In Kansas City, tackling education’s status quo by George Will

[proud2BlibKansan]

John Covington hesitated before becoming this city’s 26th school superintendent in 40 years. A blunt-talking African American from Alabama, he attended the Broad Superintendents Academy in Los Angeles, which prepares leaders for urban school districts, and when he asked people there if he should come here, their response, he says, was: “Not ‘no,’ but ‘Hell, no!’ ” He says they suggested that when flying across the country he should take a flight that does not pass through this city’s airspace.

How did this pleasant place become so problematic? Remember the destination of the road paved with good intentions.

This city is just 65 miles down the road from Topeka, Kan., from whence came Brown v. Board of Education , the fuse that lit many ongoing struggles over schools and race. Kansas City has had its share of those struggles, one of which occurred last year when Covington took office with a big bang: He closed 26 of the district’s 61 schools. Kansas City had fewer students but twice as many schools as Pueblo, Colo., where Covington had been superintendent.

Thirty-five years ago, Kansas City’s district had 54,000 students. Today it has fewer than 17,000. Between then and now there was a spectacular confirmation of the axiom that education cannot be improved by simply throwing money at it.

more . . . http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/in-kansas-city-tackling-educations-status-quo/2011/04/21/AFh6qWRE_story.html

[Smarmie Doofus]

1. Always good to know what " the other side" is thinking.

Good grief.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. LOL

I made the same comment.

[RetAZEd]

3. George Will is a tool of the oligarchy

http://www.anurbanteacherseducation.com/2011/02/tfa-alumnus-describes-barriers-to.html

Have you read this blog entry by a KC TFA'er?

I read Will's editorial after I'd read some of your recent posts. I hate the slimey know-it-all.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. I have not only read that blog entry, I worked with that teacher

He's a fascinating guy. We used to talk politics. He was a conservative who decided to change the world by becoming a teacher.

And he didn't do a bad job. Like all TFAers, he didn't have enough training, but he was a hard worker who really cared about his kids. I liked him a lot. When I found that blog entry, I emailed him and he told me he is in grad school and is planning on teaching again. It was nice to reconnect with him.

And yes, that blog is very accurate. Until they instill discipline in the schools in KC, no fancy plan by any administrator is going to make a lick of difference.