Touchy, Touchy
Keeping in line with Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, Mayor Rahm Emmanuel had a bit of a hissy fit yesterday when a local reporter asked where his children would go to school. He just smiled and said he was elected, not his kids, and got up and left the interview. (Christie, on the other hand, huffed and puffed.)
Obama's kids go to private, too. McGinn's kids go to public school as do/did most of the School Board's children.
I have always said that I believe every parent has to do what is right for their child and only they know the right thing. I don't have a problem with anyone who chooses private school for their child.
Of course, for elected officials, it CAN be a problem because, well, if you are talking about public education as a part of your job and you wouldn't send your own kids to the schools you represent, for some voters it might not look good. Naturally, if you are a billionaire who is trying to be a de facto deputy secretary of education and you send your kids to private schools that give them things that you don't advocate for public school kids, that's also a problem.
I got onto the UW COE's Dean Stritikus' bad side (for many reasons - most obviously by outing his e-mails on TFA) but a claim was made that I said where his kids go to school. (This is an issue that Charlie and I both have to bear: things get said by readers and then attributed to us.) I had no idea Stritikus had kids or where they go to school (and honestly, I don't care because it has nothing to do with TFA). But it shows you how touchy many people get over this issue of public versus private school.
Obama's kids go to private, too. McGinn's kids go to public school as do/did most of the School Board's children.
I have always said that I believe every parent has to do what is right for their child and only they know the right thing. I don't have a problem with anyone who chooses private school for their child.
Of course, for elected officials, it CAN be a problem because, well, if you are talking about public education as a part of your job and you wouldn't send your own kids to the schools you represent, for some voters it might not look good. Naturally, if you are a billionaire who is trying to be a de facto deputy secretary of education and you send your kids to private schools that give them things that you don't advocate for public school kids, that's also a problem.
I got onto the UW COE's Dean Stritikus' bad side (for many reasons - most obviously by outing his e-mails on TFA) but a claim was made that I said where his kids go to school. (This is an issue that Charlie and I both have to bear: things get said by readers and then attributed to us.) I had no idea Stritikus had kids or where they go to school (and honestly, I don't care because it has nothing to do with TFA). But it shows you how touchy many people get over this issue of public versus private school.
Comments
They each attended co-op preschool, but since kindergarten they have attended Seattle public schools.
We did consider a couple of private schools for my eldest daughter prior to kindergarten, and I think we may have actually made application to UCDS, but the kids have been in public schools all along and we have never looked back.
I don't pass judgement on other people's parenting. I wouldn't hold the choice of private school for their children against any candidate for office - even for school board. It doesn't reflect on their ability or willingness to do the work.
How are they not saying that?
Fine example of communication skills.... explanations are not required.
So as the oligarchs know best, we should not trouble ourselves with attempting to understand their actions.
Rahm might have tried: "These schools suck, I am not sending my kids there."
Asked: "How are they not saying that?"
There is a vast difference between public schools. If you look at school testing results they closely correlate with poverty.
Some schools have a lot of disruptive behavior that makes creation of an efficient effective learning environment nearly impossible.
Now with the New Student Assignment Plan ... the Board has not set us on a path toward "Every School a Quality School" but rather separate and increasingly unequal academic opportunities for students based on ZIP codes.
I think that deciding that your children should not be subject to attending a succession of substandard schools ... hardly indicates that a candidate does not believe in public schools.
It is really interesting to look at Betty Patu's voting and how often it is not with the majority. I like Betty's votes ... she can recognize what needs to be happening.
WV: "prean", wow, how appropriate for a post about Tom Stritikus.
I live in S. Seattle, and my kids attend neighborhood schools. Charlie - your kids go to public school. Obviously you work hard to make that work. So do I. I can't say I am always happy with the every action in our schools, but I just keep working on it. I don't think my children are being sacrificed on an alter.
I have heard the "I won't sacrifice my children for the ideal of public education" before. They may not be sacrificing their children's education, but it does hurt the children left behind. In a lot of ways it hurts everyone.
I get it though - everyone is just trying to do the best they can for their children.
But I think Melissa's point was a little different: as a leader it is a questionable practice to advocate for an education system substantially different than one the leader advocates for her/his own child. It is separate, but not equal.
