Achievement Gap Forum on Saturday, Nov. 3 from 10-1 p.m. (edit this)
The 2nd District PTA will be sponsoring “Closing the Achievement Gap” forum on Saturday, Nov. 3 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at John Muir ES, 380 Webster (Page).
Speakers will talk about successful efforts that SFUSD and several of our schools have made in closing the achievement gap of our African American and Latino students. The speakers will be Mark Sanchez, President of the SF Board of Education; Kim-Shree Maufas, member of the SF Board of Education; Dennis Kelly, president of the United Educators of San Francisco; Hoover Liddell, special assistant to the Superintendent; Vidrale Franklin, principal of Bret Harte Elementary School and Alene Wheaton, principal of John Muir ES.
Admission is free. For more information, contact kimberleyknox@hotmail.com or call (415) 290-2708.
October 31st, 2007 at 10:17 am e
This fall, Jane Kim blamed racism on the part of SFUSD faculty and staff for the so-called achievement gap. I hope none of this forum’s speakers go down that road and insult the hardest working people in San Francisco.
I find this “achievement gap” discussion as it pertains to African-American and Hispanic students kind of disigenuous. What we’re looking at is a class division. You will find plenty of poor white kids on the wrong side of this “gap.”
October 31st, 2007 at 3:00 pm e
Money more than class, I suspect. Money pays for the things that make achievement easier: privacy, quiet, uncluttered space, the rent or the mortgage securely paid, cars that get places reliably, takeout dinners when there’s no time to cook, a large presentable wardrobe, a washer/dryer in one’s home, a good night’s sleep, the respected right not to be interrupted, the respected assumption that one’s work has value and is worth doing.
If you’ve lived in the midst of a home renovation or painting job you know how disruption interferes with productivity.
November 1st, 2007 at 4:22 pm e
I’m blogging on www.sfschools.org about a leaked document from the controversial (and fizzled) for-profit school manager Edison Schools Inc. Edison intends to remake itself to win back its prestige and finally make some money. One of its big ideas it to restyle itself after KIPP. The following material is from the Edison document, as excerpted on the blog. Interesting look at a concept for teaching disadvantaged children of color.
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Excerpted directly from the Edison Schools Design Sketch for its E2 makeover:
The notion that all children require the same curriculum and education is one of the least challenged myths in American education. It’s politically correct silliness, no more true than that children from urban poverty require the same health care services as affluent suburban children. … One possibility is not to compromise in “tuning” the culture to the demographic we serve. It may be necessary to adjust the model slightly for middle-class and suburban settings. That is, the goals and vision will be the same, but we will choose behavior plans, reward systems, etc., appropriate to the circumstances and needs of the students.
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KIPP’s culture is suited to its population of students from economically and socially
disadvantaged families. KIPP recognizes that children from poverty differ not in the values
their parents hold — low-income parents have “middle-class” aspirations for their children — but in the skills and habits with which they are equipped to realize these aspirations. When children first arrive at school in the fifth grade, they are taught to “dress for success,” walk down the halls briskly, sit properly in their chairs without delay, stand up to greet someone, and look directly at a person when conversing. They are also taught how to organze their classroom materials. Students chant the school’s rules, which include the acronym SLANT: Sit up, Listen, Ask and answer questions, Nod your head so people know you are listening and understanding, Track your speaker by keeping your eyes on the person. All the students chant: “We SLANT at all times/We listen carefully at all times/We follow the teachers’ instructions/We answer when given the signal/We stay focused to save time/We will always be nice and work hard.”
These are social habits that we take for granted, but which are often absent in disadvantaged students, and are essential to creating a focused, disciplined culture that values achievement. …
The E2 curriculum wil include explicit instruction in motivation and habits of school success. As part of the E2 development, we would craft an array of rituals, slogans, and practices that support a compelling school culture that reshapes how students see themselves and their futures. This culture must be powerful enough to compete wth the culture of the streets. It should contain many of the same elements as the KlPP culture. .
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Just thought this notion was relevant to the discussion.
November 1st, 2007 at 8:57 pm e
I had to laugh when I read this part:
“We would craft an array of rituals, slogans, and practices that support a compelling culture that reshapes how students see themselves and their futures.”
Sounds like a Khymer Rouge re-education and brain-washing camp.
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:33 am e
“…All the students chant: “We SLANT at all times/We listen carefully at all times/We follow the teachers’ instructions/We answer when given the signal/We stay focused to save time/We will always be nice and work hard.”…”
Ye gods. I wouldn’t be a kid now for anything.
November 4th, 2007 at 7:56 pm e
The SLANT chanting is a KIPP ritual. Even KIPP fans admit that it’s cultlike. Remember that when you see the press gushing about KIPP — like any of them would send their kids there?!? The charter schools have an amazing PR operation.