It seems to me that the perfect application has a lot of low hanging fruit.  125 points for articulating a perfect coherent agenda? 138 points for recuiting( raiding other districts) quality teachers that is almost half( at least of the 500 points).  It would be more appropriate to give a larger number of points to those districts who have turned failing schools around. Provide more points for those district who have developed computerized systems and learning environments that show academic progress for students and teachers. I understand that some folks want to get away from standarized tests( here in California we have CST’s, CAHSEE, STAR, etc…)along the PSAT, SAT, ACT,etc.I guess I’m too focused on the real issue which is student academic development and learning.  The educational business complex doesn’t want to focus on moving the academic rigor and educational equity ahead.  It seems that most of this is just kicking the can down the road.  If the President and Mr. Duncan really want to make a move then they should reverse the points, see which states respond and fund only those who can deliver.  I know that some of the folks will cry foul and ask that they get some share of the resources because of the economy, but our kids can’t wait for people( the adults) to take responsibility for not doing the right thing in the first place and having the President to now force the action.  Every day children are left behind based on poor leadership and poor teaching and poor parenting..period.  Until we stop letting folks just respond to the low hanging fruit and demand that they take bitter with the sweet, things will never change..really.  The final bell will ring in this country regarding what educational future we leave behind for the next generation of children…at this point, its’ an apartheid system of educational inequality and waste…pure and simple….

As someone very familiar with the SAT and admissons, its’ always been interesting to try to see how you can use a test which looks at ones ability to answer questions and figure out the right answer and understand how that equates to getting a degree.  College is not just answering questions and finding the right answers.  The world of the SAT continues to find solace in that we can test more students( diversity in testing has enlarged the pool). It has also become apparent that using SAT scores to judge which students should get the admit letter is becoming more dependent on socio-economic factors than on their ability to do college work.The rich continue to buy the test prep course and coaching which insure some level of success with the test.  The poor seem to be left just trying to make due with any level of support they can get from high schools which in a number of cases aren’t organized to give these students a chance to be successful test takers.  The world is still unjust and unequal when comes to using the SAT to determine any level of educational equality.  Period.

The history of this country is full of why equality has continued to be a moving target.  Ward Connerly is just another example of someone who can’t see the forest for the trees.  The aforementioned historical review of affirmative action points to the every changing view in this country that some how we just forget about 300+ years of slavery and injustice and say that if we all just made the necessary effort to get along and treat each other the same we can all have the American dream.  The educational apartheid which has been here since the first school house was built continues today.  It lives on the idea that if can afford a good education you can get one.  If you can’t too bad,you’ll just live a substandard life and be happy.Affirmative action was just a belief, not rooted in any kind of fiscal remedy.  So the historical facts and decisions that have been used to further put any kind of real relief in the hands of people who deserve justice will continue to ways to keep America doing the same things its’ done for over 300 years.Our educational system has never been equal.  It will continue to be unequal and racially isolated until it dies under its’ own weight of guilt.

After reading the piece on KIPP I thought that some of the approaches could work in specific kinds of educational environments.  The idea that public education should be static is not good thinking for future generations of students or teachers.  The problem is that we tend to not get out of our comfort zone to try different kinds of approaches to teaching children how to learn, which is the most fundamental part of this whole issue.  Teaching children how to learn.  They will learn if they know how…so its’ up to us to do the hard work of showing them the “how.”If KIPP can continue to show results in the number of kids moving on to college and getting degrees and becoming productive individuals then we must take the approach seriously.  The proof as my mother would say is in the pudding.  It is critical that imperative data be the norm in judging whether KIPP has the right approach. Period.

It seems to me that the perfect application has a lot of low hanging fruit.  125 points for articulating a perfect coherent agenda? 138 points for recuiting( raiding other districts) quality teachers that is almost half( at least of the 500 points).  It would be more appropriate to give a larger number of points to those districts who have turned failing schools around. Provide more points for those district who have developed computerized systems and learning environments that show academic progress for students and teachers. I understand that some folks want to get away from standarized tests( here in California we have CST’s, CAHSEE, STAR, etc…)along the PSAT, SAT, ACT,etc.I guess I’m too focused on the real issue which is student academic development and learning.  The educational business complex doesn’t want to focus on moving the academic rigor and educational equity ahead.  It seems that most of this is just kicking the can down the road.  If the President and Mr. Duncan really want to make a move then they should reverse the points, see which states respond and fund only those who can deliver.  I know that some of the folks will cry foul and ask that they get some share of the resources because of the economy, but our kids can’t wait for people( the adults) to take responsibility for not doing the right thing in the first place and having the President to now force the action.  Every day children are left behind based on poor leadership and poor teaching and poor parenting..period.  Until we stop letting folks just respond to the low hanging fruit and demand that they take bitter with the sweet, things will never change..really.  The final bell will ring in this country regarding what educational future we leave behind for the next generation of children…at this point, its’ an apartheid system of educational inequality and waste…pure and simple….

As someone very familiar with the SAT and admissons, its’ always been interesting to try to see how you can use a test which looks at ones ability to answer questions and figure out the right answer and understand how that equates to getting a degree.  College is not just answering questions and finding the right answers.  The world of the SAT continues to find solace in that we can test more students( diversity in testing has enlarged the pool). It has also become apparent that using SAT scores to judge which students should get the admit letter is becoming more dependent on socio-economic factors than on their ability to do college work.The rich continue to buy the test prep course and coaching which insure some level of success with the test.  The poor seem to be left just trying to make due with any level of support they can get from high schools which in a number of cases aren’t organized to give these students a chance to be successful test takers.  The world is still unjust and unequal when comes to using the SAT to determine any level of educational equality.  Period.

The history of this country is full of why equality has continued to be a moving target.  Ward Connerly is just another example of someone who can’t see the forest for the trees.  The aforementioned historical review of affirmative action points to the every changing view in this country that some how we just forget about 300+ years of slavery and injustice and say that if we all just made the necessary effort to get along and treat each other the same we can all have the American dream.  The educational apartheid which has been here since the first school house was built continues today.  It lives on the idea that if can afford a good education you can get one.  If you can’t too bad,you’ll just live a substandard life and be happy.Affirmative action was just a belief, not rooted in any kind of fiscal remedy.  So the historical facts and decisions that have been used to further put any kind of real relief in the hands of people who deserve justice will continue to ways to keep America doing the same things its’ done for over 300 years.Our educational system has never been equal.  It will continue to be unequal and racially isolated until it dies under its’ own weight of guilt.

After reading the piece on KIPP I thought that some of the approaches could work in specific kinds of educational environments.  The idea that public education should be static is not good thinking for future generations of students or teachers.  The problem is that we tend to not get out of our comfort zone to try different kinds of approaches to teaching children how to learn, which is the most fundamental part of this whole issue.  Teaching children how to learn.  They will learn if they know how…so its’ up to us to do the hard work of showing them the “how.”If KIPP can continue to show results in the number of kids moving on to college and getting degrees and becoming productive individuals then we must take the approach seriously.  The proof as my mother would say is in the pudding.  It is critical that imperative data be the norm in judging whether KIPP has the right approach. Period.