The Rochester school district will be getting a lot of new
attention in the early part of this year.
Mayor Lovely Warren made education a key issue in
her campaign, and I assume it won’t be long before she starts acting on the
initiatives she laid out.
The University of Rochester is hosting a
Presidential Symposium on Revitalizing K-12 Education in February.
And Van White, the Rochester school board’s new
president, has appointed four committees whose job will be, in his words, to
“identify solutions to the district’s most pressing problems.”
All that focus is good, and I’d like to be more
hopeful than I am. But we’ve been through all this before. The cast of
characters in the school district changes, but the outcome hasn’t improved.
The committees appointed by Van White are
supposed to come up with solutions to four key challenges facing the school
district: concentrated poverty, student achievement, parental involvement, and
school and community safety.
White wants the committees to identify solutions
and budget priorities in time for them to be included in the district’s 2014-15
budget, which the school board will vote on in May.
He’s also asking for public input. I don’t have
any fresh ideas in terms of solutions – nothing that people haven’t raised
before, anyway. But I do have some thoughts about what we need to do to before
we embark on any solutions – if we want to be successful.
So here are those thoughts:
Since my husband and I moved here in 1965, the
poverty of the city has increased pretty steadily. So has the racial
segregation of the Rochester school district. And the district’s student
achievement and graduation rates have plummeted.
A succession of superintendents (eight, plus two
interims, since 1965) and a succession of school board members and presidents
have had big plans, high hopes, great expectations, great confidence, great
enthusiasm. None of them have been able to reverse the slide down.
We’ve had a succession of reforms and blue-ribbon
committees and position papers and community-involvement plans, and things have
just kept getting worse.
We’ve closed schools and opened new ones. We’ve
created magnet schools. We’ve carved big schools into clusters of small
schools. We’ve tried reorganizing schools into junior-senior highs, into middle
schools and high schools, into K-6, K-8. We’ve introduced new curriculum. We’ve
launched turn-around plans. We’ve pushed volunteerism, business partnerships, mentoring,
extended days.
And things have gotten worse.
Concentrated poverty is obviously a major factor.
It’s not our only problem, but there’s no denying that it has a terrible impact
on many of the district’s students and their families. We can’t get rid of the
poverty concentration overnight, however. And, in fact, we can’t deal with it
successfully without vastly improving our children’s educational achievement.
Nor can we throw up our hands and say those
children are doomed to failure: doomed to get out of school without the
knowledge and skills to get a decent job, contribute to society, and live a
fulfilling life.
What kind of educational system will it take to
give Rochester’s children the knowledge and skills they need? And what’s
keeping us from providing it?
To single out only concentrated poverty as an
obstacle and to single out only money as a solution is a cop-out. Both are
important. But focusing only on them keeps us from asking the hard questions.
It keeps us from being honest about the other changes we need to make. It lets
us keep pointing fingers and wasting time, and wasting the future of tens of
thousands of Rochester’s children in the process.
So let me ask some questions.
What kinds of teachers and principals does the
school district need if we are going to overcome the impact of poverty
concentration? What’s the quality of the current staff? What improvements do we
need? What has to change to get them?
What kind of education support services – the
services that the district’s administrative staff provide – are needed? What’s
the quality of the current staff? What improvements are needed? What has to
change to get them?
What community support services do students’
families need? What’s the quality of the services we offer now? What
improvements are needed? What collaboration? What new services are needed?
What do parents need to do better? What are they
not doing that they should be doing? Are some of them not well educated enough
themselves to set expectations and to support their children educationally? Do
all parents take responsibility for their children’s behavior and achievement? And
what can parent activists do about that?
And what about the students themselves? Do they
bear any responsibility for doing better? Do they know what changes they need
to make themselves?
We do have answers to some of those questions –
partial answers, anyway. Teachers and administrators have complained for years
about lack of adequate training, frequent changes in curriculum and programs,
widespread student discipline problems, and lack of parent involvement.
District audits and other investigations have found absurd lapses in simple
school management: failure to take attendance, for instance, and a
records-keeping system that marks students present if no attendance is taken.
Superintendent Bolgen Vargas, who has asked area
colleges and universities to take over the management of some of Rochester’s
schools, says the district’s bureaucracy is “overwhelming” and that the
district is too badly broken to fix by itself.
We also know that many Rochester children start
school without the language skills and other basics that they need; they’re
behind from Day 1, and they don’t catch up. We know that the community doesn’t
provide enough help to make up for those deficits.
