I have often criticized Atlanta Journal and Constitution columnist Cynthia Tucker. Today I want to praise her.
Tucker’s subject for her Sunday column was education and the need for passionate teachers in poor urban schools. She wrote that since the 1960s, educational activists and reformers have tried to bring poor kids up to the level of middle class kids, usually without success. She added, “George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind was another well-meaning attempt, but it hasn’t had much success, either.”
She took no cheap shots at the former President. She made no attempt to paint all things wrong with this country as Bush’s fault. That is a change in approach for Tucker and I hope this is a sign of her growth as a columnist.
No Child Left Behind really was a well-meaning attempt to reform education. Some critics would have you believe it was an attempt by some evil cabal of Republicans to maintain power by hurting education for under privileged kids. Well meaning or not, it has not had much success. Tucker made her point very well in this column without resorting to hyperbole, without attacks. Just the facts. And because she has presented her case in this way it is very worthy of discussion. I so I begin with a discussion.
No Child Left Behind was an attempt to improve education through accountability that has led to far too great a focus on testing. In some urban Atlanta schools it has even led to cheating by adults. (Neither Tucker nor I believe the cheating was Bush’s fault).
Tucker writes of the highly successful Ron Clark Academy of Atlanta. Ron Clark looks for teachers who are “excited, passionate teachers, who love the kids.” These are the teachers that understand that, “The more we expect of kids, the more they achieve.”
Beautifully stated. I encourage you to read the full column.
Tucker asks a very important question; “As the Obama administration readies it’s own remedies for closing the achievement gap between the poor and the middle class, it’s worth asking, Can it be done?” Tucker says that Education secretary Arne Duncan has to find a way to replicate the passion of the teachers at the Ron Clark Academy.
I couldn’t agree more with Tucker, nor can I think of an issue that is more important to the present and future of our nation than improving education. And folks, in answer to Tucker’s question, “Can it be done?” I answer yes.
Our nation could encourage the passion in teachers. We have an opportunity to do just that but we are wasting that opportunity. President Barack Obama is able to reach and to inspire segments of our society that have never been inspired by positive role models and may never again be so inspired. Look folks, as someone that regularly criticizes this President, I have to acknowledge his strengths. Both President and Mrs. Obama are highly educated and highly accomplished people. They are both great public speakers that inspire their followers. Their number one task should be to use their position to inspire young people, and adults including parents and teachers, to educational excellence and the self reliance and accomplishment that comes with it. That is the type of vision I wish this President had. That is the long term vision this nation needs. Everything else will fall into place if the President would take advantage of his ability to be a positive role model to people that need a positive role model.
{ 33 comments }
That’s great that Cynthia Tucker reads to her toddler and wants “good passionate teachers who love kids”. But when you love the kids, it means you also want whats best for them.
Voucher programs have proven they work well everwhere they’re tried; especially when removing minority children from expensive, poorly run, dangerous public schools.
Why then would the Obama Administration cancel the voucher program in DC? And why has Tucker not said a word about it?
Do the passionate teachers she is so enamored with finding and promoting, have to be Union-ized?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7FS5B-CynM
Warren, Thanks for this-!
Very interesting video on the DC Voucher Program. I guess Mr O figured it might undercut the Union teachers and he might lose votes and contribution to the Democrat Party.
I always thought he cared about minority kids. Apparently not so much.
Warren
The video you linked to is very surprising. And not in a good way.
I’m on my lunch hour and I kind of lost my appitite.
Would Obama send his children to Washington DC public schools even if there were ” “excited, passionate teachers, who love the kids.?”
I think not.
Yet he has done the unthinkable. Canceling the successful voucher program. I would NOT vote for this man again.
Folks, for an excellent comment on the voucher system and Washington schools see George Will .
And I wish to add that I believe Tucker has been an opponent of vouchers. This is an example of why liberals who often attempt to present themselves as being the humanitarians are actually very cruel, whereas Republicans (I am not an R nor a D) the real humanitarians.
