
But no one will enter the profession with the current pay.
And they will still end up quitting in many urban blight schools. Teachers alone will not change socioeconomics.

[Nbadan]

Fixing the schools is pretty easy really....in high school students should have the choice of going to a high school that is more academically rigorous or more vocationally rigorous.. if students flunk out of the academic high school they must attend the vocational high school....this school will teach them how to read, write, history science and do math but the instruction will center on more vocational trades like plumbing, electrical, car and home repair..and ROTC/military training.....if a student changes his mind after high school and decides he wants to go to college then there are ways of doing this too...

This will offer students who don't want to be in the classroom and persistently cause classroom disruptions an alternative to traditional school and give the students who really want to study and get ready for college the opportunity to do so more efficiently and with a lot less hassle..

[pgardn]

Fixing the schools is pretty easy really....in high school students should have the choice of going to a high school that is more academically rigorous or more vocationally rigorous.. if students flunk out of the academic high school they must attend the vocational high school....this school will teach them how to read, write, history science and do math but the instruction will center on more vocational trades like plumbing, electrical, car and home repair..and ROTC/military training.....if a student changes his mind after high school and decides he wants to go to college then there are ways of doing this too...

This will offer students who don't want to be in the classroom and persistently cause classroom disruptions an alternative to traditional school and give the students who really want to study and get ready for college the opportunity to do so more efficiently and with a lot less hassle..

As of right now the vocational schooling is mixed with the academic schooling in Texas. You are proposing a somewhat European model. The kids in academic settings don't necessarily cause disruptions because of the setting. They won't change their at ude with tools in front of them if they don't care about any education. In fact tools are good weapons and there is a market for them. I again stress socioeconomics. The students must care. This comes from parents. It's very difficult. It mirrors OUR culture.

[boutons_deux]

Europeans have been "tracking" kids into vocational or academic education quite young for decades. Germany has other countries very envious of Germany's very successful apprentice/work-study programs.

The American argument against tracking has been "equal opportunity (to the supposedly superior academic track) for all", which is hypocritical bull since entire schools and school districts are underfunded to deny "equal opportunity" of any education.

About the ONLY expected change to US K-12 education will be the continued onslaught by the VRWC/BigCorp on K-12 to transform it into failing for-profit, under-paying, under-educating charter schools. The onslaught of killing teacher jobs to kill teacher contributions to teacher unions supporting Dems, of weakening/killing teacher unions, all with financial windfall of grabbing taxpayers' $Ts away from public schools to for-profit charter schools.

"non-profit" charter schools pay ty teacher salaries and get ty non-union teachers (very high churn), while outsourcing as much a possible to for-profit contractors.

iow, "non-profit" charters schools are a successful scam but an educational failure because education and students were never their objective.

America is missing 100Ks of welders. One solution: http://www.npr.org/2015/09/07/437589...offer-training

For-profit prisons are very probably not interested in in-prison education and training since those programs have proven to reduce recidivism. The PIC is most interested in the keeping prisons full and recidivism as high as possible, "for profit". Corrupt police, mandatory sentencing, corrupts prosecutors and judges, absent mental health care, Repugs REFUSING any immigration reform, all combine keep for-profit prison very profitable.

[boutons_deux]

Koch brothers' higher-ed investments advance political goals

http://www.publicintegrity.org/2015/...olitical-goals

... more evidence that the VRWC/BigCorp has the $10Bs to corrupt education at all levels "for profit". Where is the countervailing force, power to stop them?

[pgardn]

Europeans have been "tracking" kids into vocational or academic education quite young for decades. Germany has other countries very envious of Germany's very successful apprentice/work-study programs.

The American argument against tracking has been "equal opportunity (to the supposedly superior academic track) for all", which is hypocritical bull since entire schools and school districts are underfunded to deny "equal opportunity" of any education.

About the ONLY expected change to US K-12 education will be the continued onslaught by the VRWC/BigCorp on K-12 to transform it into failing for-profit, under-paying, under-educating charter schools. The onslaught of killing teacher jobs to kill teacher contributions to teacher unions supporting Dems, of weakening/killing teacher unions, all with financial windfall of grabbing taxpayers' $Ts away from public schools to for-profit charter schools.

"non-profit" charter schools pay ty teacher salaries and get ty non-union teachers (very high churn), while outsourcing as much a possible to for-profit contractors.

iow, "non-profit" charters schools are a successful scam but an educational failure because education and students were never their objective.

