News-Record.com

I'm skeptical of this GCS Achievement Gap Study, too.

No doubt, a disproportionate number of African-American students (particularly males) are struggling in school and this problem needs addressing. But since the GCS administration is handling this study, I'm afraid:

1. This study will become just another exercise in racially-charged finger-pointing. The whole "Truth & Reconciliation" debacle is a perfect example of this.

2. The study will be the latest excuse for the School Board to demand more money from the taxpayers. If so, this smokescreen should be rejected out of hand, at least until the Board proves it can do a better job of managing the money it currently receives.

I wonder how honest this study is really going to be. For example, I strongly believe that the "Achievement Gap" has a lot to do with the fact that the majority of black kids today are born into fatherless, out-of-wedlock homes. There are mountains of evidence to indicate that a child's best chance of success in school is to come home to a stable, supportive, two-parent home.

Is the GCS study going to ask those kinds of tough questions? Or will it be the same old blame game, where the taxpayers and white "racism" are the scapegoats? Time will tell. I'm open-minded - but not optimistic.

Never mind.

After reading the article again, I see that Deena Hayes is one of the ringleaders of this report. That means we're in for another racial polemic, not anything that will be useful in better educating children.

I agree with JS.

Doug, someone commented on my blog not long ago who said that for such an examination to take place, Deena should not be involved with this. I applauded the examination at the time. Now that I see she is a very big part of it, I unfortunately do not have high hopes for this. I could be wrong, but we know that when she is involved in something, race takes center stage. And mark my words, this will do NOTHING to advance the ball on the "healing" John Robinson wants our community to do.

Dear Ambling Doug:

With respect to the achievement gap, how well ought students of different racial backgrounds do? Are you defining down the possibilities for some students?

Exactly the opposite. As a matter of fact, my brief statement makes clear that students should not be measured as members of groups but as individuals who should be encouraged to reach their full potential.

The way the racial "achievement gap" typically is measured does a disservice to students. The bar is set very low: How many black students meet "grade level," or a minimum passing rate on state tests, vs, how many members of other racial groups meet same. It doesn't measure differences at the highest levels of achievement. In effect, it lets you declare parity if all members of one group earn a C, all members of another group earn a B and all members of a third group earn an A. They all pass, so no gap. I'd say that's no comfort to the C students, especially those of them who may be capable of performing at an A level.

We should be concerned when kids of different racial backgrounds all enter the same school system but perform so differently on a group basis.

Also, shouldn't setting the bar too low reduce the measured gap? If the differences that you describe at the upper end of the distribution were obscured, the remaining part of the gap would be smaller (unless you are arguing that minorities are over-represented at both the extreme high and low ends of the achievement distribution).

Dave, you're emphasizing concern about different performances. I'm concerned about poor performaces.

We'll be in good shape if all students perform as well as they possibly can. If our goal is for them to all perform the same, well, that might not be good enough.

Doug,

Let's put aside your innate and often expressed dislike for Edwards, and assume the guy is dedicated to the issues he is running on. You have to admit that (1) he has pushed the debate in the Democratic primaries so that his issues are the defining issues among the candidates - health care, the economy, a new foreign policy. On each, he proposes, and HRC and Obama follow with nearly identical proposals; (2) significant numbers of people are still voting for him - even if he is not winning. He's hardly in Kucinich territory.

Thus, it makes perfect sense for him to continue running, even if he finishes third in every primary. because third with 18% at the end of the day makes him a kingmaker before or at the convention. Especially if, as seems likely, Obama and Clinton are now going to bloody each other through at least February 5.

What happens if Obama and Clinton end up with about 37% of the delegates each, and Edwards with 17%.

Don't you think those issues he has been pushing would then become pretty dang important to Obama and Hillary??

There is also the issue that it is just undemocratic to allow two microscopic states decide the nominee.

A month is an eternity in politics. The process won't be over until June. If he is still getting large blocs of votes (not Kucinich style protest votes, but significant votes which give him delegates in each state) there is no reason for him not to hang in. Miracles and horrors happen.

Plus, his message deserves to be heard.

Iowa and NH are small states, but Edwards considered them important enough to spend more time in them than any other candidate over the past five years. He invested a huge portion of his resources there, so I hope his supporters aren't going to start downplaying their importance.

You're suggesting that Clinton and Obama are following Edwards' lead on the issues. I don't see that, but even if it's true they must somehow be presenting those issues much more effectively.

But I think there are major differences. Edwards has veered far to the left of the mainstream, which both Clinton and Obama securely occupy. Ideologically, he is in Kucinich territory.

You're also suggesting his strategy has changed, that his goal now is to influence whether Clinton or Obama wins and how the winner approaches issues that Edwards considers vital. If that's true, he's proceeding on false premises. After all, he says he's trying to win the nomination.

You and I disagree fundamentally about Edwards -- his positions on the issues and his sincerity. It's up to him whether he continues to campaign, but if he does after he loses in South Carolina his motives will come under serious scrutiny. If he continues to attack Clinton, he'll look like a hit man for Obama. Not very pretty.

