Tennessee Farms Out Poorest Students to Corporate Chain Gang Charters
Yes Prep is another KIPP knock-off for middle and high schoolers with the same total compliance organizational scheme and the same demeaning lockdown discipline policies designed for the urban poor. Ten hour days with white missionary TFAers learning to teach on poor people's children, constant surveillance, and poor facilities that are lacking in libraries, art rooms, gyms, etc. The remaining urban public schools outside of Mr. Barbic' control will function as dumping grounds or schools of last resort for those who are pushed out or become Nos of the Yes Preps. From HuffPo:
By accepting a job as superintendent of a new Tennessee school district, Chris Barbic has positioned himself as the face of an up-and-coming governance model for reforming failing schools.
The state of Tennessee tapped Barbic, a successful charter school organizer, to run a new special “Achievement School District” that encompasses five of the state’s worst-performing schools, officials announced this week. The arrangement puts the state in control of these schools and allows the state to contract the schools out to charter school networks or form partnerships with
Heroic First Book Marketplace Can't Do It All
Sent to the NY Times, May 17David Bornstein's "A book in every home, and then some" (May 16) documents the fact that children of poverty have little access to books, and that providing access results in increased reading and better reading achievement. As Bornstein points out, studies show that improved access to books can eliminate the gap between in reading achievement between children from high and low income families.
Organizations such as First Book Marketplace are heroically trying to improve the situation by providing books to children of poverty at low cost. But at the same time, public and school library funding is being cut, and the US Dept of Education has shown little interest in supporting libraries, despite the pious pronouncements of politicians about the importance of reading.
First Book and similar organizations dedicated to providing access to books, such as Colorado's Book Trust, can't do it all: Over 20% of American children live in poverty.
Stephen Krashen
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/16/a-book-in-every-home-and-then-some/?smid=tw-nytimesopinion&seid=auto
Supporting school and public libraries would cost a fraction of what the Dept
Organizations such as First Book Marketplace are heroically trying to improve the situation by providing books to children of poverty at low cost. But at the same time, public and school library funding is being cut, and the US Dept of Education has shown little interest in supporting libraries, despite the pious pronouncements of politicians about the importance of reading.
First Book and similar organizations dedicated to providing access to books, such as Colorado's Book Trust, can't do it all: Over 20% of American children live in poverty.
Stephen Krashen
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/16/a-book-in-every-home-and-then-some/?smid=tw-nytimesopinion&seid=auto
Supporting school and public libraries would cost a fraction of what the Dept