America is missing 100Ks of welders. One solution: http://www.npr.org/2015/09/07/437589...offer-training

For-profit prisons are very probably not interested in in-prison education and training since those programs have proven to reduce recidivism. The PIC is most interested in the keeping prisons full and recidivism as high as possible, "for profit". Corrupt police, mandatory sentencing, corrupts prosecutors and judges, absent mental health care, Repugs REFUSING any immigration reform, all combine keep for-profit prison very profitable.

Yes that argument is bs as we don't have to "condemn" students to manual labor. They can change their mind. And there are plenty of academically gifted kids who want to learn a skill. Just because they are good at academic work does not mean they like it.

In Texas my personal experience with the majority of vocational schooling is subpar. The teachers have to be very careful with what the kids are allowed to do because of accidents and flat out bad behavior. Public schools have a top priority of keeping kid safe. They send PE classes out to walk around due to possibilities of getting hurt. Chemistry classes can't do many labs because of so many prohibited chemicals. Some school districts don't have compe ive swimming because of accidental drowning fears (but football stays). The litigation fear should not be discounted. Public schools do not want to have to use their lawyers.

The problems run deep and are going to solved with baby steps IMO.

And yes, the generalization I will make about the basic shop teacher now is a guy who got out of business and wanted to read the paper. A good shop teacher is invaluable if given a class that really wants to learn.

[rmt]

I've been homeschooling for 16 years. My humble opinion is that US education is a mile wide and an inch deep especially in the elementary grades - they teach too many subjects/topics and with no depth - all this so that parents think their children are learning a lot when all that is needed is that they learn a few things very well (in elem grades). I think there needs to be a focus on the 3 Rs to all exclusion up to 3rd grade. Those math facts must be AUTOMATIC. Reading must be the most important emphasis. Writing should be taught from the building blocks of grammar - not having 1st graders write pages and pages of How I Spent my Summer Vacation. All this time spent on Hispanic Month, Black Month, Arts and Crafts, Music, etc. should be left to after school programs - not regular school time. History and Science can be learned through reading books - there are great Let's Read and Find out about Science books. Encourage reading, reading, and more reading.

Math - look at the countries that do well in international testing. Singapore often leads the 4th and 8th grade math compe ions. They use a very simple (in English) series called Primary Math from 1st through 6th grade. The books are cheap (less than $10 each) and stress critical thinking. They are used nationwide so that when a child transfers to another area of the country, they still use the same curriculum. I realize that this can't be used nationwide, but it could be done state-wide. Emphasize mastery - when a topic is learned - follow up with word problems. Only when a child can solve a word problem does he know how to APPLY what he's learned. Do not move on in math until a topic has been mastered (meaning don't move on to fractions until multiplication facts are automatic - that's a case in frustration and failure). I would outlaw poster boards, authors' gallery and science projects in elementary school. Learn the material - not which parent can make the best poster board.

In middle and high schools, I think they should offer high-achieving students 3 for 1 peer tutoring hours - peer tutor for an hour - get 3 hours community service hours. A win-win for everyone - and costs nothing. Most states offer virtual (online) classes. I can tell from experience that these classes are easy to cheat on (just open up another tab with google and everything is at your fingertips) and believe me, kids are inventive - they will find the easy way out. I would outlaw them for foundational classes (that you build on) like math. For Math and Science, I would pay teachers more so that you can attract good teachers - I don't think that a teacher who teaches AP Calculus or AP Physics should be paid the same as a PE teacher.

If it were left to me, all colleges would accept students on MERIT - not do this social engineering/affirmative action stuff where they build classes and want x amount of this race or that. There's nothing that kills initiative more than getting accepted/rejected (both ways) BECAUSE of the color of your skin.

[rmt]

My son goes to a charter public high school. They are very flexible and responsive - if a new teacher is bad, he's gone the next year - not so in public school. The teachers who they keep are very good, want to be there and are given great flexibility in what they can do/teach. The charter school requires a certain amount of volunteer hours (which can be paid for - in cash or school supplies). The school forces all 9th, 10th and 11th graders to take the PSAT test (free) and 1 (free) SAT that anyone can take. All 11th graders have to take a SAT prep class (year-round, 1 period of regular school). The school principal got Principal of the Year for the state of Florida this year. The school has now extended its grades down to PK so they will have the students from they are tiny and control over their entire K-12 education.

