Her name is Linda. She's definitely one of the have nots, a struggling single mother with three children. She works six days a week to keep them fed and clothed. She's also one of those Latinos, often called "animals," or worse, at the enlightened Morning Call forum. I wish some of the loving people there could meet her. I've seen her without noticing her, like so many other moms and dads who drop their kids off at football practice.On Sunday, her day off, she was among hundreds of parents who groaned or cheered as Easton's Li'l Rovers ran all over the junior pee wees at Allentown's East Side. I had purchased one of those loud $5 fog horns, and was hoping to blast away after every Huskie score. The fog horn, like the rest of us of the Li'l Huskie crowd, was mute in the face of a very impressive Easton victory.
After the game was over, as Linda's son and my grandson took turns chasing each other with water bottles, I spoke to this courageous mother for the first time. I want to share her thoughts with you.
She's one of those moms who refuses to let her kids play videogames - she buys them books. I'll bet they love that. But she places a high priority on her children's education. She told me all three of her kids now go to Catholic schools. It's killing her financially, even with a reduced tuition. But her experience with Allentown's public schools gives her no choice.
Her oldest son is a gifted student who was first enrolled at Harrison Morton Middle School. Classified as an "honor student," school officials actively discouraged him from fraternizing with anyone outside his group. Now I suppose the reason for this might be to keep bright kids away from bad influences. But this is so impractical. Many of the kids he had to shun were in his own neighborhood. For this quiet young man, it was pure hell. You see, in addition to being smart, he's also a gifted athlete. Jealous kids in his neighborhood began to get the idea that this boy was getting just a little too uppity. So one day after school, thirty of them decided to jump him. Amazingly, the school officials who demanded this segregation in the first place, were nowhere to be found. The boy was rescued by his mother.
Now he goes to Catholic school.
Her youngest son is another bright boy, and a very fast running back. I listened today as he convincingly laid out all the problems with East Side's football program, and how they could be fixed. I told him he should shed his pads and start coaching. This young athlete completed his first two grades at Ritter Elementary, and was just starting his third. He had just one teensy problem. He couldn't read. Indifferent school officials pushed him through anyway.
Amazingly, four months after starting Catholic school, he could read.
Linda is just one person. And I know plenty of good people teaching in the Allentown School District. My nephew was one of them, but the last time I spoke to him, he was also very frustrated by what he saw. After hearing Linda tell me much the same thing, I know Allentown School District has a problem. It appears to be more interested in warehousing kids than educating them.
44 comments:
allentown school district did approve the roberto clemente charter school about 7 years ago. i'm somewhat familiar with their program and they have provided an alternative for students and parents who wish to avoid the influences at the public schools.(they even wear uniforms)
Mr. O'Hare, your friend Linda speaks the absolute truth. The schools are nothing more than warehouses that turn out an inferior product using inferior standards geared to the lowest common denominator, to make everyone feel "good".
It is a shame on the administration. They are too busy protecting their administrative salaries, to do anything worthwhile for the children.
Before we start down the usual path of bashing teachers and administrators, let me point out that public schools are forced to play by an entirely different set of rules than do private schools.
I agree ASD is more about warehousing than education, but have to tell you, there is little choice under current circumstances and leadership.
Allentown teachers deal with outrageous class sizes, lack of textbooks and supplies, and a high percentage of kids who have great difficulty with the English language. Some of the non-English speaking kids have actually been imported from Catholic schools and other districts who do not offer adequate programs to deal with such students.
Add to all of this, the very high number of rental units and public housing complexes throughout the city that cause a VERY transient student body. It is not unusual for a September class of 30 to have just 10 students complete the entire year in the same classroom.
Finally, when parents actually pay toward the child's education through either tuition or school taxes, they generally take greater interest in their child's education. Almost no students pay tuition to attend ASD, and my guess is, less than 10% come from families with any knowledge of what it means to pay property taxes.
the ASD faces easily five times the problems and challenges as most surrounding school districts in this area and probably all the private schools, but that does not excuse how poorly they have met the task of educating young people (myself included).
