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Tue Jan 24, 2012, 01:05 AM

nadinbrzezinski (120,136 posts)

Thousands of Detroit students without books for months

DETROIT - The 2011-2012 Detroit Public School year started on Sept. 6, with thousands of homes and streets all over the city adorned with signs that had the two-word slogan "I'm In" everywhere. Nearly two months into the school year, the one thing that is not in a lot of Detroit Schools right now are books.

"I know there is a shortage and there is an order and they are still sharing books," said Andrew Hayes, whose son is a third-grader at Fisher Magnet Elementary on the city's east side. "There are a lot of frustrated parents. They want the kids to have what they are supposed to have. At the beginning of the year, we were told that every student would have the textbooks. It's seven weeks into school."

Teachers at Cass Technical High School -- the city's largest high school -- say that they are short nearly 2,400 textbooks in all grade levels. According to the Detroit Federation of Teachers, the deficiencies range across all subjects including English, chemistry, geometry, Spanish, and U.S. history.

http://www.thegrio.com/local/detroit/thousands-of-detroit-students-without-books-for-months.php

Sorry again for the non crunchy news... I know this could be considered serious... but hey...

19 replies, 1299 views

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19 replies	Author	Time	Post
Thousands of Detroit students without books for months (Original post)	nadinbrzezinski	Jan 2012	OP
Foxconn beneficiaries could solve this if they gave a damn	think	Jan 2012	#1
Well, my opinion mostly, we first need to care	nadinbrzezinski	Jan 2012	#2
very true. sorry I am hoping someday they may care also	think	Jan 2012	#3
On the plus side, as a society I think we mostly do	nadinbrzezinski	Jan 2012	#4
what is lacking is a direction. bank transfer day gave an idea and a direction	think	Jan 2012	#5
You are, I am not using this today	nadinbrzezinski	Jan 2012	#6
This is because administrators are incompetent	proud2BlibKansan	Jan 2012	#7
I did not blame teachers	nadinbrzezinski	Jan 2012	#9
Maybe iPads are a better way to do things.	dkf	Jan 2012	#13
Actually you forget a serious problem	nadinbrzezinski	Jan 2012	#17
The cost of textbooks are crazy.	dkf	Jan 2012	#18
Yes they are	nadinbrzezinski	Jan 2012	#19
Oh come on now, this is clearly (not) important	Rex	Jan 2012	#8
Well it IS silly season	nadinbrzezinski	Jan 2012	#10
Not all that rare, I worked at McGraw-Hill	The Straight Story	Jan 2012	#11
Maybe putting it into apple's hands would be a good thing then.	dkf	Jan 2012	#14
This message was self-deleted by its author	Obamanaut	Jan 2012	#12
K&R n/t	PhoenixAbove	Jan 2012	#15
and another.	lonestarnot	Jan 2012	#16

Response to nadinbrzezinski (Original post)

Tue Jan 24, 2012, 01:23 AM

think (2,254 posts)

1. Foxconn beneficiaries could solve this if they gave a damn

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Response to think (Reply #1)

Tue Jan 24, 2012, 01:30 AM

nadinbrzezinski (120,136 posts)

2. Well, my opinion mostly, we first need to care

(As a society)

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Response to nadinbrzezinski (Reply #2)

Tue Jan 24, 2012, 01:44 AM

think (2,254 posts)

3. very true. sorry I am hoping someday they may care also

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Response to think (Reply #3)

Tue Jan 24, 2012, 01:48 AM

nadinbrzezinski (120,136 posts)

4. On the plus side, as a society I think we mostly do

but we are hopeless as to how to get out of the malaise. At least I hope so.

But at times I think we really do not care as a society.

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Response to nadinbrzezinski (Reply #4)

Tue Jan 24, 2012, 01:57 AM

think (2,254 posts)

5. what is lacking is a direction. bank transfer day gave an idea and a direction

and it transformed into a belief that local banks lending locally is a good way to help your local community and stave off the vulture banksters (if I'm allowed to use a double negative).

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Response to think (Reply #5)

Tue Jan 24, 2012, 02:00 AM

nadinbrzezinski (120,136 posts)

6. You are, I am not using this today

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Response to nadinbrzezinski (Reply #4)

Tue Jan 24, 2012, 02:05 AM

proud2BlibKansan (96,356 posts)

7. This is because administrators are incompetent

Stupid people incapable of placing orders in time to have materials for students including textbooks. That's what happened here. Sure you can blame society for not caring enough to hire competent administrators. But that incompetency is the reason these kids don't have textbooks.