[boutons_deux]

here's different approach to comparison, US state vs state, and US state vs foreign countries

Weirdly, two blue states, MA and CT, are the best in USA and compare well with best foreign countries.

Bringing it back home

Why state comparisons are more useful than international comparisons for improving U.S. education policy

http://www.epi.org/blog/disappointing-naep-scores-and-the-questions-they-raise/

============

another EPI paper on education:

Disappointing NAEP scores and the questions they raise

http://www.epi.org/blog/disappointin...ns-they-raise/

[rmt]

This charter school my son is attending is in a low-income, hispanic area. All parent meetings are in both English and Spanish - so there's no help at home. In my son's gifted class, there are 2 kids (my son and one other) who were born in the US. It seems like they test them all in the younger grades (gifted kids get more funds) - not sure as my son went in at 9th grade. They don't put up with any discipline problem kids - they will throw them out of the school - and a place in this charter school is well sought after as the kids get a good education. So low-income, bad neighborhood (6 armed guards - compare to my good neighborhood K-8 center which has 1 unarmed old guard) - so no I don't think the neighborhood has anything to do with it. It's money (in the form of volunteer hours, cash or supplies), flexibility to run the school as a business and freedom to fire bad teachers. I have never met more ambitious, hard-working kids in my life. It's like they know that the only way out of poverty is a good education, and the compe ion in the school is fierce.

The counselor at my local K-8 had told me that my son would have culture shock going to this school but surprisingly, he loves them and they love him (maybe because he's so different - homeschooled, asian, Christian (most of them are atheists)). They did have fights at first, but my son is over 6 ft tall and can handle himself. My younger son is short, small and well, we shall see next year.

[pgardn]

This charter school my son is attending is in a low-income, hispanic area. All parent meetings are in both English and Spanish - so there's no help at home. In my son's gifted class, there are 2 kids (my son and one other) who were born in the US. It seems like they test them all in the younger grades (gifted kids get more funds) - not sure as my son went in at 9th grade. They don't put up with any discipline problem kids - they will throw them out of the school - and a place in this charter school is well sought after as the kids get a good education. So low-income, bad neighborhood (6 armed guards - compare to my good neighborhood K-8 center which has 1 unarmed old guard) - so no I don't think the neighborhood has anything to do with it. It's money (in the form of volunteer hours, cash or supplies), flexibility to run the school as a business and freedom to fire bad teachers. I have never met more ambitious, hard-working kids in my life. It's like they know that the only way out of poverty is a good education, and the compe ion in the school is fierce.

The counselor at my local K-8 had told me that my son would have culture shock going to this school but surprisingly, he loves them and they love him (maybe because he's so different - homeschooled, asian, Christian (most of them are atheists)). They did have fights at first, but my son is over 6 ft tall and can handle himself. My younger son is short, small and well, we shall see next year.

So they throw the bad kids out? Where do they go to school? Of course there are low income families who want good education. You care, good. Tell me about the kids and "families" who don't? And why don't they? Why are parents who are professionals and college educated usually very concerned with education compared to those parents with only a HS education and constantly changing jobs while moving often?

The stats point to the above and I don't find this surprising.

[Nbadan]

As of right now the vocational schooling is mixed with the academic schooling in Texas. You are proposing a somewhat European model. The kids in academic settings don't necessarily cause disruptions because of the setting. They won't change their at ude with tools in front of them if they don't care about any education. In fact tools are good weapons and there is a market for them. I again stress socioeconomics. The students must care. This comes from parents. It's very difficult. It mirrors OUR culture.

The kids who cause disruptions in vocational schools get military type training...marching at 6....drill..drill...drill....these kids need structure, respect for authority and belonging ....

Plus, it would remove these kids from the group, the majority of kids in even poor schools, who do want to be in school, don't have discipline issues and want to learn just like kids in the more affluent areas...

[Nbadan]

So they throw the bad kids out?

Charter school have the luxury of throwing out kids they don't find up to their standards.....they also exclude special pops students because they don't have the facilities to accommodate these types of students...

[boutons_deux]

Charter school have the luxury of throwing out kids they don't find up to their standards.....they also exclude special pops students because they don't have the facilities to accommodate these types of students...

special ed students need expensive special ed staff which would cut into charter school profits, socharter schools simply refuse special ed students.

[rmt]

So they throw the bad kids out? Where do they go to school? Of course there are low income families who want good education. You care, good. Tell me about the kids and "families" who don't? And why don't they? Why are parents who are professionals and college educated usually very concerned with education compared to those parents with only a HS education and constantly changing jobs while moving often?