Mr Siegel-Thank you for this forum-
I have taught in really really “bad” schools (students with failing grades, low socio-economic area, etc.) and I have taught in really really “good schools” (students with outstanding standardized test scores, high socio-economic area, etc.).
I am the same person. I used the same variety of teaching strategies, classroom management, etc.
The only difference that I have seen is the parental involvement. By that, I don’t mean parents rushing to blame teachers and/or administrators for everything. I mean involvement with THEIR kids and THEIR education.
The “bad” school actually had better equipment, more money, a larger library (media center), etc. The class sizes of the “bad” school were actually smaller. However, those parents didn’t give a rats behind if their child brought a knife into the school. And, when their child got into trouble for having a knife, it was the schools fault.
Even Mr. Clark, with his idealized school, enforces behavior. Notice that he REQUIRES student uniforms. Those students are forced to behave because otherwise they are kicked out. THAT is what makes any difference in their education.
And Vouchers would be a great addition to the learning arsenal,
Believe it
Miss B, you tell us that “students are forced to behave because otherwise they are kicked out.” Kicked out to where? We know that some public school systems, like the one in Houston run by Bush’s first Secretary of Education, actually encouraged lower-achieving students to drop out in order to raise the schools’ achievement numbers. Is that your solution?
Don’t know about vouchers, but it surely does not help with education to have leaders like Palin who mock intellectuals and tell us that every problem can be solved with good ol’ common sense, not study and learning. If you promote a culture that mocks academic achievers as “geeks” and “pointy-headed professors,” then don’t complain when you find out our students don’t do as well in math and science as kids in other countries.
Henry, as I stated, in my prior long post, and I will re-inter rate for people like you who seem to look for reasons NOT to try different approaches to a common issue for those who like the public schools just the way they are.
If a student is behaving in a way, that makes the learning process difficult for all the other kids who are behaving and want to learn, then the offending student MUST be removed from the classroom.
A reasonable effort should be made, thru parental involvement and teachers, to find a solution to the behavioral problem.
If it persists, there is home schooling, trade associations, auto and shop classes, that can take problem children who don’t do well in the standard classroom structure. In my experience, this is a tiny percentage of students, esp. among the elementry age student.
Besides, MANY drop out from the public schools on their own, to take entry level jobs by age 15.
School vouchers take money out of school systems that are already struggling. It’s not cruel to want to prevent that. School voucher programs will help some children but they don’t address the main problem. The cruelty is in the local funding of schools, where there’s a downward spiral in property values, tax base, school funding, school quality, and test scores. I’ve known many passionate teachers who spent their own money copying worksheets for their students and dealing with the deplorable conditions in poor schools before burning out. Yes, you can find expensive schools that are poorly run, but that doesn’t change the fact that teachers are often poorly paid and have terrible working conditions.
Lynn, there’s another problem with vouchers that you didn’t mention. Public schools have a legal obligation to accept every child, not just the high-achieving children that burnish the school’s reputation, grades and test scores. Private schools have no such obligation.
About 90% of school age children in this country now attend public schools. Even if voucher programs were approved everywhere, it would be many years (if ever) before enough private schools existed to serve most, let alone all, children. And even if that someday occurs, what about the children whom private schools don’t want to accept?
Voucher programs are another example of the Republicans’ “survival of the fittest” attitude. They are likely to benefit the children who need help the least and leave out those who need help most.
Mr Henry/Paul/Hesh/Cryojenix/Arthur
This is the same mentality that sez we cannot drill for our own oil ’cause it will take too long to get it on line.
These PS madrasas are the underlying f**kin’ problem in the country. Startin’ NOW, maybe in 25years’ we can weed out the Econ101 illiterates.
The sooner the parents have a “choice” about what school to send their dimwitted son “Henry” to, the better we will be as a nation; you’re in favor of Choice, right?.
And any problem children that raise their ugly heads, we got reform school, continuation school, and prison as a last resort.
