This expenditure of stimulus funds sounds great, although the stimulus may affect reading ability instead of financial stability. I'm referring to CCSD's summer Quick Start program described in Thursday's P & C, Failing Our Students Series: Fast Forward.
The anecdotal evidence of reading improvement among elementary students gladdens the heart; however, the final comparison of ability at the beginning and end of the course should be made public also. Doug Gepford should send that information to the P & C as soon as possible. If the district shows that its expenditure of $325,000 this summer for the program has been effective, it will lend credibility to other programs getting underway.
Two aspects of the P & C story remain unclear. How did the district measure the "highest-performing teachers" at each school? Also, the article states how many students were offered a chance at the program but not how many accepted. Isn't that important?
Why does the lack of that information make me suspicious? About 480 students were eligible. If fifty percent took advantage, that would be a cost of $1354 per student; if only one-fourth attended, it would be $2708.
Aren't you curious, too?
Thursday, August 06, 2009
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6 comments:
I'm for whatever it takes to improve reading and math skills among Charleston kids, but it's a shame we have to do so much crisis intervention to address the problems. This should have been addressed when these students were still at the entry level for school. Now we all (but especially the kids themselves) have to pay double just to play catch up.
As with everything else within the Charleston County school system, the numbers don't add up. The superintendent only adds to questions about her competency and stretches our willingness to trust the local schools by withholding information. She obviously doesn't trust the public nor does she believe in the school district's ability to move beyond a minimal education.
Until we require more trust and higher expectations from our public school leaders we should expect no better from Dr. McGinley or from whomever will soon replace her.
Until parents start getting the point that they are the child's teacher, first and foremost, and still are teacher number 1 throughout their formative years, schools will continue to struggle.
A doctor can fix a problem on a temporary basis (say bypass surgery), but unless good eating/exercise habits are followed, the patient soon returns. Is that the doctor's fault.
Not sure why teachers are held accountable for absentee parenting.
Oh
definitely anonymous
First students were chosen by map scores.
2nd best teachers?
two pretty much got told to do it
2nd
teachers were told 10,000 extra
this was for 3 weeks this summer
and afterschol all year
50% tax came out
by the time they are done looking at 1000
the teachers were not happy about this
cost per student
so 30 qualified
at the one school
two teachers only get 20,000
sounds great but take home stunk
who is getting the rest of the funds
curious
note
teachers furloughed two days
no cola or cost of living just step grade
grade stayed the same
hmm
assisstants got cola
administration got cola
and their pay scale changed as well
who got hit hardest
TEACHERS!
the numbers don'y add up
Sounds like an independent audit by an outside group with no ties to the administration or the board is still need. Funny how more people are beginning to call for one, too.
Personally, I think it's pathetic that our Superintendent needs the Post and Courier to identify the illiteracy problems in this district.
I think it is pathetic that no one, the newspaper, parents in the various communities or leadership that they have not listened to teachers at the high school level, who have been aware of this problem for years and have stated the problem without audience.
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