We know that many Rochester children start school
with serious physical and mental health problems. And we know that they aren’t
getting enough help.
I believe that the vast majority of parents want
their children to succeed in school. I believe that the vast majority of
teachers and administrators and other school staff want to do a good job.
That’s the raw material. What do we need to do to turn that raw material into a
successful school district?
The answer can’t come from outside observers.
We’ve tried that before. The answer needs to come from self-analysis. Everybody
in the district community – teachers, parents, students, administrators,
service providers, city residents – needs to start with a frank assessment of
themselves and their peers.
There are problems in every area, and for too
many years we’ve tried to fix them by finding fault and imposing solutions from
the outside. That hasn’t worked. Self-analysis won’t work, either, if the goal
is self-protection. Teachers and administrators have to admit that some of
their peers are not good at their job and shouldn’t be there. Parents and
community activists have to admit that some parents are doing a bad job raising
their children – that some children’s language and behavior is out of bounds,
and that teachers deserve respect, from their children and from parents.
You get the picture. Everybody in the community
needs to take a good, hard look at themselves and their peers. They need to
talk about the hard subjects. No more mincing words. No alibies and
justifications.
And no more asking for money. Not now. What we
need right now is for each peer group to come up with solutions for the
problems in their own backyard.
The public has lost confidence in the Rochester
school district: in its teachers, its administrators, its school board. All of
the blame-deflecting just looks like an excuse. And the charter school movement
– making big inroads in Rochester – is one result of that.
Superintendent Vargas has said that the district
doesn’t have much time left. He’s right. If we don’t fix things, the state will
start taking over some of our schools. And charter schools will keep opening
and siphoning off students. And families who can afford to will keep moving out
of the city. And the back-to-the-city momentum that seems to be flickering
right now will burn out.
And 10 years from now, Rochester’s problems – the
concentration of poverty, the unemployment, the violence, the fiscal problems –
will be much, much worse.
We’ve let that go on for decades. We owe it to
the current generation of children to stop it.
This article appears in Jan 22-28, 2014.
MA Towler, I think this is your very best summary of the problem of our failing schools that I have seen from you. But I do hope that you will open up to some more creative, off the wall, ideas, such as I have suggested to you in letters, in the past few months.
If conventional wisdom is not working, then why not some unconventional wisdom in City News?
For starters, I hope that you can print the full text of the ASAR letter on Dr.Vargas and a defense from him. THANKS Harry Pearle
You are correct-well said. We have heard it before. The answers must come from the inside. Unfortunately, the “inside” can’t be a few people. Everyone needs to be invited and for whatever reason, the adults on Broad Street drink the poison and instead of compromise and solutions, we get finger-pointing and desperate suggestions. I would challenge you and your paper to invite a select group to address this problem and have a very transparent and honest debate. Why not?
Ms. Towler,
Smugtown is not at a tipping point in regards to segregation of educational opportunity. Lines drawn for school districts mean some of the best education in the country or some of the worst is available for our regions children.
I do not hear the political will, disgust, or greater good leading the discussion. Instead infighting and finger pointing which serves those with quality educational options very well, remains the debate parameters.
Not sure what will allow difficult questions to be answered through regional change.
What kind of educational system will it take? One that replaces a 19th century model based on government monopoly with a 21st century model based on innovation, freedom, and choice. One that empowers families and taxpayers, and dis-empowers unions, politicians, bureaucrats, “experts”, and the rest who have failed so spectacularly and miserably.
And what’s keeping us from providing it? The corrupt influence of the same vested interests named above.
http://minorityreporter.net/fullstory/full…
TO ROCHESTER CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT PARENTS, AND OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH WHOM I WORK, AS WELL AS THE
BROADER ROCHESTER COMMUNITY IN GENERAL
PLEASE READ:
First, I would like to apologize for the lateness of this correspondence. It was my intent to communicate about this — way before now. In any case, I will make every effort to report updates in a timely fashion.
I am writing to inform you that I have decided to participate in one of the ad-hoc advisory committees (“parent engagement”) mentioned in the article at the link below.
As many of you know, I have probably been one of the biggest, and most consistent critics of the Rochester Board of Education’s “leadership” and members. Thus, I assume that some would question my participation in this sort of initiative.So, I wanted to explain my reasons for doing so.
