April 17th, 2007 11:15 am
|
Share This!
Email Link
Add To Favorites
Add To Digg
Add To Del.icio.us
Add To Yahoo
Related at Technorati
|
Yesterday in the Chronicle, there was an article about how the head of the United Educators of San Francisco had a discussion with Gavin Newsom disagreeing with his decision to have a poll on the website asking if people thought the Mayor should have the authority to open charter schools. Full article here. With all due respect to Mr. Kelly, the union leader, it’s exactly that kind of thinking that makes education in the United States one of the poorest systems in the developed world. Frequently, it seems like the teacher’s union would rather maintain the status quo (which is mediocre at best) rather than pursue new ideas that might actually help students.
The job of the teacher’s union is to fight for good working conditions for teachers. However, being that “charter schools” is a blanket term covering a variety of different systems, and that no specific plan has been formulated for San Francisco, how can Mr. Kelly automatically assume that such a plan would automatically be detrimental to teachers? The answer is that he cannot, and therefore is exhibiting a disturbing knee-jerk reaction against any form of change, in spite of the fact that the school system in San Francisco is so obviously sub-standard and in need of a significant overhaul. To change the school system in this city (and indeed, in all the United States) a serious shake-up is required. And yes, some people may lose their jobs, or take a pay cut or be forced to work longer hours. On the other hand, maybe more people will be hired, get a raise and even better working conditions. Without a discussion, we’ll never know. What is obvious is that the system cannot stay as it is. By trying to quell even the discussion of change, Mr. Kelly not only shortchanges the students of San Francisco, he is potentially also harming the futures of the thousands of teachers who trust him to fight for their improved future, not just the status quo.
|
Share This!
Email Link
Add To Favorites
Add To Digg
Add To Del.icio.us
Add To Yahoo
Related at Technorati
|
May 24th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
A Parent’s story and opinion on charter schools:
I moved here from Honolulu, Hawaii almost five years ago for my career, and my sweet and adorable (I really mean that too…no sarcasm here) teenager moved up last year after residing with her father was not an option anymore. Originally I had placed the teenager in a small, supposedly, non-denominational, Christian school and quickly learned that it was not a good fit for the student (certain cultish religions and their small, petty views, especially regarding certain populations, were not in step with our views). I was suddenly faced with a choice between another private school (holds hands up to face in front of mirror sort of like the kid in “Home Alone” when he discovers that he is home alone, and screams) and a public school here in San Francisco. OMG! I could not afford Mercy High School, the only one close to my house, and…OUCH, the amount that Mercy asked me for…that was like totally not in my budget! Supporting two chldren alone, and working for a nonprofit organization (it is a great nonprofit but like most, does not have a lot of money), that can only afford to pay what it can (I am working on that though by improving this wonderful organization and making it a household word), I did not want my teenager, who just moved from Hawaii, to have to bus across town and risk getting lost somewhere in San Francisco and become a name on an AMBER ALERT! Then, one day, out of the blue, and just in the nick of time, I picked up the small publication, a West Portal newspaper that gets delivered to my house. I usually tossed them on the table in my foyer to read later. For some reason I read this particular issue and on the back was an ad for a charter school! A charter school with openings! The school was the City Arts Technical School located on De Montfort Street, pretty much within walking distance of my home. I raced to my computer and emailed them immediately, then called and left a message, for fear that the openings might be gone by the time they opened up the next morning. I was contacted the next day and my teenager was welcomed into the school! I was able to breath a great sigh of relief. I was also amazed at what I found to be happening with this school. This school is absolutely wonderful. What a God-send for my child! The instructors take time with the students and really care about them. There are small classes and a computer for every child. A sense of community is imparted among the student body and when I attend events at the school I am impressed by the atmosphere of the school and positive attitude of the students. When my teenager does encounter difficulties with respect to schoolwork or behavioral problems, there is a meeting with all of the teachers to address the problems and work them out. At a public school my child would have fallen through the cracks in the floor! There would not have been the caring attitude on the part of the instructors that has been exhibited at this charter school. My teenager is learning subjects geared toward college and enjoys learning. We were very fortunate to be able to enroll in this school and to have it so close to our house. I had heard terrible things about the public school system here in San Francisco and was not too thrilled about having to send my teen to one of them. The schools in Hawaii are not too swift either but that is a story for another day. While my teenager lived in Hawaii, we were able to send her to private Catholic schools in the area. This option was affordable at that time, but circumstances were altered dramatically after I moved here. My teenager did attend a public school while in elementary school. This particular elementary school was one of the better public schools in the area and was in the neighborhood. The local children were not bused around or made to attend schools out of their neighborhood, which I believe to be hard on a child and disagree with the whole concept of busing. I believe a parent should have a choice where they send their child and not be forced to attend any school based upon neighborhood or being bused to another farther away neighborhood. Let students attend schools of their choice and make ALL of the schools good, not just a select few! HELLO! Anyway, not to get off on a tangent, my child was able to walk to the neighborhood public school every day at that time, which was wonderful. It is great that this charter school is within walking distance. The emphasis on learning and coursework are all geared toward preparing the child for college. Their coursework is all related and has a common thread woven through all assignments. There is participation and pride at the school among the teachers and the students. It is apparent that the teachers foster a good relationship with the students and that they actually have the time to do so.
It is very sad that we have let our education system rot away. In my opinion, the charter school system appears to be an excellent solution and there needs to be more of them made available for people to send their children too. I just was very blessed that at the time I needed to find another school, there were openings at the CAT school. I would have sent my chld back to Hawaii before I would have let her attend a public school here! The principal, Vice-Principal and all of the instructors/staff at the charter school are amazing. I couldn’t ask for a better education for my child anywhere else, except for maybe Punahou in Honolulu! I am very impressed and encourage the public and citizens of San Francisco, who do have children to support charter schools as a viable alternative to the public school system. We really need more of them. Education is the most important thing that we can use to combat ignorance, drugs, gangs, violence, and poverty. As citizens we need to encourage politicians to place more emphasis on improving education. We need to demand it! I believe strongly in the charter schools and think that they should be encouraged and supported. If the Mayor of San Francisco can contribute to getting more of these schools opened for children in San Francisco then I fully support the Mayor having some control over charter schools. He has proven himself to be the ‘mover and shaker’ in other arenas, therefore it makes total sense that he could ’shake-up’ the school system here and set an example for the nation.
Aloha!