So who’s A average is better – the shiny, new north Atlanta suburban high school’s or the less affluent, rural high school in Troup county? More importantly what does the A average mean and predict? According to “Crossing the Finish Line: Completing College at America’s Public Universities”, the answer might surprise you.
In a recent editorial by Maureen Downey in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Ms Downey reviewed this important study led by Dr. William Bowen of Princeton. This study tracked the graduation rate of 200,000 freshmen who entered college in 1999. This study was unique in its focus on the graduation rate rather than the admission to State universities. The results of these studies are shaking the historical preconceptions of who should go to and who will graduate from a university. After-all, isn’t graduation from the university the most important measure of success?
Every Fall, the parents in the suburban schools complain that their students A average is superior to the A average from a school like Troup County High school. Surely the suburban curriculum is more rigorous and their facilities are superior so their A must be better as well. That is not necessarily true says the study.
The study concluded that an A average at both schools demonstrates that the students are disciplined, hard working and likely to do well in college. In short, the parents should stop worrying about which high school their children attend and focus on their child earning an A/B average. The more AP classes the better. The authors’ found that “You have to work. You have to pay your dues. You’ve got to achieve. If you do, you will succeed.”
The authors concluded that students with exemplary grades from weak high schools graduate from state universities at a high rate regardless of whether it came from a suburban school, and inner city school or a rural school. The authors concluded that “a grade, is a grade, is a grade”.
The study also debunks the myth that minority students with good grades from poor high schools are out of the league in demanding (more selective) colleges. The study concluded that “Our research indicates that black students who went to more selective institutions graduated at higher, not lower, rates than did similarly prepared black students who went to less selective institutions.”
“More selective institutions” appears to be the key finding in this ground breaking study. The study proves that the more selective the school the higher the graduation rate. In some ways that is counter intuitive. Many Troup county parents feel that their student might be intimidated or not ready for the more selective schools and therefore “under match” them in less selective schools. The consequences to this approach are statistically dramatic.
The study found that students with similar qualifications (GPA and SAT/ACT test scores) had dramatically different graduation rates depending on the type of university they attended. Those that attended the “most selective” universities had an 89% graduation rate. Those that selected the “least selective” universities had a 59% graduation rate. Remember, by most application measures these students were equally qualified. The primary difference was the type of university they attended. The higher the student shot (i.e. the more selective the school) the higher the graduation rate.
According to the study, today’s community colleges are not the best solutions. Bright, well prepared community college students are 36% less likely to make it through to a bachelors degree than similar qualified students who start at four –year institutions. This defies the conventional wisdom of parents and students who hoped to use community colleges to save money. The authors’ conclude that “it is pretty hard to argue with the data….If you want a bachelor’s degree and you can start at a good four year institution, that is what you should do.”
Why do community college students fall by the wayside so often? Other research has shown that there is often a lack of motivated and challenging peers in the community college environment. This environment is often coupled with an overly complicated and inefficient credit transfer process. According to David Baime of the American Association of Community Colleges, “community college officials are acutely aware that they must do more to maximize the number of students who graduate; it’s a huge and growing concern.”
There is much to learn and think about in this study. Some of it requires an open mind because it counters conventional thinking. However, it is good news for the students of Troup County. Our A average is as good as anyone else’s A average. Hard work and shooting for the stars remains a tried and true recipe for success. Some things never change.
Published 11/5/09 - LaGrange Daily News
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Americans are Losing Trust in President Obama
Guest Editorial - LDN September 10, 2009
As I write this column President Obama is probably working on the finishing touches of his health care speech he is going to present to a joint session of Congress. This speech is huge. Presidents seldom utilize this privilege. It is usually reserved for the State of the Union and national emergencies. Rarely is it utilized for a pure political speech. The importance of this speech cannot be underestimated. This speech may be the make or break moment of his young presidency.
However, the interesting thing is there seems to be more concern about the president’s message to the school children. While the president’s very presidency is on the line before Congress, many people have a more visceral reaction towards the president giving a message to school children. Something is wrong with this but it should not be ignored.
If I was a political operative in the White House I would be just as concerned about the school message angst as I would the general maliaise associated with the Presidents big speech before Congress. I think the unease associated with the school message is the bigger issue. I would argue that it shows that President Obama is losing the trust of the American people.
Of course the President should be able to address school children. The very notion that it is improper for our President to give a pep talk to our children is on the surface absurd. Presidents Reagan and Bush gave messages. Under normal circumstances, this president and every president should give a pep talk to students. Why the concern this time?
These are not normal times. The angst is real and politically very telling. Just look at the huge Tea party held on the square last weekend. It is no small feat to get over 2,000 people to show up on the square to listen to political speeches. Their concerns are real and genuine.
I think it boils down to the President slowly but surely losing the trust of the American people. The polls show it every week. His popularity has fallen lower faster than any other modern president – other than Gerald Ford after pardoning Nixon. It is as American as apple pie for citizens to criticize our politicians. However when this generic disrespect boils over and becomes a lack of trust or contempt, it reaches a new level.