I have always maintained that I am ready, willing, and able to work cooperatively and collaboratively with anyone who is serious about actions designed to produce much-needed, and much-deserved, widespread, permanent change and improvement for Rochester City School District (RCSD) students and families. Whether this particular initiative has the potential to accomplish this — is yet to be seen. I have also (for many years) maintained that until, and unless WE establish a well organized, and well financed / resourced, broad-based, mass movement of parents, guardians, students, educators, activists, and anyone else who is really serious about academic and general change and improvement — it will not happen. The latter point is articulated in our 2013 Board of Education Election Platform, and has been articulated in all previous Election platforms that I have been a part of. Rochester Board of Education President Van White knows that this is my belief, which was reiterated during a phone conversation earlier this month concerning my participation in this initiative.
As noted in the article at the link below:
“White also said he has reached out to every candidate who participated in the 2013 [General] school board election to offer an opportunity to serve on one of the advisory committees.”
“These people represent constituencies; had thousands of people vote for them, and spent the better part of last year listening and learning from the people of our city. It only makes sense that we would tap into that resource as we look to develop a list of solutions to address the district’s most pressing issues.”
With regard to the quotes above, I had informed Commissioner White that I take very seriously the responsibility of attempting to represent those who give me permission to do so, and that (with regard to my participation in this initiative) I would make every attempt possible to identify, and communicate with, and seek input from those who supported me in the Election and/or otherwise. Therefore, this represents my first effort to do so.WITH REGARD TO THOSE WHO SUPPORTED ME IN THE 2013 GENERAL ELECTION, OF COURSE, I DON’T KNOW WHO ALL OF YOU ARE, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THERE ARE AT LEAST 2,194 OF YOU, AND I DO KNOW THAT MANY OF YOU ARE HERE ON FACE BOOK. If you know of others who supported and/or still support me, but are not here on face book — please share this correspondence with them.
I also articulated to Commissioner White during the above referenced phone conversation that my participation is dependent on the condition that there will be ample opportunity for what ever recommendations these ad-hoc committees come up with — to be vetted (subjected to examination and evaluation) via the broader community — BEFORE they are formally submitted / recommended to the full Board of Education. He agreed that this is an important step, and that it will happen.
Thus far, the parent engagement ad-hoc advisory committee has two meetings scheduled. THE FIRST ONE IS THIS EVENING, AND THE SECOND ONE IS SCHEDULED FOR FEB. 18TH. I sent Commissioner White a note expressing my belief that it is NOT realistic that any committee could come up with quality recommendations in the course of two meetings. His response was that he is leaving it up to the various committees to determine additional meeting dates. Thus, this represents one of the first issues that I will put on the table this evening, i.e., the need to schedule additional meetings. AGAIN, I SINCERELY APOLOGIZE FOR THE LATENESS OF THIS CORRESPONDENCE, BUT PLEASE KNOW THAT (FROM THIS POINT ON) — I WILL MAKE EVERY POSSIBLE EFFORT TO KEEP YOU ALL INFORMED — IN A TIMELY MANNER.
At this point, I am not aware of who other members of the parent engagement committee are. However, I will report this information as soon as I know. Nor am I aware of who any members are of the other three ad-hoc committees (student achievement, student and community safety, and concentration of poverty). However, in my view, as part of keeping the broader parent / family / general tax-paying community informed, and maximizing opportunities for broad-based input, support, and buy-in — I would suggest that the names of all committee members should be made public.
I KNOW IT’S LATE, BUT IF THERE ARE PRESSING, SPECIFIC, CLEAR ISSUES THAT YOU BELIEVE I SHOULD TAKE TO THE TABLE THIS EVENING, AND / OR ANYTIME IN THE FUTURE — PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO LET ME KNOW.
The Struggle Continues…
http://minorityreporter.net/fullstory/full…
UPDATE #1
http://www.minorityreporter.net/fullstory/…
DEAR SUPPORTERS AND / OR COMMUNITY MEMBERS:
As you know, I had suggested (via the correspondence above) that Rochester Board of Education President, Van White publicize the names of individuals serving on the four (4) ad-hoc committees, which he recently established. I was not aware of the fact that he had already done so — via the article at the link below.
OBSERVATION: In my view, it would have been good to provide contact information for the members of all committees — in order to make it convenient for people who may want to contact committee members regarding suggestions, questions, input, etc… . I assume that some members can be contacted here on Face Book, but I’m not certain if this is true for all.
As noted above, the Parent Engagement Committee had it’s first meeting earlier this evening (6-8 pm). It was generally a productive meeting. PLEASE LOOK FORWARD TO A FORTHCOMING, FULL REPORT.