Here's my two cents about people being "touchy" about private vs. public education. As a teacher who has worked in both types of schools, I am often asked my opinion on where my friends should send their kids to school, or whether I think private is better, etc. I used to be quite honest, explaining why I believe public education is usually not only adequate, but a better choice in most cases. My kids go to public school and I can't imagine doing otherwise. I am clear with people that I obviously don't have experience with EVERY type of public or private school, but I really do feel strongly about the benefits of public education.
However, I have learned to check myself when people ask me about my opinion on the matter. It doesn't seem to matter what my thoughts or experience is; it seems that people already know what they want to do, and they don't want to hear a different perspective. So many of my friends without any actual, personal experience in SPS have made up their minds that their children are too smart/sensitive/shy/quirky/demanding/needy/etc. for a public school. I'm not sure where this idea comes from, but it is pervasive in certain circles, and it makes me sad.
Hopefully my positive experience and that of my kids will speak louder (and more persuasively) than my words could.
Phew . . this has always been a tricky thing. I strongly believe that it's a parent's responsibility to make the best choice for his/her child, regardless of how it might look to others. Every student is an individual and every school and/or neighborhood offers a different educational experience. (This is especially true now that families can't easily choice other schools in the "cluster" and there's no real Spectrum in some areas.)
When we were discussing APP with our, then, 7-year-old, we felt it was important to stress that it wasn't necessarily about smart kids, it was about the WAY kids learned and where they were in the process at that time. I believe that's true with private school too . . you have to look at how the individual child learns and try to put him/her into the best setting possible.
Our son thrived at Lowell and I appreciate the education he received there; one of his best friends, who came with him from his elementary, had a very difficult time there and ended up going to private school. This child had some social issues and really required smaller class sizes with more personalized attention. While we ALL want smaller class sizes for ALL kids, I believe this student would have ended up failing later in his schooling if his parents hadn't made that change. His parents still support the public schools, vote for the levies, and of course pay taxes; THEIR child, however, needed something different. Same thing with friends whose son in an accomplished musician. They decided it was important that he attend a school that really stressed the arts and creativity; their local public school offered very little.
I would never begrudge anyone the decision to choose private school for their child, regardless of whether that person was a public official or even on the school board. (I wasn't crazy about MGJ taking advantage of free the free public preschool program that wasn't available at other schools.)
I believe in public schools but if I felt our son needed something different, and this is something we consider every year, I wouldn't look back. I'd still advocate for public schools, donate money when possible, and participate in neighborhood events, but I would have no problem having him go where he needs to be. That's my job!
stu
PS - I would propose that security issues with children of presidents also plays a role in the where-to-send-the-kids decision.
While all this is true, the fact remains that there are great public schools and there are some lousy public schools and we live in a city that doesn't give you much of a choice if you live in the wrong place.
In this district. in certain circumstances, if a school is failing parents have the ability to choose "better" schools for their kids. How is that really different than choosing a private school. You're still leaving your neighborhood and saying to the world that "this school isn't good enough for my child."
Our children have had some good schools and, probably more importantly, some wonderful teachers. They've also had some mediocre experiences and, in one case, a teacher who was so bad we were trying to leave mid-year.
Advocating for public school over private school is wonderful IF the school that family can attend offers a quality education. With the current plan, however, if your assignment school isn't good, you have limited options and private school might be the best way to go for THAT family.
stu
I am with Momma Snark; I counsel many parents to not just dismiss SPS. I think unless you really have a special need, I wouldn't spend the money on private elementaries. We have that many SPS ones that are good.
It would help if parents would at least take a look at their own neighborhood public schools given that it is now possible to know exactly where your child might go.
DWE
On the other hand, for those who can easily pay for private school (or who can afford it due to scholarships), I don't think it's *inherently* an immoral way to use one's money at all, any more than it's immoral to buy handmade furniture or something if you can afford to do so. I can think of some specific private schools I wouldn't support for moral reasons, but that's a different matter.
Helen Schinske
The EEU a research and teacher training program. The head teachers at the Experimental Education Unit are certificated teachers but the low staff to student ratio is accomplished by the "aides" your refer to, who are typically working towards teaching degrees. Some are undergraduates. Some of the SLPs are actually SLP-As (A standing for assistant) who are again students working towards earning masters and the CCC necesarry to be an SLP. Same for the OTs.
I get that you are one note anti-TFA. But that doesn't have anything to do with what the EEU is, nor does it matter if that is in fact where Dean Stritikus' children attend.