Let’s compare President Reagan and President Obama. Both set out to change America. Both inherited their roles under terrible circumstances: Reagan following the Carter malaise and Obama in the middle of a Wall Street meltdown. From there, the similarities stop.
Reagan had a clear vision and a set of principles. He publically stated them for decades, ran on them and then tried to govern by them. You may remember some of his principles.
• America is a shining city upon a hill
• Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty.
• Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it. (sounds a lot tike GM doesn’t it)
• Governments tend not to solve problems, only to rearrange them (think healthcare).
At the very core you knew where President Reagan stood, whether you agreed with him or not. I think it can be summed up in two ways. America is special among the nations and more government is the source of the problem rather than the answer to the problem. The key to Reagan’s success was he had a core set of vision. He communicated these values clearly to the electorate. For that, the world respected him.
President Obama’s vision is much less clear as evidenced by some of his quotes:
• Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
• I think when you spread the wealth around its good for everybody.
• I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we've struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We've made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions.
During the election he ran away from his liberal voting record as a senator and tried to rebrand himself as a centrist. He gave eloquent speeches extolling change but he never articulated his own specific vision. Because of this the electorate is piecing his political philosophy together, one action at a time. From a huge pork riddle stimulus package out-sourced to Congress, to a cap and trade bill passed with little public discussion, to a healthcare bill being forced on Americans, the people are beginning to realize that his actions speak louder than his words. In short, he believes that more government is the solution and that America itself is not the shining city on a hill.
It is becoming clear that President Obama’s governing philosophy is different than the one he ran on and the one he gives so many speeches on. He continues to speak as a centrist and govern as a leftist. That dichotomy is eroding his trust with the people. It is a drip (make that a trillion drips) by drip process and people are losing trust. Trust is the hardest thing to gain and the easiest to lose. Trust goes beyond shear logic and emanates from the heart.
This explains why parents are concerned about the speech to students. If you don’t trust someone, primal instincts take over. Your instincts throw pure reason out and you do all you can to protect your child. You would not let an untrustworthy person near your child. That explains the concern over a pep talk to school children. That is why I would be concerned if I were in the White House.
Kirk can be reached at jkirkhancock@yahoo.com
As I write this column President Obama is probably working on the finishing touches of his health care speech he is going to present to a joint session of Congress. This speech is huge. Presidents seldom utilize this privilege. It is usually reserved for the State of the Union and national emergencies. Rarely is it utilized for a pure political speech. The importance of this speech cannot be underestimated. This speech may be the make or break moment of his young presidency.
However, the interesting thing is there seems to be more concern about the president’s message to the school children. While the president’s very presidency is on the line before Congress, many people have a more visceral reaction towards the president giving a message to school children. Something is wrong with this but it should not be ignored.
If I was a political operative in the White House I would be just as concerned about the school message angst as I would the general maliaise associated with the Presidents big speech before Congress. I think the unease associated with the school message is the bigger issue. I would argue that it shows that President Obama is losing the trust of the American people.
Of course the President should be able to address school children. The very notion that it is improper for our President to give a pep talk to our children is on the surface absurd. Presidents Reagan and Bush gave messages. Under normal circumstances, this president and every president should give a pep talk to students. Why the concern this time?
These are not normal times. The angst is real and politically very telling. Just look at the huge Tea party held on the square last weekend. It is no small feat to get over 2,000 people to show up on the square to listen to political speeches. Their concerns are real and genuine.
I think it boils down to the President slowly but surely losing the trust of the American people. The polls show it every week. His popularity has fallen lower faster than any other modern president – other than Gerald Ford after pardoning Nixon. It is as American as apple pie for citizens to criticize our politicians. However when this generic disrespect boils over and becomes a lack of trust or contempt, it reaches a new level.
Let’s compare President Reagan and President Obama. Both set out to change America. Both inherited their roles under terrible circumstances: Reagan following the Carter malaise and Obama in the middle of a Wall Street meltdown. From there, the similarities stop.
Reagan had a clear vision and a set of principles. He publically stated them for decades, ran on them and then tried to govern by them. You may remember some of his principles.
• America is a shining city upon a hill
• Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty.
• Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it. (sounds a lot tike GM doesn’t it)
• Governments tend not to solve problems, only to rearrange them (think healthcare).
At the very core you knew where President Reagan stood, whether you agreed with him or not. I think it can be summed up in two ways. America is special among the nations and more government is the source of the problem rather than the answer to the problem. The key to Reagan’s success was he had a core set of vision. He communicated these values clearly to the electorate. For that, the world respected him.
President Obama’s vision is much less clear as evidenced by some of his quotes:
• Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
• I think when you spread the wealth around its good for everybody.
• I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we've struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We've made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions.
During the election he ran away from his liberal voting record as a senator and tried to rebrand himself as a centrist. He gave eloquent speeches extolling change but he never articulated his own specific vision. Because of this the electorate is piecing his political philosophy together, one action at a time. From a huge pork riddle stimulus package out-sourced to Congress, to a cap and trade bill passed with little public discussion, to a healthcare bill being forced on Americans, the people are beginning to realize that his actions speak louder than his words. In short, he believes that more government is the solution and that America itself is not the shining city on a hill.
