Cleveland: Public Schools News & Discussion

[KStay2]

Cleveland schools get good news on report card
Posted by Angela Townsend August 02, 2007 18:11PM
Joshua Gunter/ The Plain Dealer Cleveland schools CEO Eugene Sanders

For the first time since the state began its report card rating system for school districts in 1999, the Cleveland schools have moved out of the bottom rungs to achieve "continuous improvement."

More at cleveland.com http://www.cleveland.com

[Mov2Ohio]

Well this is really good news.

[kingfish out of water]

HUGE news. Now, on to "EFFECTIVE."

[edit]

Whoops: I read wrong. I thought this was about the Columbus Schools who also received a good report card today.

So much for my reading comprehension...

[Confiteordeo]

Way to go, Eugene, and way to go Cleveland schools!   

[shs96]

Interesting thread...obviously my first time posting on this board.

Not to bring up older issues, but I have to agree in some sense with that Locust poster.  No, I don't agree that the students are "stupid" or "hopeless", but I do agree while most schools could use more funding, there is enough there in Cleveland that if you had motivated parents who were interested in their child's development, the school system would be at least average rather than its current miserable state.  Unfortunately, that is not the case. 

The real issue behind Cleveland schools is the culture of the community.  Read the article in the PD today about the 4 teenagers who killed an elderly woman after running her over in a stolen vehicle.  The first thing I notice was none of the parents last names matched that of the child.  None of these kids are coming from stable homes and regardless of what kind of school system you put them in, the likelyhood of success is low.

I went to Solon High School.  There were people in my class or in the classes around me who were not good students.  The problem with all of them clearly wasn't the school and in most cases it wasn't their aptitude for learning.  Instead, it was their home support system.  Their parents weren't involved or weren't the type of people who should be having kids.  Of course, this was more of a minority in Solon than in Cleveland, but it still is the same principle...bad homes produce bad kids (for the most part).  Put a bunch of bad homes all together where there is no peer pressure to help compensate for the lack of home support and you have the disaster that is the Cleveland School System.  Change the culture and the schools will come around.

Another point I wanted to touch on was the issue of being racist or classist.  Obviously, being racist is a bad thing, but I don't think "classist" exists, at least not in the context given.  I don't think people look down on each other based on their income.  I do think people look down on the other if they have different "manners, discipline, and work ethic"

But why is that bad?  I expect every member of society to adhere to a certain social code of responsibility, to treat one another with respect, and pull their own weight, at least to the point where they are not a drain on society.  And it's not a cultural difference.  Japanese manners are very different from American manners, but there is a set of manners either way.  Many inner city kids don't display "different manners"; they show no manners at all - that's the problem and I will look down upon that regardless of who you are or where you come from. 

And again, it goes back to the home culture they come from.  Every child born in Cleveland is capable of becoming a responsible member of society.  But their parents are putting them at a disadvantage right out of the gate by not being good parents.  Put all of these kids in the same place and they have nothing to keep them from heading down the wrong path.

The Cleveand School System should really focus on two things - traditional education and social education.  There should be a "Health" course taught the same way English and Math are taught - requirement every year to graduate.  These kids need to be taught sex ed, the negative effects of drugs, and have all of the conversations most of us had with our parents at school because their parents aren't going to have those conversations with them.  Then hopefully, when they become parents, they will understand the need to be involved and the cycle will slowly break.

OK, this is getting long...just some thoughts on what I think is the key to making Cleveland a better place...improve the quality of the schools which I believe really requires an overall change of mind set from Cleveland parents.

[MayDay]

I agree with most of your post... and I understand you're referring to a specific issue/context, but I truly hope you don't believe this applies to society at large:

"I don't think "classist" exists, at least not in the context given.  I don't think people look down on each other based on their income."

[X]

Not to bring up older issues, but I have to agree in some sense with that Locust poster.  No, I don't agree that the students are "stupid" or "hopeless", but I do agree while most schools could use more funding, there is enough there in Cleveland that if you had motivated parents who were interested in their child's development, the school system would be at least average rather than its current miserable state.  Unfortunately, that is not the case. 

.....


The Cleveand School System should really focus on two things - traditional education and social education.  There should be a "Health" course taught the same way English and Math are taught - requirement every year to graduate.  These kids need to be taught sex ed, the negative effects of drugs, and have all of the conversations most of us had with our parents at school because their parents aren't going to have those conversations with them.  Then hopefully, when they become parents, they will understand the need to be involved and the cycle will slowly break.

