Chicago, Detroit, and DC! Lotteries, Discipline, And Rubio On Edu. Harpists.

I did a discussion this morning on NPR’s On Point to discuss the school challenges in Chicago and Detroit. What do they have in common? School districts with too large footprints based on past enrollment, large fiscal overhangs, and tough state – city politics. Not enough? OK, throw in challenging within teachers union politics in the unions in both cities. Also in both cases other issues are clouding the conversation and eroding trust: The mishandling of a police shooting in Chicago and the mess in Flint in Michigan.

The differences? Chicago has a serious pension problem caused by some past decisions and deals. Detroit’s enrollment loss is simply staggering, more than 100,000 kids in the past decade or so. Chicago is losing students (and fell below 400k last year) but nothing on that scale. Charters at 55 percent market share in Detroit, about 15 percent in Chicago. You can see the outlines of a deal in Chicago but Detroit is a lot tougher given the underlying conditions there.

Meanwhile Detroit teachers are right about the conditions there but not sure they’re making a lot of allies with the sickout (and it’s no good for kids). Seems like a classic closed feedback loop.

Great move by Kaya Henderson and DCPS to provide warm food during the storm even though schools were closed. Takes a sting out of snow days.

Again….What has six balls and screws teachers? Lotteries. Pondiscio on charter schools and discipline and creaming. Rundown on Rubio and education (but gives short shrift to his higher education ideas).

Harp twins.

One Reply to “Chicago, Detroit, and DC! Lotteries, Discipline, And Rubio On Edu. Harpists.”

  1. Students in Detroit:

    Administrators threatened to suspend anyone who participated in the protests, but the kids stood their ground and emptied the halls anyway.

    They say did it to get the state’s attention and support their teachers.

    Students spilled onto the street as Communication and Media Arts high schoolers walked out, standing up for their teachers – and their education despite a five-day suspension handed down by principal Donya Odom.

    “I got suspended for five days for an American right,” said Tarik Jackson. “That’s ridiculous.”

    FOX 2: “All of you decided it was worth it?”

    Photo
    DPS students walk out in protest, many hit with suspensions
    “Yes,” said Jalon Nelson. “Because we deserve books, we deserve money, we deserve better education and we’re not getting it and if you’re going to stop us from standing up for our rights – we’re going to go. Because Dr. King would have done the same thing.”

    Jalon Nelson is senior class president and he couldn’t even show FOX 2 one of his outdated books because there aren’t enough to go around.

    “The textbooks can only stay in class and they expect us to take pictures of it to use while we’re at home,” Nelson said. “It’s unacceptable – we deserve better – it’s time for a change.”

    Over at Renaissance High School, students also staged a walkout. This protest was joined by parents.

    “I’m supporting my student in supporting our teachers,” said parent Lynette Rice-Bennett.

    “They do it out of love for the children and that’s why we’re out here to raise awareness that we support them in anything they do,” said parent Sarah Welborn.

    http://www.fox2detroit.com/news/local-news/82368501-story

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