It is becoming clear that President Obama’s governing philosophy is different than the one he ran on and the one he gives so many speeches on. He continues to speak as a centrist and govern as a leftist. That dichotomy is eroding his trust with the people. It is a drip (make that a trillion drips) by drip process and people are losing trust. Trust is the hardest thing to gain and the easiest to lose. Trust goes beyond shear logic and emanates from the heart.
This explains why parents are concerned about the speech to students. If you don’t trust someone, primal instincts take over. Your instincts throw pure reason out and you do all you can to protect your child. You would not let an untrustworthy person near your child. That explains the concern over a pep talk to school children. That is why I would be concerned if I were in the White House.
Kirk can be reached at jkirkhancock@yahoo.com
In Defense of the Mob
Letter to the Editor - LDN August 29, 2009
On December 16, 1773 a few early American patriots who were outraged at the taxes imposed on them, boarded British vessels and dumped the contents of the vessels into Boston Harbor. The taxes were just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. The patriots were really protesting the lack of representation of their needs before the imperial British monarchy. This seminal event eventual became known as the Boston Tea Party and the issues at the heart of that action eventually led to the American Revolution.
This mob of patriots are now iconic American heroes. I think there are many parallels of these early patriots to today’s Tea Party patriots. The early American patriots were not looking to overthrow the government. They just knew that their government was not properly representing them. They were crushed by taxes and they felt helpless to influence their government. This frustration finally boiled over into a public event – the tea party.
Today, these modern patriots feel the same frustration. They see their government rushing to expand its power and they know disastrous tax increases and debt are on the way. With a Democratic filibuster proof majority in Congress and a president who is proving to be far more liberal than his campaign rhetoric, many Americans feel detached from their government. The president and the ultra liberal leaders in Congress are trying to ram through the largest expansion of government since the New Deal. Their strategy is to pass the most epansive, complicated and personal piece of legislation in the nation’s history before the American citizenry realized what was happening. This arrogance is reminiscent of the colonial British monarchy.
Just like the colonial days, the American public is very tolerant and slow to react. However, from time to time the level of disenfranchisement grows to the point that the populace must vent its frustration. The founders realized this when they enshrined the freedom to assembly in our Constitution. The freedom of assembly guarantees the individual right to come together with other individuals and collectively express, promote, pursue and defend common interests. That is at the heart of the modern Tea Parties.
If you believe that our government is going too far with unrestrained spending and encroachment of the liberties and rights of the people, make your voice heard – join a tea party.
On December 16, 1773 a few early American patriots who were outraged at the taxes imposed on them, boarded British vessels and dumped the contents of the vessels into Boston Harbor. The taxes were just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. The patriots were really protesting the lack of representation of their needs before the imperial British monarchy. This seminal event eventual became known as the Boston Tea Party and the issues at the heart of that action eventually led to the American Revolution.
This mob of patriots are now iconic American heroes. I think there are many parallels of these early patriots to today’s Tea Party patriots. The early American patriots were not looking to overthrow the government. They just knew that their government was not properly representing them. They were crushed by taxes and they felt helpless to influence their government. This frustration finally boiled over into a public event – the tea party.
Today, these modern patriots feel the same frustration. They see their government rushing to expand its power and they know disastrous tax increases and debt are on the way. With a Democratic filibuster proof majority in Congress and a president who is proving to be far more liberal than his campaign rhetoric, many Americans feel detached from their government. The president and the ultra liberal leaders in Congress are trying to ram through the largest expansion of government since the New Deal. Their strategy is to pass the most epansive, complicated and personal piece of legislation in the nation’s history before the American citizenry realized what was happening. This arrogance is reminiscent of the colonial British monarchy.
Just like the colonial days, the American public is very tolerant and slow to react. However, from time to time the level of disenfranchisement grows to the point that the populace must vent its frustration. The founders realized this when they enshrined the freedom to assembly in our Constitution. The freedom of assembly guarantees the individual right to come together with other individuals and collectively express, promote, pursue and defend common interests. That is at the heart of the modern Tea Parties.
If you believe that our government is going too far with unrestrained spending and encroachment of the liberties and rights of the people, make your voice heard – join a tea party.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
I Am Mad as Hell....
This was originally published in the LaGrange Daily News on July 16, 2009
It seems like there is so much going on in Washington and right here in Lagrange that the world is spinning out of control. I am reminded of the classic line in the movie Network “I am mad as hell and I am not going to take it anymore!" What that means is it is time for some therapy. Rather than screaming out the window, when I am frustrated, I write. Writing allows me to blow off some steam. Here are a few things that make me “mad as hell”:
Item 1 -Dog Fighting vs. Vehicular homicide. What is wrong with us when Michael Vick gets a three year jail sentence and public scorn for the despicable act of dog fighting; while another famous player, Donte’ Stallworth, gets 30 days in jail and 2 years of house arrest and virtually no public scorn for slaughtering a fellow human while he was intoxicated and driving a car. Of course dog fighting is horrific. Why any human being would want to watch dogs tear themselves to shreds is impossible to comprehend. However, running down a fellow human, a father, because you were drunk is a far more heinous crime. Unfortunately, after years of violence on TV and a culture of death, the taking of a human life just does not spark the same moral outrage as a dog fight.