I so often hear the argument that it is the job of parents to teach their children right from wrong or to take interest in their children's educations and well-being, which I obviously agree with. But the sad fact is that many if not most student in the ASD do not have stable or healthy home lives, much less a network of support. It *shouldn't* be the job of the school district to raise children - but two wrongs don't make a right, and I think schools need to step up to the plate, and to go the extra mile. We often wonder why there is so much poverty and crime in Allentown, but allow schools, one of our main tools to prevent the repetition of the cycle, to fail. All citizens, not just parents, should demand better from our schools.
Anon 9:07 -
I respect what you had to write, and like how you acknowledge both sides of the debate. That doesn’t happen too often on education related subjects.
But, under NO circumstances, at all, should a student ever be allowed to advance a grade without knowing how to read! Ever! And all involved in allowing that child, or any child, to advance without knowing how to read should be punished to the fullest extent possible! I don't care how small or large a class is. That is never acceptable!
Anon 9:07,
I don't want to blame this on the teachers. We have a former and future teacher among those commenting here, and my own nephew teaches (or did teach) at ASD.
Poverty is A-town's greatest problem. You don't solve that problem with an educational system that just acts as a huge warehouse for the kids. These kids need to learn. I see A-town kids, and their minds are wet sponges. ASD has a challenge, but it really needs to make a better effort to treach out to kids and actually teach them. That's the real solution to A-town's poverty.
There must be a mistake here. My understanding is that Pennsylvania public schools are the finest in the country. I know this because the PSEA keeps telling me so in their ads.
Most ASD teachers are talented and very interested in their students. Many are clearly not. It is not uncommon for for teachers to not give kids homework right from the start of the year telling them "I know you won't do it anyway." This is a true shame.
Regardless of the teachers, no one can expect equal results from the ASD when comparing them to surrounding school districts when practically all of the poor from Lehigh County are forced to live in Allentown and are segregated form wealth or people with wealth.
I see no no solutions in this post, but I will suggest one.
A county wide school district with a county wide tax base. Unless we convince people with wealth to start moving into and investing in Allentown this is the only way we can remove these kids from isolatation and fund the books and smaller class sizes that are needed.
That's the solution, now how do we get there?
The answer is not attracting richr people to take over. The answer is for the school district to rise to the challenge. Current methods are failing. I would encourage teachers who think outside the box and who can find ways to reach those young minds. The freedom writers' approach, adopted by a younbg California teacher, succeeded. You might reach some kids through sport, others thru music. Once these kids gets start getting a decent education, that will itself become a deterrent to the gang culture and drugs. I also like the idea of a countywide school district, which is way overdue.
But Bernie,
Today's teachers can no longer "think outside the box," be creative, etc. thanks to No Child Left Behind and the PSSA testing initiative. Everything is now done in lock-step by calendar date in effort to cover all items on the test. If the material has not been mastered by all students by the indicated move to the next topic, too bad. This idiotic approach IS NOT THE FAULT OF CLASSROOM TEACHERS!
As for music, art, etc. These same alternative means to educate are being scaled back, even eliminated, due to PSSA testing and budget issues.
As the first anonymous poster to this discussion (and a retired Allentown teacher) I forgot to mention Allentown's problems dealing with an inordinate amount os special needs children who are actually BUSSED INTO the Allentown School District from other school districts (and private schools) for service. The school I left had 16 special ed classes of one form or another.Nearly all of these children are placed in regular classrooms for parts of their day WITHOUT aides Now, think about that!
Folks, ASD is really up against it, moreso than your own personal experience permits you to ever understand.
Regional solutions, such as consideration of county-wide school districts, should not be dismissed.
Northampton County has eight major school districts, each staffed by very expensive superintendents and bloated administrations.
Its another system gamed against taxpayers and those students most in need of better schools. Poorer school districts are left to recover from white flight and the Nazareths, Saucon Valleys, Emmauses and Parklands are protected from sending their kids to scary places with minority kids.
Anon 3:03,
Thanks for your comments. As I told you at the onset, I have no desire to bash teachers. Besides you, I know Aphrodite is a teacher herself, and taught in the very same ASD as you. AJ intends to teach. My nephew was a teacher at ASD, but I can't be sure he's still there.
You say the problem is not the fault of classroom teachers, and I believe you. But clearly, we know that ASD is failing its goal. Even its mission statement seems to promote safety over education.