You follow, fool?
Miss B, I have some difficulty believing you’re a teacher for two reasons. One is that you have trouble spelling simple words and following basic rules of grammar. A real teacher (or anyone who graduated from a decent school in America) would know that there is no such word as “re-inter ate” in English.
The other reason is that real teachers must learn to be extremely patient when they explain something; their first reaction to a question is not to insult or attack the questioner, as you did. There’s also the fact that, as a real teacher would know, most states don’t allow children to drop out of school as young as 15, nor do their labor laws allow children that young to take full-time jobs.
I’m sorry you chose to misrepresent yourself on this board. It cheapens the discussion for the rest of us.
Henry
Sorry if I came off as impatient. It’s not my strong suit when it comes to adults who seem to go out of their way to continue the madness that IS the PSchool system as it is now structured.
Making unsubstantiated accusations about my credentials and a typo are not the point here. If you want to take the position that the schools are fine the way they are and only more money will solve the problems, then you, sir, are not paying attention, and I’m putting it kindly and patiently.
Henry
Just ’cause you got spellcheck on yo’ cheap computer don’t change the fact that you still an irresponsible socialist, who is opposed to ‘”choice” in schools thru a VOUCHER system and want a continuation of the pathetic madrasa educational system.
You the f**kin’ problem here…Status quo ain’t makin’ it. Criticizing this teacher for a typo, is not helpful in our quest for competent schools. That means teaching the basic 3 r’s, not the gay diversity program you espouse.
And everybody knows, kids drop out of school any time they want or just don’t to go back.
Plus I started workin’ when I was 14, helpin’ my aunt clean the houses of rich people in Gross Point, Mich.
So don’t be talkin’ like you know something or you an expert on anything other then communist pap and the gay agenda..
to Lynn
After the coming California bankruptcy, perhaps then, we can void the Union contracts and begin again with a common sense approach to education that features VOUCHERS…
No more gigantic top down districts, a ciriculum the features the 3 r’s, (along with trade shops, home econ classes, etc), uniforms, and as many volunteer parents as possible, pitching in.
These are just a few tweeks that could be done simply and easily after the Unions, who care not about kids, are finally given the boot….
Pablo, Shinequa and Lizzie Borden, all of whom are obviously the same person, are all exactly right in the opinions they keep repeating here over and over and over and over again. Like the Nazis, we conservatives hate unions and blame them for every problem. Schools gone bad? It’s not because we’ve cut taxes so much that there aren’t enough books, school supplies or even working bathrooms for the kids, oh no! It’s all the unions’ fault!! Pablo/Shinequa/Lizzie is doing the Lord’s work by spreading this message of hate and blame, and I applaud them for it!!
‘Bout time you chimmed in, Robert. Fo’ a guy that
‘ unemployed, you sure take you’ good ol time answering questions. In fact, we still waitin on an answer from yo last post on HealthCare.
You praising this socialist hack Cynthia Tucker fo’ readin’ to her youngin’ and wantin’ “caring, passionate teachers”, is like praisin’ a white slave owner who gave a hug to a slave woman who offered his kid a piece of candy.
A nice, but microscopic gesture, in the overall catastrophe, that is the public school madrasa system.
This hack Tucker has always been anti-voucher, and in my world here in De-troit, that means anti- kid and pro corrupt/vile/fraudulent teachers unions.
So you are givin’ her praise and attention for doin’ nothin’. When the real story is what this Obama cat has already done to the children of DC.
Parental involvement is without a doubt the primary determining factor in the success of children in schools, including all other criteria such as public versus private educational institutions, racial background and income level.
As with all youth developmental influencers and predictors this factor is not a 100% predictor of the outcome of your child’s success but you can be assured that no parental involvement will equate to very poor performance in school and later in the work place while a high level of parental involvement will almost always guarantee the best possible outcome, both in school and later in your child’s life.