Item 2 - Parents serving alcohol to high schoolers. I have never understood the logic of parents who willingly serve alcohol to teenagers. I am not talking about a glass of wine on a special holiday. I am talking about end of year school parties. By definition these kids are under-aged both legally and physically. It is not ok; in fact it is illegal, for parents serve alcohol to these children. I have heard it said “At least I know they are home and not out driving. That may be true for their child but is not true for the other children. These parents are delusional if they think that if you allow your child to drink supervised at home, their young angel won’t drink away from your home and their “supervision”. Good parenting is not the same as being your child’s “best friend”. We are one terrible car accident away from this hidden travesty from ripping our community’s collective heart out. To the local law enforcement community, do not continue to turn a blind eye to this behavior. How are you going to face yourself when you have to knock on some parent’s door and deliver that kind of news?
Item 3 - Thirty million Americans will take hours out of their day to watch the funeral of Michael Jackson, but won’t take ten minutes to engage in the healthcare debate that will forever change their lives. Other than the armed services what does the government do better than private enterprise? This afternoon President Obama said the plan would bring governmental quality and accountability to our healthcare system! Can you imagine that? We will soon get the same quality and accountability as the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Post Office. Is that the level of care you want from your surgeon? Congress is throwing together a plan to meet an arbitrary deadline so President Obama can claim a victory. In the end no one will even read the plan before they vote on it. Wake up people. Put down People magazine and engage in the process – pro or con. It is your future at stake.
Item 4 - Infrastructure or Weather Stripping – The debate on whether to have a stimulus package or not was a waste of time. It was a political certainty that Congress and the President were going to pass some kind of stimulus. When there is a crisis politicians have to look like they are doing something to fix it. The only real question was what were they going to spend the borrowed money on? President Obama outsourced this process to Nancy Pelosi and she dropped the ball. In a show of raw politics, the $800 billion package was a patchwork of pork. The purpose of the stimulus was to inject meaning money quickly in to the economy. Instead, the Democrats have borrowed every cent of it and created a laundry list of funding for their special interests. I especially love the millions allocated for weather stripping homes. The Chinese initiated their own stimulus package. They are building highways, railway systems, hydroelectric dams and airports. Which do you think will help their country be competitive in the long run – weather stripping some shack or a new transportation infrastructure? What kind of country are we going to leave the next generation?
Whew? I feel better now. Of course nothing has changed. But that is not important. The important thing is that America’s Got Talent is on in ten minutes and I can sink back into a state of denial until I reach the next boiling point.
It seems like there is so much going on in Washington and right here in Lagrange that the world is spinning out of control. I am reminded of the classic line in the movie Network “I am mad as hell and I am not going to take it anymore!" What that means is it is time for some therapy. Rather than screaming out the window, when I am frustrated, I write. Writing allows me to blow off some steam. Here are a few things that make me “mad as hell”:
Item 1 -Dog Fighting vs. Vehicular homicide. What is wrong with us when Michael Vick gets a three year jail sentence and public scorn for the despicable act of dog fighting; while another famous player, Donte’ Stallworth, gets 30 days in jail and 2 years of house arrest and virtually no public scorn for slaughtering a fellow human while he was intoxicated and driving a car. Of course dog fighting is horrific. Why any human being would want to watch dogs tear themselves to shreds is impossible to comprehend. However, running down a fellow human, a father, because you were drunk is a far more heinous crime. Unfortunately, after years of violence on TV and a culture of death, the taking of a human life just does not spark the same moral outrage as a dog fight.
Item 2 - Parents serving alcohol to high schoolers. I have never understood the logic of parents who willingly serve alcohol to teenagers. I am not talking about a glass of wine on a special holiday. I am talking about end of year school parties. By definition these kids are under-aged both legally and physically. It is not ok; in fact it is illegal, for parents serve alcohol to these children. I have heard it said “At least I know they are home and not out driving. That may be true for their child but is not true for the other children. These parents are delusional if they think that if you allow your child to drink supervised at home, their young angel won’t drink away from your home and their “supervision”. Good parenting is not the same as being your child’s “best friend”. We are one terrible car accident away from this hidden travesty from ripping our community’s collective heart out. To the local law enforcement community, do not continue to turn a blind eye to this behavior. How are you going to face yourself when you have to knock on some parent’s door and deliver that kind of news?
Item 3 - Thirty million Americans will take hours out of their day to watch the funeral of Michael Jackson, but won’t take ten minutes to engage in the healthcare debate that will forever change their lives. Other than the armed services what does the government do better than private enterprise? This afternoon President Obama said the plan would bring governmental quality and accountability to our healthcare system! Can you imagine that? We will soon get the same quality and accountability as the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Post Office. Is that the level of care you want from your surgeon? Congress is throwing together a plan to meet an arbitrary deadline so President Obama can claim a victory. In the end no one will even read the plan before they vote on it. Wake up people. Put down People magazine and engage in the process – pro or con. It is your future at stake.