I'm not sure that standardized testing needs to be abandoned. But the teachers I mention, as well as you, seem to think so. Is this because you feel it hampers your ability to teach or is it because it threatens your job security? Forgive my question. I'm a layman. But I think that needs to be addressed.
If the answer is the former, I'd agree to scrap them in a heartbeat.
I also agree that the arts, music and even phys ed are what lead to higher scores in what we regard as the basics.
But no kid should be forced into a situation in which he must shu\n others. And no kid should make it out of the second grade if he can't read.
As far as catholic schools are concerned, most are funded on a whisper and a prayer. They lack the facilities for special education. But my grandson, who is just an ordinary kid, goes to catholic school. He goes there so he can learn. He's a frickin' Buddhist, but his education is the biggest gift we can give him.
I thank you for sharing the benefit of your experience, and have the greatest respect for your profession.
Perhaps Bernie's statement that the child could "Not Read" was an overstatement. After all his facts are just hearsay from a person he was talking to. Children are graded on a scale of A to F. Perhaps the child could not read as well as some others in his class. But I never will believe that a 7 year old would be "pushed" to the next grade if he can not pass his tests. Bernie does a great job here but I feel that there are times when he sensationalizes some of the things he writes. Thank you.
I also don't believe that the school told a student who to pick for friends. If a school told you to jump off a bridge would you do it???
River,
No River. I did not "sensationalize" what Linda told me. Her son went through first and second grade at Ritter Elemetary School in Allentown without knowing how to read. Now he may have recognized some letters, but was illiterate. The reason I can say this with some certainty is because, during the conversation, Linda told me her son could not even read his own homework assignments. He could not follow simple directions written on a blackboard.
River,
What a school official tells me and an impressionable preteen are two completely different things.
If you choose to disbelieve this woman, that's your privilege. But her older son sat right next to her as she explained what had happened.
If Catholic Schools are so great, why won't they take the PSSA's and prove it like the rest of us?
bernie says "If you choose to disbelieve this woman, that's your privilege. But her older son sat right next to her as she explained what had happened."
4:42 PM
and? That still doesn't prove anything. I still don't believe it. I have heard a lot of "stories" in my day. As I said a while ago you have to take things with a grain of salt. It seems like you are just bashing the ASD. Thank you.
Bernie, I saw the 'Freedom Writers' movie and it was very inspirational. I was also friends with someone who spent a lot of time in the ASD, and the anon. retired teacher's comments are consistent with her observations.
There is one thing nagging me about your friend's story. By her accounts, she is an involved parent. That is why it strikes me as odd that she didn't notice that her son wasn't able to read. Wouldn't she have picked up on this when she sat down with him while he did his homework?
Also, she stated that she didn't allow vidoe games, but instead spent money on books. Didn't she ask her son to read to some of those to her? Our school district specifically asked us to have the kids read to us so they could practice.
anonymous 4:53
Catholics aren't required to take the government schools' test, and their performance against any standard is only the business of those who participate in the Catholic school system. There's nothing for Catholic schools to prove because they are private enterprises. They answer to local dioceses and the parents who spend to send their kids there.
Your comment smacks of the typical defensiveness of "the rest of us" when your publicly funded, government monopoly is being scrutinized. The subject here is the performance of a particular public school system.
Catholic schools are not under similar scrutiny. They perform well and save taxpayers millions of dollars by directing thousands of families away from using public resources to educate their kids. Catholic school families get buses and some text books for all the taxes they pay to primarily educate other peoples' kids. It's the choice they made, and it's a pretty good deal for "the rest of us." If Catholic and other private alternatives went away, the cost to taxpayers of assuming their enrollments would be staggering.
Defend public schools on their own merits and leave Catholic schools to the people who support them - by choice.
LVHW,
This woman noticed throughout her son's first two grades that he could not read. When she met with the school about it, they set up tutoring sessions for the boy, and those failed as well.