Welcome to the board, and good first post.  I actually agree with alot of what you said, but let me point out that you actually started to answer the question of why Cleveland needs more funding even though it's funding is already reasonably high per pupil.  It takes more resources for a school to educate, and unfortunately raise, a kid who has no family support.  Special ed is expensive, so is security, after school programs, before school programs, free lunches and now even breakfasts.  None of this is to mention the costs of maintaining or replacing an old building stock.  The scope of the job just isn't the same.

[shs96]

but let me point out that you actually started to answer the question of why Cleveland needs more funding even though it's funding is already reasonably high per pupil.  It takes more resources for a school to educate, and unfortunately raise, a kid who has no family support.  Special ed is expensive, so is security, after school programs, before school programs, free lunches and now even breakfasts.  None of this is to mention the costs of maintaining or replacing an old building stock.  The scope of the job just isn't the same.

This is all true and I suppose I didn't take this into consideration when thinking about funding.  I guess my main point here is much of the blame is projected on the schools when I think the problem really lies in the underlying culture of some of the neighborhoods in the city...not enough parents taking responsibility for their children. 

This is where I think good city leaders would come in handy by developing a strong City of Cleveland youth program - something subsidized by tax dollars or business sponsors that would provide kids an opportunity to be a part of something after school, be it sports, arts, whatever...anything to establish community involvement in something other than being a mischievous kid with no parental guidance.

[jpop]

I totally agree, shs. How would something like that get started? I think more of a community outreach type of thing would be terrific.

[8ShadesofGray]

The last school levy (2005, I think?) was aimed specifically at this ... a sizable chunk of the funds were set aside to revive, offer and/or expand after-school programming for students, with the majority of this programming in sports and the arts. It failed pretty miserably on the ballot, though.

[KStay2]

School uniforms still topic of debate among Cleveland students
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Laura Johnston - Plain Dealer Reporter

To Ariel Elder, school uniforms are all bad.

Uncomfortable. Plain. Boring.

"They're trying to make everybody look like twins," said the 13-year-old, who is entering seventh grade at Miles Elementary in Cleveland.

More at cleveland.com http://www.cleveland.com

[MyTwoSense]

tsk tsk tsk.  If I had to wear a uniform to school, I might very well be a drop out! 

This just give me horrible flashback to the dinner my parents hosted, for some counselor from St. Ignatius and a family from Beachwood who sent their kid to st. Ignatius, when they were trying to "recruit" my brother and my parents were going to send me as well.  UGH!

[jamiec]

Long live public school!

I'll tell you a story about a young altar boy named JamieC who took the tests and wrote a very thought-out essay to try and get into Walsh Jesuit High School. He did perfectly fine on all his tests but still didn't get in to that stupid high school, he suspects because his dad added an additional letter to the application that said he wanted him to do a work-study program to help pay for the cost - including janitorial work. Maybe kids don't clean the urinals at Walsh! JamieC's parish pastor was so mad when he didn't get in, he called his parents and said he'd make some calls. JamieC was so mad, he stopped going to church when he was 16. Take that!

It makes me sad that public schools are doing so bad because I personally think they are an amazing resource and important to understanding people in your community. We are facing some real problems in funding, culture, families -- EVERYWHERE. I don't know if uniforms will help, but if they help keep kids safe in some way, then it's worth it. Unfortunately, you need to be careful. My high school in Cuyahoga Falls started treating kids like convicts and they started acting like convicts.

[3231]

tsk tsk tsk.  If I had to wear a uniform to school, I might very well be a drop out! 

This just give me horrible flashback to the dinner my parents hosted, for some counselor from St. Ignatius and a family from Beachwood who sent their kid to st. Ignatius, when they were trying to "recruit" my brother and my parents were going to send me as well.  UGH!

fyi  I loved wearing my uniform every single day at wonderful St. Ignatius!! No sarcasm intended! Viva St. Ignatius!!

[MyTwoSense]

fyi  I loved wearing my uniform every single day at wonderful St. Ignatius!! No sarcasm intended! Viva St. Ignatius!!

Drone!

[Matches]

Just my opinion, but: Uniforms, bad.  Dress code: good.   I hate the idea, the sight, the philosophy of dressing our public school products (because that's what they really ARE, produce) alike.   But there is nothing wrong with requiring some code of dress to prepare them for real-world standards of presentability.