Item 4 - Infrastructure or Weather Stripping – The debate on whether to have a stimulus package or not was a waste of time. It was a political certainty that Congress and the President were going to pass some kind of stimulus. When there is a crisis politicians have to look like they are doing something to fix it. The only real question was what were they going to spend the borrowed money on? President Obama outsourced this process to Nancy Pelosi and she dropped the ball. In a show of raw politics, the $800 billion package was a patchwork of pork. The purpose of the stimulus was to inject meaning money quickly in to the economy. Instead, the Democrats have borrowed every cent of it and created a laundry list of funding for their special interests. I especially love the millions allocated for weather stripping homes. The Chinese initiated their own stimulus package. They are building highways, railway systems, hydroelectric dams and airports. Which do you think will help their country be competitive in the long run – weather stripping some shack or a new transportation infrastructure? What kind of country are we going to leave the next generation?
Whew? I feel better now. Of course nothing has changed. But that is not important. The important thing is that America’s Got Talent is on in ten minutes and I can sink back into a state of denial until I reach the next boiling point.
Friday, May 22, 2009
The older students get, the lower their performance
There is an old adage that a recession is akin to lowering the level in a lake. At lower levels the stumps that had been covered by the higher lake level begin to show. In fact they become quite dangerous. This recession is no different. As our economy sinks to new lows, stumps (weaknesses) begin to show. The interesting thing about this analogy is the stumps were always there. We just ignored them because they posed no immediate threat at the higher water level.
One of those stumps is our education system. Thomas Friedman points this out in a recent editorial he wrote, entitled ‘Educational Gaps Must Close If Nation Is to Reverse Decline”. In the 1950’s and 1960’s the United States dominated the world’s K-12 education system. It was during this period that America’s economic domination grew. Since the 1970’s we began to lose significant ground to other industrialized countries. That is also the time we began to use public education as a means of social engineering rather than solely focused on learning, but that is a column for another day.
In a 2006 international student assessment, the U.S. ranked 25th out of 30 in math and 24th out of 30 in science, on par with the Slovak Republic and Portugal. These are hardly our international competitors. We are far behind the likes of the UK, Germany, France and Korea.
The real puzzle here is that in the early years of elementary education our children are at the top of the international rankings. According to McKinsey, one of the report’s authors, “the longer American children are in the school, the worse they perform compared to their international peers.” The study concluded that there are millions of kids [and parents] in modern suburban schools [and right here in Troup County] “who don’t realize how far behind they are”. The author concluded they are being prepared for a $12 an hour job - not the $40 or $50 an hour.”
You may say that this is a broad-based international study; it is not relevant to our school system. Unfortunately, Troup County schools are not immune to this distressing trend. This pattern of declining performance holds true right here and it is evidenced by the Troup County Schools’ Balanced Score Card which can be found at http://www.troup.org/images/stories/dashboard.pdf.
A Balanced Score Card is a strategic planning and management system that is used to align business activities to the vision and strategy of the organization, improve internal and external communications, and monitor organization performance against strategic goals. Our system’s scorecard points to numerous areas of progress, including a consistent trend of more and more students functioning at the CRCT grade level (minimum standards). This is a significant accomplishment and validates that the system is meeting the minimum standards set by the state. That is no small achievement and is worthy of recognition.
However, the score card also validates the ominous trend that, just like the nation as a whole, our school system is failing to meet the needs at the higher end of the educational spectrum. The 3-year average of CRCT test scores show that starting with first grade fewer and fewer students exceed the state minimums. The scorecard shows that 36 percent of first graders exceed the reading standards. By 8th grade only 14 percent exceed the reading standards. The same pattern holds for the math scores. 34 percent of first graders exceed math standards. By the 8th grade this number drops to 17 percent. Based on these scores it appears we are driving our children to the middle. That means while we are pulling some children up from the bottom, we are also pushing some kids from the top down.
There are signs of hope from the Scorecard. The number of Advanced Placement tests administered continues to increase. This demonstrates a commitment by the school system to challenge the students who desire to perform above the average. This is a great start but the scorecard also shows that the number of students achieving a 3 or above is only 32 percent and that is too low. There is much work that needs to be done to fulfill the promise of the AP program.
This negative trend is well documented. Now we need to do something to reverse it right here in our community. I am convinced that the only way that is going to happen is if the adults in the community decide to make it a priority. The school system has it hands full and needs the impetus and support of the parents to drive the change we need. Education is real time. The time to act is now.
One of those stumps is our education system. Thomas Friedman points this out in a recent editorial he wrote, entitled ‘Educational Gaps Must Close If Nation Is to Reverse Decline”. In the 1950’s and 1960’s the United States dominated the world’s K-12 education system. It was during this period that America’s economic domination grew. Since the 1970’s we began to lose significant ground to other industrialized countries. That is also the time we began to use public education as a means of social engineering rather than solely focused on learning, but that is a column for another day.
In a 2006 international student assessment, the U.S. ranked 25th out of 30 in math and 24th out of 30 in science, on par with the Slovak Republic and Portugal. These are hardly our international competitors. We are far behind the likes of the UK, Germany, France and Korea.
