My original point was that charter schools in Chicago are allowed to select their students. Those who don't do well academically can be rejected or kicked out. It's easier to attain high test scores when you don't have to work with the students who need the most help. And even taking that into account, Chicago charter schools don't tend to perform much better than traditional public schools, if at all.
I would argue Daley's push for charter schools in Chicago doesn't have much to do with education. Instead it's about enhancing the mayor's power. And Arne Duncan's leadership in that process is what won him his gig as Sec. of Education.
shrill
On Wed, Nov 11, 2009 at 9:24 AM, Wojtek S <wsoko52 at gmail.com> wrote:
> [WS:} so you think that gang members, drug dealers and violent offenders
> create a good learning environment in schools?
>
> Wojtek
>
>
>
> On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 9:52 PM, shrill.polemic <shrill.polemic at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> Wha? Students who don't test well are "bad kids"? Rubbish.
>>
>> shrill
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 8:17 PM, Wojtek S <wsoko52 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > [WS:] But that is the whole point, no? Schools do not "fix" children as,
>> > say, mechanics fix cars. It is children who do the learning, and schools
>> > merely facilitate the process. So if the peer pressure has detrimental
>> > effect on leaning, kicking out "bad kids" will have a positive effect on
>> > learning, no?
>> >
>> > I do not understand why there is so much insistence in this country that
>> > everyone must go to school that offers the same curriculum to everyone.
>> >
>> > Wojtek
>> >
>> > On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 10:31 AM, shrill.polemic <
>> shrill.polemic at gmail.com>wrote:
>> >
>> >> On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 8:59 AM, Wojtek S <wsoko52 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >> > For that reason, I am really "on the fence" on this issue. On the one
>> >> hand,
>> >> > I think that the one-size-fits-all philosophy behind public education
>> >> > sucks, and charter schools do offer an antidote to it. Otoh, I do
>> >> support
>> >> > teachers and thier unions, and I think charter schools would be very
>> >> > detrimental to both.
>> >> >
>> >> > Wojtek
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> In Chicago, charter schools represent another successful effort by the
>> >> Daley administration to privatize public resources and bust a strong
>> >> union.
>> >>
>> >> On an optimistic note, 3 Chicago charter schools were recently
>> >> organized although not by the Chicago Teachers Union -
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/district-299/2009/10/catastrophe-or-opportunity-chicagos-first-unionized-charter-school-contract.html
>> >>
>> >> The claims that charter schools offer a better education is
>> >> questionable to say the least. In Illinois, the easiest way to boost
>> >> test scores at a charter school is to simply kick out the kids that
>> >> aren't testing well.
>> >>
>> >> shrill
>> >>
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