Also I thought that some of you may be interested in the information below regarding potential opportunities to serve as parent / student representatives on the following Board Committees:
*Policy Development & Review Committee
*Excellence in Student Achievement Committee
*Community & Intergovernmental Relations Committee
*Finance & Resource Allocation Committee
*Audit Committee
See additional information below (TWO SEPARATE ARTICLES)
http://www.minorityreporter.net/fullstory/…
http://www.minorityreporter.net/fullstory/…
Mrs. Towler, this is one of the best editorials I read regarding the school issues. I began reading it expecting to find a call for yet more money to be thrown at a problem that is no longer about money. I was pleased to find that more than one problem was touched on and solutions asked for those problems. Disengaged students are the result of a mindset, not necessarily caused by schools, these usually start in the home. When parents are engaged, care and tutor (or insist to their children they will stay after for help-as we often did with our failing teenagers) their children generally succeed.
“To single out only concentrated poverty as an obstacle and to single out only money as a solution is a cop-out.” No, actually to pretend that RCSD convoluted and dysfunctional bureaucracy is anything but the result of the crushing and distorting burden of upholding modern educational standards, with the insufficient funding and outdated methodologies inherent in a school-districting system dating at least as far back as the 1800s is the real cop-out. None of Ms. Towler’s laundry list of faults, carried out by the usual list of parties at which to point the finger of blame, will be fixed without the ability of those parties to act according to their consciences, rather than within the narrow range of outdated and powerless options currently being touted by those who do not face the same challenges personally.
I’ll leave out (almost) entirely that improving the neighborhoods in question, and turning them from blighted to beautiful, is a form of wealth to be desired in its own right, regardless of its lack of impact on education. A better educational system *might* have a powerful effect on those neighborhoods eventually, but that is a change that would take generations in the making. Rochester neighborhoods, students, and citizens throughout the City do not have the luxury of waiting that long, and the argument lacks the explanatory power of putting the horse before the cart: invest the slopping-over ocean of capital where it provides the best return, which is in hard-working private citizens and their children, the Strategic Force of tomorrow.
“We also know that many Rochester children start school without the language skills and other basics that they need; they’re behind from Day 1, and they don’t catch up. We know that the community doesn’t provide enough help to make up for those deficits.
We know that many Rochester children start school with serious physical and mental health problems. And we know that they aren’t getting enough help.”
Start with the Pre-k program. It is a colossal waste of money. Direct instruction will help kids get ready for school. Playing will not. Taught in UPK. Telling you, it is a waste of money.
I don’t know why people look for complicated solutions to easy problems. The family unit (or lack thereof) in the city is the issue. The correlation between family life (eg number of parents) and graduation rate is clear cut.
http://www.actrochester.org/children-youth…
http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcont…
Eric Maloney: You have offered a reason for the problem, not a solution. Single-parent families do exist, many of them in the city are low-income, and the children in said families can have educational disadvantages. How do we fix that?
I read the article with interest and agree that it is going to take each person in the village to take a hard look at themselves to see if they have one finger pointing out but 3 fingers pointing back at themselves. Personally, I’m glad the Charter schools have come and made an impact. The Uncommon schools have one mission-to see that more urban children get to college because education is what changes the status quo. Everything about those schools implies that the student can make it and the staff is going to ensure that they do. That’s been my experience. For children that don’t fit the very structured mold of a charter school, I think we as parents and grandparents are going to have to realize that we are going to have to teach our children to read ourselves. No waiting for the CSD to do it. No waiting for a reading teacher to show up in the district. Each one teach one so when our children hit the front door of their school they have the basics down pat.
On Thursday, 1/30 Dr. Karsonya W. Whitehead gave students at the U of R the Carter G. Woodson lecture. To say the least, it was inspiring. Her point was that as teachers, educators, parents, we have an obligation to “spark the genius” in each child through our own ability to maintain the vision that genius is indeed there. so the child can become empowered. There are some teachers and parents (it is a team) who are able to hold on to the vision and see the gifts in each child and are able to cultivate that gift. this to me is the challenge in teaching… can the adult take the lead in establishing rapport, stirring interest, and ultimately inspire the passion in the child to be the best student he/she can be despite poverty or any other potential road block? The answer is yes. It has been done in other urban cities, and it can be done in Rochester.
On next Thursday, Dr. Raymond Winbush will be speaking at the Baobub Cultural Center on the strategies needed to raise African American boys. Any teacher or parent even remotely connected should hear what he has to say.