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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Is State Failing Our Public Schools?

When a high school student has poor academic performance, most good ones will refuse to allow him to participate in sports until his grades improve. Athletics is important, but academics should always trump extracurricular activities. I believe that the same standard we use against students should be used against schools. If a high school is unable to meet state prescribed standards, every athletic game it plays should be marked as a forfeit, no matter what the score. Games should continue so that the students can continue to enjoy them. But parents and boosters would be on notice that the school is a failure and its games will be meaningless until it turns things around.

Easton High School, with a 64.9% rating, would be considered 0-10, even though it is 10-0. That sanction might inspire people to turn things around.

For you Easton fans out there, don't worry. I'm the only one I know who has proposed this goofy idea.

But there's another group out there that's trying to improve our failing schools. According to Keystone Crossroads,a coalition of parents, school districts and even the NAACP have banded together to sue the Commonwealth. They demand that the state be compelled to fund a "thorough and efficient" education, which is required by the state Constitution.

Based on the state's own standardized testing, there are five Lehigh Valley high schools that fail to provide a "thorough and efficient" education.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Historically, republicans have always opposed education. They want to preserve as much of their base as possible, and better educated individuals tend to vote democrat.

http://www.politifact.com/georgia/statements/2012/nov/05/larry-sabato/education-level-tied-voting-tendencies/

Anonymous said...

OK, so Liberty forfeits their games, then what? Do you think hard work will prevail magically making the non-English speaking students and students from harsh conditions become proficient or are you expecting this plan to take decades? These schools will never exceed those standards and thus never play a winning game again. Students with athletic ability would most certainly transfer out to private schools. Brilliant idea. Because, it's the teachers' fault, right?

monkey momma said...

I'm not sure a lot of the kids CAN perform well on standardized tests. I don't necessarily see these failing grades as something the school can fix - the problem is the caliber of the student, and these are public schools that must take students from all walks of life.

If an athlete is failing, then that athlete should not play. But holding the athletes accountable for the academic performance of other students does not make much sense. The football team can only do so much - if they lead by example (that is, perform acceptably in their academic endeavors), then that is really all you can ask for in a case like this.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Maybe my idea is goofy.

Anonymous said...

PA democrats want more money to fix a system they gamed to produce the 41st ranked SAT scores in the US. We're first in teacher strikes, though. Go PA!

Anonymous said...

sigh

Guy Williams said...

I think we are all a little goofy if we think we can give a kid an education. Students have to get an education by applying themselves. Too many kids are just playing out there time with no interest in doing well.Little interest in home study[ Traditional homework] and many also can not get any help at home with class work. Whats different about sports is that kids go out for the team and apply themselves to the best of their abilities focused on a team effort. Usually the kids that started sports at an early age do best. Sad to say in academics too many students frankly just dont give a shit. To put all the blame on schools and teachers for poor student performance is a goofy solution.

Anonymous said...

The teachers, administrators and their bought-and-paid-for whores in Harrisburg brought this on themselves and at the same time doomed what are now failing urban districts.

Lots of people, of all races, have been successfully educated in those districts. But, over time, the feeders kept demanding more, and getting it, from their gubmint-devil benefactors.

And the economic pedophiles were only too happy to make a deal with those devils, even though they knew and know full well there was a catch. Those who keep the public education trough filled to the brim are also those who, for generations and still, use and our schools as social laboratories. No telling children not to have children, no asking people to assimilate, no perpetuation of traditional values, no holding parent or student accountable for taking advantage of what is offered at tremendous expense to "The State." The same teachers who bitch a blue streak about loser parents, kids who defy them and dangerous working conditions are the same teachers who pull the liberal lever every election, trading their principles for the promise of a bigger paycheck and pension.

Where there is failure, it has been wrought by the greed of the PSEA. They are just too full of themselves, and ignorant, to ever publicly admit it. Privately, they know.

They know and, occasionally, they wince. And then, they laugh at us and count the minutes to the bell and the days to retirement on us.

-Clem

Anonymous said...

"economic pedophiles
Great phrase.

Anonymous said...

The PSEA has failed our public schools.NOT THE STATE
Its all about their pensions.
Tom Wolf says there is no pension crisis?? That's because he intends to raise everyones taxes to pay for the teachers retirements. Wolf is in for a rude awakening. The Republican lead Senate and House will stick his Fresh Start program with the sun don't shine.Wolf will have to negotiate or he will be another 4 year Governor. The voters have had enough of the Teachers bullshit.The private sector don't get pensions and they invest in their own retirements, so should the teachers. Additionally, Pa. students currently get more money per capita than at anytime in the states history. The educational funding fight is all about their greed...NOT CLAASSROOM EXPENDITURES.Teachers want more but don't get graded for performance. Where does that exist in the private sector?? IT DOESNT!Another PSEA failure.