Parents must become involved in every aspect of their children’s education and provide the guidance and leadership that is so critical in molding our societies’ future. Relying on the school system to fulfill this role is akin to walking the path to Armageddon for your children.
With that said, a good, and especially a great teacher, can make a difference even with no support at home. Personally, I would not want to take that risk with my child since those teachers are often few and far between.
So here is my message to all of you with students in school regardless of all of the other issues being discussed. Get involved with your school and I mean spend some time with the teachers, the PTA and support groups. Monitor your child’s homework every evening and their progress in class. Take them to the zoo, museums, cultural events, sporting events (yes sporting events), your workplace and anything else that allows you to interact with your child in a learning environment in a positive manner. You will be pleasantly surprised.
So, Robert, are you revising your position that our students are too busy to listen to an address by the President? That was your response when our president’s address to try to inspire children to excell was being denounced by the Fox News Crowd as trying to indoctrinate our children.
lynn
All I can say to you girl, “excel” has only one L …
That’s all you can say? Thanks for fixing my typo. I’m sure everyone found your post riveting.
Lynn
That’s all I care to say to thickheaded dimbulb, such as yo’self. I gave up tryin’ to educate you and the 5 gay hairdressers , posting illiterate drivil here, long ago…..
So now, I just say what TF I want, as a PO’ed critic, leavin’ the politeness and niceties to Mr Robert…
He has the patience of a Saint…
I’m with Shinequa, or Rafi, or whatever name he’s using today. So what if his idea of fun is to try to make black folks look stupid? We conservatives hate blacks and gays, and it’s time we stopped apologizing for it! No more of this PC crap!
Like Shinequa says, we need to privatize the school system. Any students who can’t find a place in a good school with those vouchers should just be thrown out in the street! Or go to prison or to the workhouse. Do we still have workhouses? If not, we should start some!
We have too many kids in this country anyway, and if a few more get involved in crime and drugs, that just means more school resources for the rest of them. That’s what we conservatives say, and we’ve done so well for this country in the past eight years that you folks should listen!
?Yo RAINMAN? UR never right…the Ultimate DimBulb
You’re about as Conservative as Shinequa is Black.
It’s Union apologists/supporters like yourself who are running the State of New Jersey/Calif/USA into the bankruptcy court thanks to unsustainable Union contracts.
When you decide to throw off the Socialist- Union shackles, and see the world as it really is, you MAY understand that the Nazis were the forerunners of modern-day libtards (like yourself), who really did hate blacks and gays…
And while Shinequa is under- educated and poor, she is the smartest poster here. I wouldn’t trade one Shinequa for 1000 Paul/Henry/Lynn or Rainman. Your jealous that an obvious minority is so street savvy and humorous.
Now go TF back to Media Matters/HuffPo/KOS and hang out with your like- minded little brown-shirted buddies ……and straighten your armband…
I just love Rafi/Shinequa’s hatred of all who disagree with him. We conservatives believe hatred is what makes America great! His hatred of gays – he keeps referring to them contemptuously as “hairdressers” – is so inspiring! Without hatred, what would we conservatives have to talk about? We don’t believe government should do anything, so there’s nothing to talk about there. What’s left? Keep the hatred going, Rafi/Shinequa. I love you for it!!
Not at all. At the time I wrote that schools and parents that choose not to show the speech due to issues like time constraints or just not wanting their children to see his message should not have to show the speech. We have to maintain the right not to listen and not to subject our kids to points of view that we don’t want them to hear. I note that at that time you very correctly pointed out that perhaps if schools better managed their time, perhaps with fewer pep rallies and some of the silly (my word not yours) assemblies, they could have seen the speech. I agreed then but I have to say that since then I have paid a lot of attention to my own children’s schedule and as a result I agree with you much much more strenously then I did at the time.