The real puzzle here is that in the early years of elementary education our children are at the top of the international rankings. According to McKinsey, one of the report’s authors, “the longer American children are in the school, the worse they perform compared to their international peers.” The study concluded that there are millions of kids [and parents] in modern suburban schools [and right here in Troup County] “who don’t realize how far behind they are”. The author concluded they are being prepared for a $12 an hour job - not the $40 or $50 an hour.”
You may say that this is a broad-based international study; it is not relevant to our school system. Unfortunately, Troup County schools are not immune to this distressing trend. This pattern of declining performance holds true right here and it is evidenced by the Troup County Schools’ Balanced Score Card which can be found at http://www.troup.org/images/stories/dashboard.pdf.
A Balanced Score Card is a strategic planning and management system that is used to align business activities to the vision and strategy of the organization, improve internal and external communications, and monitor organization performance against strategic goals. Our system’s scorecard points to numerous areas of progress, including a consistent trend of more and more students functioning at the CRCT grade level (minimum standards). This is a significant accomplishment and validates that the system is meeting the minimum standards set by the state. That is no small achievement and is worthy of recognition.
However, the score card also validates the ominous trend that, just like the nation as a whole, our school system is failing to meet the needs at the higher end of the educational spectrum. The 3-year average of CRCT test scores show that starting with first grade fewer and fewer students exceed the state minimums. The scorecard shows that 36 percent of first graders exceed the reading standards. By 8th grade only 14 percent exceed the reading standards. The same pattern holds for the math scores. 34 percent of first graders exceed math standards. By the 8th grade this number drops to 17 percent. Based on these scores it appears we are driving our children to the middle. That means while we are pulling some children up from the bottom, we are also pushing some kids from the top down.
There are signs of hope from the Scorecard. The number of Advanced Placement tests administered continues to increase. This demonstrates a commitment by the school system to challenge the students who desire to perform above the average. This is a great start but the scorecard also shows that the number of students achieving a 3 or above is only 32 percent and that is too low. There is much work that needs to be done to fulfill the promise of the AP program.
This negative trend is well documented. Now we need to do something to reverse it right here in our community. I am convinced that the only way that is going to happen is if the adults in the community decide to make it a priority. The school system has it hands full and needs the impetus and support of the parents to drive the change we need. Education is real time. The time to act is now.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Polical Fodder
The last few weeks have provided so much political fodder it is hard to decide where to start.
Much has been written about the moral outrage of the AIG bonuses. There is not a sane soul in America that WANTS these bonuses to be paid. There is something outrageous about paying $175 million in bonuses to the employees of a failed, taxpayer owned corporation. The key word is nobody WANTS to pay these bonuses. The real question is SHOULD these bonuses be paid?
Unfortunately, if the AIG employees refuse to forfeit the bonus, they should be paid their ill-gotten bonuses. It is as simple as contract law. If a court finds they are valid contracts and by most accounts, they will, the bonuses must be paid. Contract law forms the bedrock of our free enterprise system. To undermine it would be to undermine our economic foundation and our Constitution. While I don’t like it, the preservation of contract law for all of us, now and in the future, is more important than recovering these bonuses.
While the thought of paying these bonuses is nauseating the political response to it is down-right shameful. We may not respect these employees, but they are United States citizens. They have not even broken the law. In light of this, a United States senator has called for the executives to do the “honorable” thing and commit suicide rather than take the bonuses. If that was not bad enough, the House of Representatives has decided to manipulate the entire tax code to target these citizens.
Remember, this bill was drafted by the Democrats. Senator Dodd even put in a clause specifically allowing these bonuses. The 11,000 page document was drafted and voted on in mere days. There was no public review. In fact, most of Congress did not even read the bill. Where was the outrage then?
These bonuses are only a fraction of the recent earmarks just passed by Congress and signed by the President. Where was this moral outrage when Congress decided to spend billions on pork sponsored be the very same elected officials now gnashing and wailing about private contracts.
Unfortunately, this outrageous behavior is not isolated to Washington. To my dismay, my own state representative (and a select few of his cohorts) presumes to know what is best for all Georgians. Vance Smith, recently unveiled his transportation bill that is calling for a one cent sales tax to fund transportation. This would not be newsworthy except Mr. Smith is the powerful head of the Georgia House Transportation Committee. The bill passed overwhelmingly in the House and may be on its way to become law.
We have serious transportation issues in Georgia. I can certainly vouch for them as a drive back and forth from LaGrange to Atlanta. The gridlock in Atlanta is unbearable. Something must be done. However there is a right way and a wrong way to secure this funding.
According to the The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Mr. Smith’s added specific projects to his bill to sweeten the bill to make it more attractive to his house colleagues. What kinds of projects were added?
One is a $26 million widening of a two-lane country road in Greene County. This project has been listed on the state Transportation Department’s list of long-range projects. It runs past the main road of a luxury resort on Lake Oconee
The other project, which doesn’t have a price tag yet, is a new interchange with I-95 in Bryan County, south of Savannah. The state DOT recently called the project unnecessary — twice.
Some claim that both of these projects would benefit political contributors. On the other hand, both projects may be justified. However, because of the process, they lack the credibility of a properly vetted project.
