Commentary: Some Efforts at School Reform Are "Waste of Time"
How should we approach school reform?LAKE EFFECT | DEC 19, 2012
Lake Effect previously interviewed leaders from the coalition called Schools That Can Milwaukee, who talked about that group’s growth, and its approach to improving student and school success.
But not so fast, says education writer, reform advocate and essayist Cap Lee. He says the plans of groups such as Schools That Can remind him of the Yogi Berra quote, “It’s déjà vu all over again."
We hear the same old rhetoric of years gone by as the radio waves echo – high expectations, raising the bar, rigor.
“If you only replicate our schools, all will be well because we have the highest performing schools that are closing the achievement gap of kids of color from low income backgrounds.”
Let us take a few minutes to examine this.
Are we to have the racist belief that all kids of color from low income backgrounds are the same? Are all struggling and schools came to the rescue and saved them?
Here’s a shot of reality: These kids are not the same and are not all struggling. I know many that are now college grads. Most are struggling but many aren’t.
This lends the question, “Which kids of color from low income backgrounds are you referring to?” Do you really have high achieving schools or do you have schools that accumulate the highest