I wish to add that previous to President Obama’s school speech I supported his giving that speech. After the speech, when it was clear to all but the most strenuously anti-Obama folks that the speech was both very good and contained no secret instructions a la the Manchurian Candidate, I boasted of my earlier support – rather shamefully:)
Both President and Mrs. Obama are great spokespeople for hard work, education, and accomplishments. I have written often of my wish that they did far more of this. Nothing could come close to the positive impact such action would have on the future of this nation and of the entire world – nothing would be so great including health care reform and all the climate change legislation you could dream of.
I just love Rafi/Shinequa’s hatred of all who disagree with him. We conservatives believe hatred is what makes America great! His hatred of gays – he keeps referring to them contemptuously as “hairdressers” – is so inspiring! Without hatred, what would we conservatives have to talk about? We don’t believe government should do anything, so there’s nothing to talk about there. What’s left? Keep the hatred going, Rafi/Shinequa. I love you for it!!
Yo RAINMAN? …the Ultimate DimBulb
You’re about as Conservative as Obama is competent.
When you decide to throw off the Socialist- Union shackles, and see the world as it really is, you MAY understand that the Nazis were the forerunners of modern-day libtards (like yourself), who really did hate blacks and gays…
And while I be an under- educated and poor, I love hammerin’ little Nazi creeps such as yoself. .
Your jealous that an obvious minority is so street savvy and humorous. Unlike yoself, who is an uptight, handwringin’ dim bulb.
Will you be participatin’ in the ObamaHealthCare Euthanasia program? We can only hope…
Now slither back to Media Matters/HuffPo/KOS and hang out with your like- minded little brown-shirted buddies ……and straighten your armband…
If your knowledge of political science comes entirely from Fox News and signs at Tea Party rallies, I understand why you think Nazis and Communists are the same, but actually they’re not. It would be laughable if it weren’t so sad to see people call Obama and the Democrats Stalin and Hitler in the same breath. Try Wikipedia.
Lynn
I don’t find WIKI to be always creditable.
But here’s the actual name of the NAZI Party on WIKI
“by name of National Socialist German Workers’ Party”
(taken from WIKI).
I see the the word “socialist”=subset of Communists
I also see “workers” = Unions–( also Commies)
I know for a fact that Hitler and Stalin were two allstar mass murderers. Conservatives (Constitutionalists) are polar opposites of both, wanting the best for everyone thru the forces of Liberty and Freedom.
Anyone making apologies for either (NAZIs or Commies) is endorsing murder, racism, eugenics, unions, fraud, Ministry of Love, and doublespeak. As for Obama, he’s just a big government incompetent.
Thinking individuals know Obama is just Jimmah Carter with a sweet smile…
Lynn, please do not tell Rafi something that is known to everyone who has read any history: that the Nazis included the word “socialist” in their name because socialism was extremely popular in Germany at the time, not because their doctrines had anything to do with socialism. As you and I know, the Nazis’ philosophy was the exact opposite of socialism or communism. Those movements believe all economic organizations exist to serve the state, while the Nazis and other fascist movements believe the state exists to serve large economic organizations. As you and I know, the Nazis did not tolerate independent labor organizations like unions. But they did cater to big business by doing things like forcing prisoners to work for big corporations. Big German companies still in business today, like Siemens, I.G. Farben and Thyssen, had to pay reparations after the war for using slave labor provided to them by the Nazis. Those Nazis just loved big business!!
Yep, the Nazis hated unions, Jews, racial minorities – which political party in this country does that remind you of? Three guesses!
But don’t tell Rafi! Shhhhh!!
RainMan
We encourage individuals and institutions that are NOT CORRUPT, RACIST, HOMOPHOBIC, or ANTI-SEMETIC no matter who runs them or where they are located.
The institutions you seem to support,…. UNIONS, GOV’MENT, CLIMATE SCIENCE FRAUDSTERS, MAINSTREAM MEDIA and UNIVERSITIES/ACAMADEMIA, PLANNED PARENTHOOD ABORTION MILLS (located mostly in urban centers, to kill maximum # of Black babies), are all corrupt to one degree or another….
Yep…and guess what A** Hole, I’m tellin everybody I can…You really are THE RainMan