No one knows how these projects made it on the list because the list was drawn up behind closed doors. According to the AJC no one involved will answer how these projects leapfrogged roughly 9,000 others to land in the legislation.
The AJC reported that Mr. Smith would say only that he drafted H.B. 277 in his office with eight to 10 other people. He declined to identify these people; beyond saying they were industry and government officials. He did not disclose the criteria for making the list, but he did say they wanted to include projects statewide so the bill to add a penny to the state sales tax might attract broad support.
These closed door deals are a way of the past. It is this kind of deal making that has ruined the Department of Transportation’s credibility. In Washington they would call these earmarks. In Georgia, we just call it wrong.
Much has been written about the moral outrage of the AIG bonuses. There is not a sane soul in America that WANTS these bonuses to be paid. There is something outrageous about paying $175 million in bonuses to the employees of a failed, taxpayer owned corporation. The key word is nobody WANTS to pay these bonuses. The real question is SHOULD these bonuses be paid?
Unfortunately, if the AIG employees refuse to forfeit the bonus, they should be paid their ill-gotten bonuses. It is as simple as contract law. If a court finds they are valid contracts and by most accounts, they will, the bonuses must be paid. Contract law forms the bedrock of our free enterprise system. To undermine it would be to undermine our economic foundation and our Constitution. While I don’t like it, the preservation of contract law for all of us, now and in the future, is more important than recovering these bonuses.
While the thought of paying these bonuses is nauseating the political response to it is down-right shameful. We may not respect these employees, but they are United States citizens. They have not even broken the law. In light of this, a United States senator has called for the executives to do the “honorable” thing and commit suicide rather than take the bonuses. If that was not bad enough, the House of Representatives has decided to manipulate the entire tax code to target these citizens.
Remember, this bill was drafted by the Democrats. Senator Dodd even put in a clause specifically allowing these bonuses. The 11,000 page document was drafted and voted on in mere days. There was no public review. In fact, most of Congress did not even read the bill. Where was the outrage then?
These bonuses are only a fraction of the recent earmarks just passed by Congress and signed by the President. Where was this moral outrage when Congress decided to spend billions on pork sponsored be the very same elected officials now gnashing and wailing about private contracts.
Unfortunately, this outrageous behavior is not isolated to Washington. To my dismay, my own state representative (and a select few of his cohorts) presumes to know what is best for all Georgians. Vance Smith, recently unveiled his transportation bill that is calling for a one cent sales tax to fund transportation. This would not be newsworthy except Mr. Smith is the powerful head of the Georgia House Transportation Committee. The bill passed overwhelmingly in the House and may be on its way to become law.
We have serious transportation issues in Georgia. I can certainly vouch for them as a drive back and forth from LaGrange to Atlanta. The gridlock in Atlanta is unbearable. Something must be done. However there is a right way and a wrong way to secure this funding.
According to the The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Mr. Smith’s added specific projects to his bill to sweeten the bill to make it more attractive to his house colleagues. What kinds of projects were added?
One is a $26 million widening of a two-lane country road in Greene County. This project has been listed on the state Transportation Department’s list of long-range projects. It runs past the main road of a luxury resort on Lake Oconee
The other project, which doesn’t have a price tag yet, is a new interchange with I-95 in Bryan County, south of Savannah. The state DOT recently called the project unnecessary — twice.
Some claim that both of these projects would benefit political contributors. On the other hand, both projects may be justified. However, because of the process, they lack the credibility of a properly vetted project.
No one knows how these projects made it on the list because the list was drawn up behind closed doors. According to the AJC no one involved will answer how these projects leapfrogged roughly 9,000 others to land in the legislation.
The AJC reported that Mr. Smith would say only that he drafted H.B. 277 in his office with eight to 10 other people. He declined to identify these people; beyond saying they were industry and government officials. He did not disclose the criteria for making the list, but he did say they wanted to include projects statewide so the bill to add a penny to the state sales tax might attract broad support.
These closed door deals are a way of the past. It is this kind of deal making that has ruined the Department of Transportation’s credibility. In Washington they would call these earmarks. In Georgia, we just call it wrong.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Great Expectations
There may be no subject more complex and more emotional than how to best educate our children. Every adult wants the children in their community to be properly educated so they can grow up and be productive citizens in the workforce. Every parent wants their child to be educated. Every child wants to do well in school. Do you see the trend here? Everybody WANTS this to happen. How many of these same people expect it to happen? There is a world of difference between wanting something to happen and expecting it to happen.
Bear with me a minute while we look at the difference between wanting and expecting. I promise, I am going somewhere with this.
Want is defined as “to feel a need or a desire for; wish for something”. It is an emotional word based on feelings. It requires no effort on the part of the person. It is simplistic. A child would say I want to be a fireman. I might say I want a million dollars. We all have wants. The fact we want something, does not mean it is going to happen.
That leads me to the word expect. The word expect is defined as “to look for with reason or justification.” Do you use the difference? Expectations are more rational than wants. There is some basis for the expectation. There is no basis for a want. It is merely a feeling or desire. An expectation is much stronger. It implies that there is a rational reason for the event.