Of course most of us are too busy blaming teachers for all the problems in education to stop and realize teachers have zero control over 99% of the stuff we are blamed for.

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Response to proud2BlibKansan (Reply #7)

Tue Jan 24, 2012, 02:08 AM

nadinbrzezinski (120,136 posts)

9. I did not blame teachers

but that's ok.

I did not blame administrators.

These failures are symptoms and yes, they are partly, in large part, bad administrators, but I will look at MY CITY right now.

San Diego Unified has a little (well known) problem. Depending on WHERE the school is, how recent the books are.

Yes, administrators are responsible as a first rung... but it is also racism... and that is a SOCIAL issue.

Oh and whether people get it or not, this kind of racism has a long history, and it is as unmentionable in polite company as a certain middle eastern country here.

Sorry if I like to start looking at the big picture here.

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Response to nadinbrzezinski (Reply #9)

Tue Jan 24, 2012, 04:21 AM

dkf (32,584 posts)

13. Maybe iPads are a better way to do things.

No excuses for distribution problems then.

I am looking forward to the day we start doing things smarter.

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Response to dkf (Reply #13)

Tue Jan 24, 2012, 01:39 PM

nadinbrzezinski (120,136 posts)

17. Actually you forget a serious problem

that is the digital divide...

It is real.

We need to deal with this for what it is...

And it goes well beyond administrative snafus. As I said, we need to also adress that matter of institutionalized racism. My City is a classic for that. You truly think South East San Diego Schools will get IPADs at the same time as oh, La Jolla High?

I know it COULD be part of the solution, but we really need to look at the underlying cause for SOME of this. And I am betting racism is part of it.

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Response to nadinbrzezinski (Reply #17)

Tue Jan 24, 2012, 03:40 PM

dkf (32,584 posts)

18. The cost of textbooks are crazy.

If they can afford textbooks they can afford iPads.

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Response to dkf (Reply #18)

Tue Jan 24, 2012, 03:48 PM

nadinbrzezinski (120,136 posts)

19. Yes they are

but South East San Diego does not get NEW textbooks. They get hand-me-downs.

This is a well known problem in my county (and I am betting we are not alone). The places that have a lesser tax base, and happen to also have a melanin in skin problem, usually get books that are older, and used already from the more wealthy schools. SO while La Jolla High gets new computers and all that, the schools in South East at times have broken window panes and yes, old books. As in out of date by half a decade or more.

This is the underlying current that we really do not want to talk about.

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Response to nadinbrzezinski (Original post)

Tue Jan 24, 2012, 02:06 AM

Rex (34,560 posts)

8. Oh come on now, this is clearly (not) important

there is the New Cult of Personality here and there is someone new to hate! Onto the 5 minutes of hate! Who do we have on tap this week? Anyone?

We will fall into third world status...as long as we have someone to hate every week the masses will be appeased!

No good ever came from that book learning. Neverwise.

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Response to Rex (Reply #8)

Tue Jan 24, 2012, 02:10 AM

nadinbrzezinski (120,136 posts)

10. Well it IS silly season

I feel like this is a repeat of an old movie at this point.

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Response to nadinbrzezinski (Original post)

Tue Jan 24, 2012, 02:16 AM

The Straight Story (41,438 posts)

11. Not all that rare, I worked at McGraw-Hill

And books being on back order was not uncommon, sometimes for months. Lots of causes, sometimes involving the school (wrong order, waiting on them to return the books, get credited, re-order, on back order, etc and so on).

Probably the worse thing though was when sales reps told them our online books would work with iPads, and they bought a slew of books, called tech support, and found out they don't work with it and never had and won't until much much later. Basically told them they could buy the hard bound edition (but those schools had went to all e-books as a pilot) or...well, sorry - out of luck.

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Response to The Straight Story (Reply #11)

Tue Jan 24, 2012, 04:22 AM

dkf (32,584 posts)

14. Maybe putting it into apple's hands would be a good thing then.

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Response to nadinbrzezinski (Original post)

Obamanaut This message was self-deleted by its author.

Response to nadinbrzezinski (Original post)

Tue Jan 24, 2012, 04:41 AM

PhoenixAbove (166 posts)

15. K&R n/t

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Response to PhoenixAbove (Reply #15)

Tue Jan 24, 2012, 04:48 AM

lonestarnot (71,133 posts)

16. and another.

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