The stats point to the above and I don't find this surprising.

Entrance into the charter school is by lottery (luck). If you have a sibling going there, you get preference (but still a lottery) so eg. my younger son will get preference but no guarantee (a different lottery). The bad, discipline problems go back to the local public school (there are warnings and chances to get one's act together). Yes, more highly educated people emphasize education, but in this case, the parents are low-income, uneducated, Spanish-speaking immigrants and the kids do fine. The teachers make a big difference. They are excellent - I don't know where they find them. Some of them have quirks but they are given great la ude. My son's physics teacher used to be an emergency room doctor, got tired of it and returned to his first love - teaching. I find that they really want to be there as opposed to the more tenured, unionized public school teachers.

Don't get me wrong - this school is not for the faint of heart - there are fights but there is an (admired) intellectual hierarchy - after all, you never know when you might need help with a subject. Families who don't care don't seek out a school like this. It involves x volunteer hours per child. Kids of those families go to the local public schools which don't have the la ude/flexibility that charter schools have. Here in Miami, a lot of kids are flocking to the charter schools - the money follows them and the public schools with less students get less teachers. My younger son is taking a US history class at the local public school. This teacher has been teaching them geography for the past 9 weeks (she's a geography teacher) - I'm always asking him when she's gonna get to history because he won't know what he's supposed to know for 11th grade US history.

You can see the value of parental expectation/involvement in a lot of the Asians. You've heard of the term "tiger mom" I'm sure. It's not that Asian kids are any smarter than others, but that their parents have high expectations and are very involved in their education. They have them take piano classes, play chess - things that help the brain develop. They make them take Kumon (a rote math program) or join the math club.

I don't think that they can exclude special ed kids - that'd bring huge lawsuits. The charter schools get their money from public school funds - I think they just use them more efficiently and weed out the bad teachers.

IMO, schools need to emphasize the basics and stop trying to impress parents with all the different things the kids are supposedly learning - think depth and not breadth. Mastery of the 3 Rs will go a long way to solving the education problems. If you read, write and do math well, you can teach yourself anything (because you are gonna get some bad teachers).

[boutons_deux]

your personal anecdotes are useless in characterizing the national charter school scam, but thanks anyway.

[pgardn]

Entrance into the charter school is by lottery (luck). If you have a sibling going there, you get preference (but still a lottery) so eg. my younger son will get preference but no guarantee (a different lottery). The bad, discipline problems go back to the local public school (there are warnings and chances to get one's act together). Yes, more highly educated people emphasize education, but in this case, the parents are low-income, uneducated, Spanish-speaking immigrants and the kids do fine. The teachers make a big difference. They are excellent - I don't know where they find them. Some of them have quirks but they are given great la ude. My son's physics teacher used to be an emergency room doctor, got tired of it and returned to his first love - teaching. I find that they really want to be there as opposed to the more tenured, unionized public school teachers.

Don't get me wrong - this school is not for the faint of heart - there are fights but there is an (admired) intellectual hierarchy - after all, you never know when you might need help with a subject. Families who don't care don't seek out a school like this. It involves x volunteer hours per child. Kids of those families go to the local public schools which don't have the la ude/flexibility that charter schools have. Here in Miami, a lot of kids are flocking to the charter schools - the money follows them and the public schools with less students get less teachers. My younger son is taking a US history class at the local public school. This teacher has been teaching them geography for the past 9 weeks (she's a geography teacher) - I'm always asking him when she's gonna get to history because he won't know what he's supposed to know for 11th grade US history.

You can see the value of parental expectation/involvement in a lot of the Asians. You've heard of the term "tiger mom" I'm sure. It's not that Asian kids are any smarter than others, but that their parents have high expectations and are very involved in their education. They have them take piano classes, play chess - things that help the brain develop. They make them take Kumon (a rote math program) or join the math club.

I don't think that they can exclude special ed kids - that'd bring huge lawsuits. The charter schools get their money from public school funds - I think they just use them more efficiently and weed out the bad teachers.

IMO, schools need to emphasize the basics and stop trying to impress parents with all the different things the kids are supposedly learning - think depth and not breadth. Mastery of the 3 Rs will go a long way to solving the education problems. If you read, write and do math well, you can teach yourself anything (because you are gonna get some bad teachers).

Yep sounds good.