[MyTwoSense]

Just my opinion, but: Uniforms, bad.  Dress code: good.   I hate the idea, the sight, the philosophy of dressing our public school products (because that's what they really ARE, produce) alike.   But there is nothing wrong with requiring some code of dress to prepare them for real-world standards of presentability.

Agreed!  It seems a few of the students interviewed also have this point of view.  However, kids need to have guidelines from parents in regard to the way they dress, and that must start at home.

[MayDay]

I would have opposed any kind of dress code when I was in school; especially considering I had one side of my head shaved, and my bangs were down to my chin, and wore black, black and more black like a good artsy alterna-punk. However, where I went to school had a 90ish% college placement rate and the worst gang activity was a fight between the hoods and the jocks. If a dress code helps get the schools back into shape, I can't really be opposed to it.

[MyTwoSense]

I would have opposed any kind of dress code when I was in school; especially considering I had one side of my head shaved, and my bangs were down to my chin, and wore black, black and more black like a good artsy alterna-punk. However, where I went to school had a 90ish% college placement rate and the worst gang activity was a fight between the hoods and the jocks. If a dress code helps get the schools back into shape, I can't really be opposed to it.

MayDay formerly known as Alterna-Punk Spice.  LOL

[MyTwoSense]

Thousands rally for Cleveland schools

Posted by kturner August 21, 2007 16:52PM

Chuck Crow/The Plain Dealer
Thousands of Cleveland public school teachers and support staff celebrated the district's new state rating Tuesday during a rally in Quicken Loans Arena.

Gov Ted Strickland and others thanked teachers for their role in the district's move from "academic watch" to "continuous improvement."

More at cleveland.com
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2007/08/thousands_rally_for_cleveland/print.html

[jpop]

Great! They SHOULD celebrate.

I wonder what kind of party they'll throw when the schools move to an excellent rating (or whatever the top one is)?

[shs96]

I don't know what kind of party they'll throw, but I know I'll be throwing a HUGE party as that would mean the state of Northeast Ohio has greatly improved and my property value just went through the roof!

[MyTwoSense]

I don't know what kind of party they'll throw, but I know I'll be throwing a HUGE party as that would mean the state of Northeast Ohio has greatly improved and my property value just went through the roof!

Thats exactly what I'm talking about!  I don't have any kids and I voted yes to the levy!

[X]

It seems a little early to celebrate.  We still only met four standards and have one of the lowest performance index scores in the state.

[musky]

pd:

Schools CEO is the real deal
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Dick Feagler
Plain Dealer Columnist

We're all going back to school with Dr. Gene Sand ers. Let's hope he can change public education in Cleveland. Nobody else has.

School superintendents have come and gone. A lot of them presided only briefly, and weakly, over this school system. They made their money, eloped and left behind them platitudes and rhetoric. And a fat, cashed, goodbye check.

More at cleveland.com http://www.cleveland.com

[jpop]

Okay. So where's the recognition that Frank Jackson put this man in place?

[shs96]

I like what I've heard so far from Dr. Gene. 

I'm interested to see how the "bad kids school" plays out.  I don't necessarily think its a bad idea...you're just going to need a lot of talented teachers to turn that group around.

Hopefully in 20 years we will be able to turn around the real problem, as Dick eluded to, bad parents.

How do you feel about putting laws in place to help curtail the number of kids people have with different partners?  Father kids from more than 1 woman while not being married to either and you could face mandatory vasectomy (yeah, yeah...that probably won't fly...but similar laws are in place in China). 

That's the real problem we're facing...too many Travis Henry's out there.

[X]

Even if they don't turn around the problem kids, it will be a success if it makes it possible for the other children who care about their future to learn.

[MyTwoSense]

Even if they don't turn around the problem kids, it will be a success if it makes it possible for the other children who care about their future to learn.

top 10 post of the year material, by Mr. X.

[J. Dub]

Even if they don't turn around the problem kids, it will be a success if it makes it possible for the other children who care about their future to learn.

^ Yes sir, that's the truth. 

I was driving around the Union-Kinsman area the other day around the time school got out.  I've got to admit, it was nice to see the teenage boys walking around in khakis and collared shirts instead of looking at sagging pants and boxers.  So far, I'm impressed by Dr. Sanders; hopefully, these changes will begin to be reflected in the academic performance within the Cleveland schools in the coming years.  I'm optomistic that things will change for the better (not that they can get any worse).  Better schools means a better Cleveland, plain and simple.