WENDY KOPP: I mean I think all of us feel such urgency to stop this problem, and it is a true crisis, that we kind of lurch from one big idea to another. And the reality is that, you know, when we look at what is happening in the schools that are putting whole buildings full of kids on a path to graduate from college at the same levels as kids in much more privileged communities, when we really understand what’s happening there, what we realize is, this is about a group of people — teachers, school leaders — who have embraced the different mandate, and who are then pouring themselves into this work with the same level of energy, the same level of discipline that we would find in any high-performing organization where we’re trying to reach ambitious outcomes. And I think we tend to kind of try to oversimplify the problem. I mean if only it was as easy as pouring more funding into this.
[KAI] RYSSDAL: You have actually a great example in the book. It’s in the chapter incidentally called “Silver Bullets and Silver Scapegoats.” You have this example, it’s this school of the future in Philadelphia. $62 million facility, technology provided by Microsoft, everything that the kids can want. And yet, on the Pennsylvania assessments, the school fails miserably.
It’s about the parents. A fantastic, exciting teacher can impact a student, but for that impact to stick the parents have to be the glue that keeps that motivation and love of learning in that kid for the rest of his life against all the forces that are dragging him down. Kopp talks about a success story of a school that engages parents into the education of their children. How many of us live in school districts full of taxpayers that want to spend money educating parents? The expectation is that the parents are part of the solution when in fact they are all so often the problem.
So, to Ms Kopp I say, the majority of teachers and school leaders have embraced the mandate. Where are the parents?
I must admit that when it comes to resolution of societal problems, I tend to discount any information filtered through the propaganda machine at NPR. They no longer hold my respect nor ear.
Defund NPR.
Agreed. Defund NPR.
I will listen to NPR right after I watch Keith Olberman. What’s that? Oh yes, he’s gone. Well, I still won’t listen. Done with east coast, ivy league educated, liberal elite, marxists.
i don’t listen to any stories regarding social issues because ya’ll are right, they are extreme leftists. however i still believe they are the best source for news and they do typically show both sides when reporting general information. also i love their interest stories like cooking with nigella lawson.