If you got parenting and the will to understand the value of an education, good things can happen. But what about the "bad" kids? They just go back to the public schools. I believe we have a "raising" kid problem. Not sure how this gets solved. Some would say, "so what, they choose to be stupid, let them remain in the permanent underclass" I would say the permanently underclass is too large and it affects the entire country.

[rmt]

Yep sounds good.

If you got parenting and the will to understand the value of an education, good things can happen. But what about the "bad" kids? They just go back to the public schools. I believe we have a "raising" kid problem. Not sure how this gets solved. Some would say, "so what, they choose to be stupid, let them remain in the permanent underclass" I would say the permanently underclass is too large and it affects the entire country.

It's not the kids - it's the parent(s). Babies are a clean slate and kids need to be taught, loved, etc. I don't know the solution and I know the cons ution calls for a separation of church and state, but I wish there could be some kind of collaboration between those who really wish to volunteer, mentor and make a meaningful difference in a kid's life. My church is currently doing Operation Christmas Child - where they make shoe boxes full of "goodies" for underprivileged kids. I wish that sincerely meant time and effort could be spent in personal contact with these kids - like a Big Brother, Big Sister type service. There is so much need out there and it's the connection that's not happening. One adult who cares can make such a difference in a child's life. And no, just because one is born into a bad neighbohood/situation doesn't mean that it has to turn out badly. I'll refer you to listen to Dr. Ben Carson's story of how he almost stabbed someone when he was 14 years old and how his life was turned around. He had one person in his life who cared (even though she herself couldn't read or write) - his mom.

[rmt]

your personal anecdotes are useless in characterizing the national charter school scam, but thanks anyway.

Some people like to hear different points of view so I thought I'd offer my experiences with homeschooling, public, charter and private school. Silly me, thinking that that is the purpose of a discussion board - to discuss ideas and try to come up with a solution. I'm sorry if my post in the other thread turned you off - but if you dish it out, prepare to hear the other side. Please feel free to put me on ignore.

[boutons_deux]

This Junk-Food-Funded Elementary School Curriculum Is Bonkers


Kids are learning that they can exercise away Big Macs and Pepsis. Scientists beg to differ.




At elementary schools nationwide, a health curriculum called Energy Balance 101 has taught millions of kids a seemingly simple concept: In order to stay fit, all we need to do is balance the food we eat with exercise. In the first lesson, elementary schoolers learn that anything and everything takes energy, from playing sports to doing homework. Teachers are instructed to ask how much you would need to eat or drink in order "balance shooting baskets for 30 minutes." Calories in, calories out.
Sensible enough, right? But there's something odd about the curriculum: Not once does it suggest ditching junk food—in fact,

the lesson plan explicitly says, "There are no good foods or bad foods!"

. The class is part of a program called Together Counts. That program is wholly funded by a group called the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation—which is in turn run and bankrolled by junk food corporations.

Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo, is the chair of the board, and directors include the CEOs of

Kellogg,

Hershey,

Nestle USA,

Coca-Cola,

Unilever,

Smucker, and

General Mills.

BigFood!

The organization's mission, according to tax filings, is "to help families and schools reduce obesity—especially childhood obesity."

In addition to schools, the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, which has an annual budget of about $10 million, funds energy balance programs for a wide variety of organizations, including the Girl Scouts, the National Parent Teacher Association, and the National Head Start Association. A Boy Scouts program is in the works.

Regardless of who constructs the curriculum, scientists point out that there's a major problem with programs like Energy Balance 101: Study after study shows that not all calories are created equal, because our bodies metabolize them differently. Robert Lustig, a pediatric neuroendocrinologist at the University of California-San Francisco, believes that programs that emphasize exercise over diet are on the wrong track. "A calorie is a calorie—it's the first thing dieticians learn in dietary school," he says. "That's the mantra, and guess what? It doesn't work."

Regardless of long term-effects of junk food, adds Barry Popkins, a food researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the majority of research confirms the importance of prioritizing diet over the exercise in promoting weight reduction in part because it takes a huge amount of time to work off the calories in junk food. "We'll never be able to move enough to offset one or two Cokes a day,"

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/...energy-balance

Just another example of evil, fraudulent, cheating, corrupt, unethical BigCorp

[rmt]

IMO, the culprit in obesity is the amount of carbs that's in the typical American diet. Drastically cut down the carbs and replace with fats - yes, bacon, butter, cheese, fish oil, whole milk, etc. Low carb, high fat - all those high cholesterol/blood pressure numbers will come down, and they will lose weight.