State Senator Meeks (Chicago, St. Charles, Stanford: section 8, rent, credit)

[cohdane]

Anyone who wants to know whether money is the answer only needs to look at Boston's English High School. It is the oldest public high school in America. In the 1960's it was the most prestigious in Boston. In the mid-1970's forced busing came along. Last year, they almost closed the school because of its consistently poor performance. The only reason it remained open was because of it's historic status. Now it's in "one more chance" mode before they close it.

There were no funding changes. But there was white flight.

I will never argue that anyone's race contributes to their performance. But I will argue that whether or not one's parents went to crappy schools, are illiterate, work two-three jobs, aren't married, aren't employed, don't believe in the power of education, don't speak king's english, etc., etc, etc, absolutely impacts a child's ability to learn.

I have long believed that property tax should NOT be tied to educational funding. Inner city kids have enough to contend with, without getting the short end of the funding stick. But funding alone is NOT the answer.

New Trier, by virtue of its college educated parents, comparatively stable homes, money for tutors, and unflagging belief in the value of education will always trump the test scores of any non-magnet inner city school.

It's nice to go to college. It's nice to be able to help your kids with their homework. It's nice to be home from work in time to see your kids go to bed.

Not everyone has that luxury. Or, in some cases, that desire.

I'm not dumping on New Trier parents. I'm dumping on the idea that handing someone a pile of cash is going to improve test scores.

[InformedConsent]

Originally Posted by cdc3217

I'm sorry, but wasn't there a similar meeting of the minds a couple years (2 or 3) back and the state did not enact any reforms?

I'm not clear on this - are you talking about the school funding reform bill, or was there a more intensive accountability plan proposed like the one Meeks and Gidwitz are currently proposing?

I am mad too, but then bus the kids to Springfield (or a CPS site as others have mentioned) and have a teach-in/test-in or something

I still don't think busing kids to New Trier is the best way to illustrate the issue. Marrying government waste and non-accountability with racial and economic inequities muddies the issue.

I don't necessarily agree with the planned bussing to New Trier, either. They may be doing this to highlight the fact that students/families in underperforming public schools do not have enough political clout or influence to effect the needed changes in the way their schools are administered and students educated, whereas the students'/families' influence and political clout are very prominent in New Trier's operation.

[Lookout Kid]

New Trier is a perfect storm of high education spending, affluent college-educated parents, and a culture of high-achievement. Many city schools are the opposite on all three counts.

[Anthera]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

New Trier is a perfect storm of high education spending, affluent college-educated parents, and a culture of high-achievement. Many city schools are the opposite on all three counts.

One of the best indicaters of a school is % of parental contact. This measure the contact a school has with their students parents(attending an open house, calling a teacher to complain, going on a field trip). many schools have 100%, indicating that during the school year the parent contacted or was successfully contacted by the school at least once. Other schools have shockingly low percentages, and the test scores to match.

[cdc3217]

Originally Posted by InformedConsent

I'm not clear on this - are you talking about the school funding reform bill, or was there a more intensive accountability plan proposed like the one Meeks and Gidwitz are currently proposing?

I can't recall the specifics - I think two years ago there was a big grassroots push for the legislature to reform school funding, and nothing happened. So I guess that's the school funding reform bill.

I guess I like the idea of the accountability plan, but I am unsure they'll be able to enact it successfully, if this New Trier stunt is their best PR effort.

[InformedConsent]

Originally Posted by cdc3217

I can't recall the specifics - I think two years ago there was a big grassroots push for the legislature to reform school funding, and nothing happened. So I guess that's the school funding reform bill.

I guess I like the idea of the accountability plan, but I am unsure they'll be able to enact it successfully, if this New Trier stunt is their best PR effort.

If Meeks makes this about funding only, the stunt will backfire. CPS already gets a much larger percentage of their funding from state taxes than do districts like New Trier and its feeder schools. Plus, CPS spends over $10,000 per student per school year - more than twice that of the lowest spending Illinois school districts. If CPS can't provide a decent education on more than $10,000 per student per year, they need to cut the waste and operate in a more fiscally and educationally effective manner before asking the state - and therefore personal and corporate taxpayers - to throw even more good money after bad.

Business leaders are fed-up wih investing billions of dollars in the low Illinois state standards and the weak public education system throughout the state, not just in Chicago. Read the IL Business Roundtable president's comments in this article to get an idea of how critical this issue is...
Daily Herald | Chapter 10: Only 1 in 5 high school graduates are ready for college

[cohdane]

If it's not about funding, then what is it about?

The part of this whole protest that bugs me is the focus on Us vs. Them and the deliberate choice of a "white" school to further make it about White vs. Black. Divisive, divisive, divisive.

What does Meeks want? What is this about? What is the right tool to solve the problem?

[cohdane]

Originally Posted by Anthera

One of the best indicaters of a school is % of parental contact. This measure the contact a school has with their students parents(attending an open house, calling a teacher to complain, going on a field trip). many schools have 100%, indicating that during the school year the parent contacted or was successfully contacted by the school at least once. Other schools have shockingly low percentages, and the test scores to match.

If this is true, then the kids who protest at New Trier shouldn't be demanding enrollment. They should be demanding New Trier parents.

[cdc3217]

Originally Posted by cohdane

If this is true, then the kids who protest at New Trier shouldn't be demanding enrollment. They should be demanding New Trier parents.

They can adopt me too if I get a new car for my birthday.

[InformedConsent]

Originally Posted by cohdane

If it's not about funding, then what is it about?

Well... Meeks and Gidwitz have been selling it to business leaders and the Trib's editorial board as education reform. The state funding he's asked for in order to call off the New Trier stunt is for the pilot programs that are supposed to examine curriculum, discipline, student progress, and grading policies in four underperforming school clusters.

Assuming success in raising student achievement in the pilot programs, Meeks hopes to prove that a broader overhaul of the school funding system would work.
Clout Street - local political coverage | Chicago Tribune | Blog

The part of this whole protest that bugs me is the focus on Us vs. Them and the deliberate choice of a "white" school to further make it about White vs. Black. Divisive, divisive, divisive.

Me too. By staging the New Trier enrollment stunt and seeming to make it about Us vs. Them and funding, Meeks runs the risk of looking disingenuous. If he was consistently talking about education reform, as he did when he sold the plan to business leaders and the Trib, the public and the media would take the point of the New Trier enrollment stunt more seriously.

What does Meeks want? What is this about? What is the right tool to solve the problem?

Good question. He's clouded the issue. Business leaders and Pols will never go along with pouring more tax money into the underperforming public schools black hole without significant steps toward education reform and accountability.