Applauding Statistics

I know I haven't posted much lately, but this headline really got me.  The City's graduation rate has climbed but, what does this really mean?  Even the article states that standards have been lowered.  Students are no longer required to take social studies regents as they can opt to take exams in alternate subjects.

Let's face it.  The students graduating today, the ones in this percent increase are, for the most part, not college ready and not ready for careers either.  Their high school career has taught them that they can get away with no work for three years and showing up for a few credit recovery courses in their last year get them through.  They haven't been taught the value of hard work and have no feelings of failing and trying again, only harder.  These students come into college expecting grades to be handed to them again.  Studying and homework doesn't happen. Buying books or using them in a library is a foreign experience they are not prepared to have.  But, when final grades approach, they expect extra credit and chances to make up what they haven't done all semester.  And, while I have no experience with this, I am willing to bet the same thing happens at the job.

I am tired of reading statistics about graduation rates.  I want to see education and standards improving.  I want to see graduates ready for the next stage of their lives.  Only when this happens can graduation rate improvements mean anything.  We have to stop applauding statistics.

Incompetence

Thirty two year old APs who know nothing about teaching and everything about harassing those who do and incompetent Principals who appoint and support them and care nothing about them and everything about statistics, it is no wonder this is happening every where.

The criminals are the principals who should know better, who claim to care about kids who let these miseries keep on going.  The kids are the ones suffering.  

Getting Through H.S.--the NY Way



One of my good buddies wrote that her school wants to do away with all repeater classes.  She wondered what other schools did in that situation.  I told her of an easy fix many NYC schools do--they pass everyone!  This way, there is no need for these classes.

Kids don't need knowledge to pass anymore. All they have to do is answer a few questions online.  They don't even have to answer them all or pass the assignment.  One administrator told her teachers to stop pushing the kids to finish assignments because once they did half, they would get credit.  I've even watched an administrator doing entire assignments for one student at a time on the smart board.  The whole class participated in this child's credit recovery.  Or, they can "attend" after school classes.  I put attend in quotes because too many excuses are made for absences, kids get big breaks, to smoke outside,  to eat, and get rewarded with trips for breathing.

Schools don't want repeaters because repeaters aren't earning the credits they need to graduate.  It is an education system that educates no one.  No one cares as long as the stats are good.  Administrators will keep getting their accolades and their bonuses and that is all that matters.

Cartoon Credit



 



I had a dream that I was at a school function, enjoying a very nice meal and having a nice time.  As I got up to get a drink, I crossed paths with the Principal and the AP in charge of student affairs.  She was telling him about a student who needed credits to graduate.  The Principal gave her the okay for giving the boy 10 credits for watching Dora the Explorer.  When they saw me, they got nervous.  They asked me not to post  anything I heard and I agreed.  But, I was concerned.  I tried to think of a way to do this without breaking a promise.  Of course, there was no way and I let the matter drop.

I clearly remembered the dream when I woke up.  And, because it was only a dream, I can certainly post it here.  I post it because while no school administrators give credits for watching cartoons, they give credit for equally ridiculous things, things which have no educational value.  There are credit recovery assignments on line which kids readily admit to getting or paying others to do for them.  I watched an assistant principal doing one students assignment on a smart board while the whole class  and the teacher told him the answers to submit.  I watched a late afternoon teacher bring her class to do credit recovery while they were supposed to be with her making up other subjects.  I've heard of an AP who told kids to come to Saturday gym, sign in and then go do other assignments with tutors.  The lists go on and on.  It is comic, cartoon like, hence the Dora The Explorer dream.

Last week Newsday ran an article on low graduation rates at certain colleges around Long Island.  It was no surprise.  The schools with this extremely low rates took in the kids who graduated with cartoon diplomas and they are just not up to the work.