I suppose I should not be shocked that some people are having trouble with this. As I reflect on it, I was pretty shocked myself. But this woman really impressed the hell out of me. She's got her head on right. I met her two sons and her oldest son was standing next to her as she told me the story. She's very aware that, as a minority and as a single parent, her kids are at a disadvantage. And at one point during our talk yesterday, she told me she does not believe in coddling her kids. For example, unlike most parents who will tell a coach that their son should be playing this or that position, she refuses to interfere in coaching decisions. She explained to me that, even if the decision is not fair, that's a life lesson. But this same woman also impressed me yesterday when she walked up to the head coach at the end of the game to complain about one of his assistants. After an ugly loss, this assistant was taunting another gentleman in front of the kids, and challenged this adult to a fight. She felt this set a terrible example to the kids, and insisted that it be addressed. Eventually, the directors of the east side football program got involved, and there will be a meeting with the parents and kids to explain that is unsportsmanlike behavior and to apologize for what happened.
She's a tough cookie. Very quiet, but deadly logical. She told the truth.
After four months at a catholic school, her youngest was finally reading ... in third grade.
And I know this boy, too. He plays with my grandson and he's a very bright young man.
Anon 4:53, No slam against public school is intended. My beef is with ASD.
Thanks for the explanation, Bernie. I can't imagine how frustrated that woman felt. It is good to know that her son is getting the proper attention now.
I did not wish to bash my former colleagues, but I will admit that some of them are only there for the paycheck, but isn't that like any occupation? I believe the bone of contention is that children are passed on despite failing to achieve established norms.
I had teenagers come to my class who were, to say the least, phonetically impaired. They had been processed down the conveyor belt and came to me as damaged goods, and they had accepted their lot in life. That is tragic!
Their parents and the education system failed them, and the politicians are the ones wailing about what to do with young adults that are not employable in the work force. You want someone to have hope when they get out of bed in the morning to work at the minimum wage, and the hardest manual labor? ASD produces far too many kids like that. I have been bust with Cass today, so I hadn't read your blog.
Aphrodite, I'm glad you were able to pop on earlier and appreciate the retired teeacher who added his or her insight as well.
LVHW,
I've seen this woman drop off and pick up her son w/o noticing her. It wasn't until yesterday that I realized what a strong woman she is. I supposed it stretches credulity to think this kind of thing can still happen, but I had to tell her story. Her children are very fortunate to have such a strong mother.
Retired ASD teacher here again . .
Bernie, you asked if teachers' unhappiness over the PSSA testing Is because it hampers their ability to teach, or could lead to their dismissal. It was mostly about teaching sense, NOT employment stability.
Standardized testing no longer works in public schools because our kids are far from 'standard.' Way too many variables, like those I pointed out.
On many occasions I have heard colleagues complain to principals something to the effect "Hey, why must I begin teaching this class algebraic concepts tomorrow? They can't even handle addition and substraction yet!" The reply was something like "sorry, just do it. This is what we are being told to follow."
There was absolutely NO fear in the possibility of losing our jobs. If anything, the consequences of PSSA are such that administrators would be the first to go, as happens with baseball team managers, etc.
Some teachers even hoped the state would come in at take over.We are sure the same difficulties and failures would be faced, even under that scenario. Then, radical changes MIGHT have happened that could better serve the kids.
I have enjoyed your blog for about a year now. Your readers seem mostly intelligent and I am pleased to be able to contribute an opinion.
Bernie, I am sorry I read this blog. Now you are telling us that the people who are coaching these 7, 8, 10 year old kids want to have a fist fight. You started out talking about a 7 year old not having reading skills now you are talking about grown adult "cavemen". Sheesh, whats next.
anon said"complain to principals something to the effect "Hey, why must I begin teaching this class algebraic concepts tomorrow? They can't even handle addition and substraction yet!" The reply was something like "sorry, just do it. This is what we are being told to follow."
If a student can not even add or subtract, we absolutely have teachers who make $60,000 for 9 months that are not doing their jobs. It is the teachers fault!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
if I taught school I would make sure the kids passed their tests or they would be held back. NO MORE EXCUSES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Retired ASD teacher,
I'm very happy to read that you've been reading the blog for a year. Many of the folks who comment here are incredibly bright and well-informed, abnd they are the ones who make this blog good.
I believe most of us think teachers disdain PSSA testing bc it might threaten their jobs. Now that you've answered my question, I'm finally willing to go along with what nearly every teacher I know tells me - they are counterproductive. I'd prefer giving the teacher room to be creative.
Aphrodite & AJ are both with you on that one. I never really gave it a lot if thought, and just thought there should be some standard.
It obviously hasn't helped in A-town, so you have your own empiric evidence to back you up.