At least a pro-TFA person, Stritikus, is willing to put his kids in a similar (though not identical) environment. I give him credit for that. Most TFA reform elite I know have their kids in private school. It is hard to square with that, despite all the "do what's best for your own kid" banter.
-parent
i'll be the first to admit i used to think private school was for people with money to burn or kids with issues, and if only everyone would put their kids in public it would all work out. I now know the former was wildly naive, and the latter naively optimistic. Some truth to both, however, but when it comes to your kids, you do what you need to do and don't look back.
Off my two friends who taught at the EEU, one is a lawyer and the other is an investment banker. Not at Goldmach Sachs, but Levman Brothers. Both taught for about 2 and a half years.
And SPS will be about to "replicate" the EEU when it gets the UW funding, state, federal, and private research grant funding, and 600K per year auction/donor proceeds that the EEU gets on top of the state funds through SPS for each site. Oh ya, and only when Washington becomes a right to work state and there are no pesky union salaries and benfits to pay out to the staff.
And I should be honest: unlike many people who are drawn out of the boundaries of strong schools, or whose children missed a testing cut-off by a point or two, our public option is good.
It would be pretty disappointing (okay, to me, which doesn't really have a lot of bearing on, well, anyone else) if suddenly my analysis of budget issues in public school was discounted because one of my kids is in private school.
Obviously, it's extra-convenient for me to take this line of thinking, but someone's ideas on education should be taken on the merits of the idea, not whether the person has adequately established their bonafides by sending their kids public.
Now that you mention it, TFA should hold an auction to pay salaries for Kopp and her thousands of minions. Give taxpayers back our $50M. Give us back our properly-trained teachers.
Meg,
I firmly believe that, if the board had even glanced at your numbers over the years, this district would be significantly better than it is right now. Every single time one of your "crappy charts" came out, I would think "well, now they'll see the light," and I was always amazed when your analyses were ignored and when, after a couple of years would go by and your numbers were shown to be accurate while the district's numbers looked like someone had played a bad game of darts, I would keep hoping that someone, someone official, would FINALLY take notice of the amazing work you do. Before every single vote, your charts should be required reading!
Phew . . . now to the private school thing . . .
The amount of work you do for the public schools, the constant attention to the details that the district overlooks, and your tireless efforts for ALL children, shows the kind of person you are. Having a child in private school has no bearing on that and I look forward to every chart, number, post, protest, and goat, you choose to write about. I don't know if it was a hard decision or not and don't really care; every parent needs to do what's best for his/her child.
stu
-parent
Yes and this is the model all American business and government would love to follow but it doesn't exactly give protection to workers.
This really is the heart of the matter. I can understand and appreciate every argument about wider teacher searches, more options, best and brightest, new blood . . . however you want to phrase it. For the life of me, though, I don't understand how a district can even consider welcoming teachers who are not qualified.
Teaching is a learning process and bringing in "students" with 5 weeks of training and no classroom experience, who need a certain amount of babysitting by teachers who are already overworked, who are only committing to two years, and who are coming into a market not lacking in applicants . . . I just don't get it. Reform movement or not, you'd think the minimum requirement for a district would be SOME experience in the job. And then to foist these amateurs on the neediest students?
stu
PS - If I was a student in the traditional teaching program at UW, I would sue for my tuition back . . . at least for the difference between the new TFA program and the "real" program. If MY university was telling me that I would be just as qualified to teach with the TFA program, I could not understand paying one cent more.
see here: good read
jpr
My recollection of the conversation was that it was sort of pitched as a "regretful necessity." Q: What about the fact that these hours 12 to 14 hour days, 6 or 7 days a week result in burnout?
A: Yeah. That does happen. Maybe we should just move to a model, like lawfirms, where that expectation is built into the model!
Boy, do I hope this does NOT happen!
But what business would put a brand-spanking-new-employee who might not be suited for the field (but the business took a chance on because the newbie is bright and did well in college) in charge of their most important, most finicky client, who is likely to walk if the account is mismanaged?
Hellions R Us
On January 17, 2007 at the request of Sally Soriano I testified at my first board meeting about Math. I figured it would take two three-minute testimonies to make things clear to the Board.
The Board does not get it....
(fill in whatever "it" you wish)
because most directors have no interest in getting it. .... We have four rubber-stampers running for reelection.
You would think that the "Crappy Charts" would be a cause for at least some Board Director embarrassment .... but if you thought that .... well you have not been paying attention for the last four years.
-- Dan D