Let’s look at a simple sentence and see the profound difference between want and expect. I want my child to obtain a good education. I expect my child to obtain a good education. Do you see the difference? To merely want your child to get a good education is just a wish. To expect your child to get a good education implies a sense of effort and responsibility.
Several studies have concluded that the parents’ expectations are by far and away the primary success factors in a child’s education. A child’s success is impacted more by what the parent expects of him or her than the specific school they attend, the quality of their teachers, the quality of the administrators and even their socio-economic class. This is a staggering statement if true.
This should come as no surprise if you follow the logical conclusion of an expectation. Let’s follow the simple but profound consequences of expecting your child to further their education beyond high school. I think we can all agree that this is a desired outcome for all students. This furtherance could be in the form of the technical schools, a two year BA program or pursing a four-year degree at a university.
If I expect my child to further their education beyond high school, I will most certainly let it be known to the child. I will hold my child accountable for making the most of their time in school. I will then monitor my child’s preparedness for school. I will in turn be more aware of his or her or her teachers. I will be involved with the teacher and school. I will become more aware of the needs of the school and school system. I will be supportive of and work to improve the educational resources in my community. In part I will have created a culture of education in my home which will spill over and create a culture of education in my community.
A Michigan survey found that the majority of parents had low expectations for their children. Less than 1% of the parents expected their child to become a CEO or business owner. Very few expected their child to grow up to be surgeon, accountant or astronaut. The actual role is not important. It was the overall expectation that it implied. The study found that parents did not set high expectations for their child. According to the Detroit News, while they had low expectations for their child’s careers, they did score high on the fluffy “whatever makes them happy” - an attitude that doesn’t do much to build a culture of education in the home. How many children are “happy” when doing homework?
Educators have taken a lot of criticism in recent years. But it's now clear that their effectiveness has been limited by uninterested parents. State law and common sense give parents the fundamental right to direct their child's education. But many parents have abdicated that role to the teachers, who cannot possibly carry the load without parents as partners. We need to find a way to need to convince parents that education should be more of a priority.
The funny thing about expectations is that most children usually meet them. If we set them high and the child falls short he or she is still likely to achieve more than if we set low or unclear expectations. Higher expectations lead to higher results. That is something we should all expect.
Bear with me a minute while we look at the difference between wanting and expecting. I promise, I am going somewhere with this.
Want is defined as “to feel a need or a desire for; wish for something”. It is an emotional word based on feelings. It requires no effort on the part of the person. It is simplistic. A child would say I want to be a fireman. I might say I want a million dollars. We all have wants. The fact we want something, does not mean it is going to happen.
That leads me to the word expect. The word expect is defined as “to look for with reason or justification.” Do you use the difference? Expectations are more rational than wants. There is some basis for the expectation. There is no basis for a want. It is merely a feeling or desire. An expectation is much stronger. It implies that there is a rational reason for the event.
Let’s look at a simple sentence and see the profound difference between want and expect. I want my child to obtain a good education. I expect my child to obtain a good education. Do you see the difference? To merely want your child to get a good education is just a wish. To expect your child to get a good education implies a sense of effort and responsibility.
Several studies have concluded that the parents’ expectations are by far and away the primary success factors in a child’s education. A child’s success is impacted more by what the parent expects of him or her than the specific school they attend, the quality of their teachers, the quality of the administrators and even their socio-economic class. This is a staggering statement if true.
This should come as no surprise if you follow the logical conclusion of an expectation. Let’s follow the simple but profound consequences of expecting your child to further their education beyond high school. I think we can all agree that this is a desired outcome for all students. This furtherance could be in the form of the technical schools, a two year BA program or pursing a four-year degree at a university.
If I expect my child to further their education beyond high school, I will most certainly let it be known to the child. I will hold my child accountable for making the most of their time in school. I will then monitor my child’s preparedness for school. I will in turn be more aware of his or her or her teachers. I will be involved with the teacher and school. I will become more aware of the needs of the school and school system. I will be supportive of and work to improve the educational resources in my community. In part I will have created a culture of education in my home which will spill over and create a culture of education in my community.
A Michigan survey found that the majority of parents had low expectations for their children. Less than 1% of the parents expected their child to become a CEO or business owner. Very few expected their child to grow up to be surgeon, accountant or astronaut. The actual role is not important. It was the overall expectation that it implied. The study found that parents did not set high expectations for their child. According to the Detroit News, while they had low expectations for their child’s careers, they did score high on the fluffy “whatever makes them happy” - an attitude that doesn’t do much to build a culture of education in the home. How many children are “happy” when doing homework?
Educators have taken a lot of criticism in recent years. But it's now clear that their effectiveness has been limited by uninterested parents. State law and common sense give parents the fundamental right to direct their child's education. But many parents have abdicated that role to the teachers, who cannot possibly carry the load without parents as partners. We need to find a way to need to convince parents that education should be more of a priority.
The funny thing about expectations is that most children usually meet them. If we set them high and the child falls short he or she is still likely to achieve more than if we set low or unclear expectations. Higher expectations lead to higher results. That is something we should all expect.
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