River, you obviously haven't been to some of the youth sporting events in this area. You would be surprised at how some adults behave!
River 6:50,
I am sorry to say that is what happened at east side yesterday. I was working the chain gang (best seat in the house) and was paying attention to the field. But one assistant coach and a former assistant have a personality conflict. Things escalated, and that does set a bad example for the kids. I have never seen that happen between coaches. I've seen parents get out of line, but not a coach. But this very strong woman made it clear that this is unacceptable behavior, and everyone agrees. I believe the assistant will apologize to the kids tomorrow and that will be the end of it.
Bernie, I'm a little late reading this but decided to comment anyway. I am glad to see some teachers commenting here. As you know I am a former ASD art teacher and I believe that NCLB is bad for our kids for so many reasons, some have been mentioned here by the anon teacher and Aphrodite. I believe that learning becomes meaningful to kids when teachers are able to teach across the curriculum, be creative, and integrate different subjects. Teaching to the test is harmful to children.
My son is in 1st grade in the ASD and now I get to see thing's from a parent's perspective as well. I met with the reading consultant at his school to discuss the early literacy testing and the curriculum. She told me that so many kids enter 1st grade without even knowing the sounds of letters. Some parents do not even speak to their children, let alone read to them. These children do not even have language skills so they need to be tested to see where they are at. It's really sad. My son entered first grade as a beginning reader and an experienced writer, but he went to pre-school and had involved parents.
This is why I have concerns that it seems like the curriculum has been dumbed down
to meet the needs of the at risk kids. I was worried because they were not testing for reading comprehension, just phonetic awareness! Now I understand why. Poverty and lack of parental involvement are a big part of this problem. There are many special needs kids in each classroom and I am glad that their needs are being met, but I would like my son to be challenged as well.
I'm not sure if this would have an affect on a child's literacy levels, and is more a question than a comment for any teacher who has had experience:
Do parents speaking to their children in (what we consider) a foreign language, at such a young age, have a poor affect on their literacy? Through what I've seen, it seems as though there is an uneven balance between the positives and negatives of speaking two languages. I think a parent could take a more active role in their children's education by learning the English language, and proper writing skills, with them.
If I'm off on what I question, just let me know. I'm not even sure anyone can answer this.
(If the above question is considered offensive, I'll delete it.)
AJ,
The reading consultant told me that some kids come to school with little or no phonemic awareness, meaning they can't recognize the sounds of letters in any language. Maybe someone who teaches ESOL (English as a second language) could answer your questions. You can go observe at any elementary school in Allentown and see what it is really like! I've always thought that learning two languages while growing up is a good thing.
I think knowing two languages is a great thing. But when one language takes away skills from the other, how much good is it actually doing?
Make any sense?
AJ, I'm no teacher, but I have to pipe in here because I happen to be fluent in English and French. One language does not take away skills in another. It actually makes you more proficient in the original language learned. When I lkearned French, the most logical language in the world, I finally began to understand English grammar. And one of these days, I'm going to get it right.
Merci beaucoup Bernierre!
C'est ne rien.
Anyway...
I'm taking Spanish classes as we speak, and I am finding it very difficult. Further more, I'm afraid it will hurt me in the near future when I need to take the PSST (I think that's what they're called).
I'm afraid that reviewing the grammer of one language, while learning the grammer of another, will turn out negative in the end. And that's what I was sort of getting at:
Students who know one language, but aren't perfect in it, then having to learn another.
Perhaps I see it this way because I simply am having trouble learning a new language, and I believe that English should be the priority language. Knowing other languages is great, and I highly encourage it, but I believe we all need a common language to understand first (before a second is learned.)
This is also where it gets confusing with ESL students, because they sort-of learn backwards from us who know the English language, and also at a much faster pace.
Perhaps I should just wait more before I opinionate on this subject. After all, what I've been writing here is mostly opinion.
AJ, You're relating your opinion, and I just have my own experience. I'm certainly no expert in language arts. But my family has an affinity for language. My sister actually worked as an interpreter for a few years. And my nephew is studying the ancient languages for his Ph.D. I think it is harder to understand foreign language as you get older.
I agree, especially since one learns so much more of the English language when in college. And just think, this is my second time back, lol.
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