Ed Cone says a realtor friend reports a glut of $500,000-$1 million houses on the market in the northwest Guilford County area. When will battered homeowners demand a federal bailout?* Doug

When they find out that all of the gold has been bought by Ron Paul supporters and the Chinese Peoples Republic! Who do you trust? A real estate buddy of Ed's who is shocked that Million dollar homes no longer carry value like gold or some old fool who told you to buy gold 15 months ago.....

* John Edwards was third in New Hampshire but first to South Carolina, the (Columbia) State reports. Nevertheless, polls say he's way behind in his native state. Is South Carolina his last chance? Definitely, I'd say.* Doug

No only his last chance, but a chance to save some bucks with Old Fred Thompson on a share Bus tour using Mitt Romney " Exxon" campaign credit card for gas expense....Talking about breaking and broken campaigns.....everybody gets stuck for the common good in progressive and conservative politics.....

I agree with everything Just Saying said above, my only reservation being that people from broken unstable homes with unstable dysfunctional parents no matter what race are here! They can't be wished away.

Now Deena says they can't be held to standards.
She claims that the reason they can't be held to standards is because they were created by the white race. They are the detritus and shame of system set up and run by "The Man". The people who have suffered under "The Man" have no need for personal responsibility. It's not their fault! Oh, by the way, so I shut up, how about giving my huggy another no-bid contract.

As long as the people on the schoolboard and the admin buy into this, it will continue and we'll go around in circles. Looking to this lady for leadership on this issue is crazy. She's going to tie them up in knots until they say enough. Why? Because it pays!

Hey Skeet...Deena Hayes is NOT a leader. Did you catch her misquote the other evening when she said that "Smith Academy" was under her "leadership?" This is a board member who just a couple of months ago did not know that the gym at Smith had no air conditioning. This study could have really been a good one. Now that Deena is involved (and very heavily too), I think the results will be skewed.

Victimhood is played out as an educational issue and quite possibly as a societal issue as well. It is stubbornly clung to by people who are turning a buck from it, whether it be on our own schoolboard or on a national level.

It just can't fly. That's not to say there are not problems with economic disparity and poverty etc.
It's just that the problems cannot be solved from the perspective of victimhood.

Skeet, I couldn't agree with you more. I've talked about this at length on my blog. The victimization has to stop. I sometimes wonder if Deena is aiming for bigger and better things (a county board seat maybe), and if so, I wish her well. But her agenda is clearly laid out, and I'm tired of single-issue school board members with blinders on. The taxpayers should be tired of it too.

Merging two of the threads here: John Edwards has built his presidential campaign on the victimization theme. Not many Democrats in New Hampshire bought that.

I've just removed a comment that included a statement about alleged criminal activity that, to my knowledge, has not been substantiated. Let's please not do that. Thanks.

that people from broken unstable homes with unstable dysfunctional parents no matter what race are here

************

You are absolutely right, Skeet Club. There are many African-American parents who are doing right by their kids. And there are many parents of all races who aren't.

The problem with this GCS study is that you can't truly look at ANY achievement gap (black/white, rich/poor, male/female, etc.) without taking the home environment into account. I firmly believe that it doesn't "take a village to raise a child -- it takes parents, both a mother and a father. There are entire neighborhoods in Guilford County where you have hardly any men fulfilling the traditional roles of husband, father and provider. That's got to change if the academic situation in many of our schools is to improve.

Oh, and Erik, if you don't say another word between now and November, you've already got my vote. We need you on the School Board!

JS...once again, you're very gracious and kind. I sincerely appreciate it.

As much as some out there probably want me to shut up, this election is so important to our kids this year, my daughter included. I dedicate this campaign to her.

Not to use the buzzword "change" one too many times, but I wouldn't have announced WAY BACK in Dec. 2006 if I didn't feel I had a chance to make a difference in the lives of our children. We just hit 21,000 visitors on the website last night. So the word is getting out.

I think we will be victorious this year and I appreciate your ongoing support, and the support of everyone here.

The "achievement gap" has been examined from every side for the past dozen years or more. The answers are very clear and can be found in an excellent report by the Educational Testing Service called "The Family: America's Smallest School" at http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.1488512ecfd5b8849a77b13bc3921509/?vgnextoid=ddc571ae769b5110VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=1fe7a5b55c8b5110VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextnoice=1. That money will be spent find out the same major causes for poor performance in school is really stupid: children living in poverty, or in single-family households, or with uneducated parents in Guilford County are not different from those children anywhere in the country. The reasons for the poor performance of many of our students cannot be solved, cannot even be addressed by our schools, but must be resolved by political will working on social problems.

Jack, this ETS report is good stuff. I'm about to plaster this all over my blog.

Screw the Educational Testing Service report or any other report by any other authority or body.

Dr. Zhang's the Man! If anybody can find the reason for the gap, he can. I know it. You know it.

What is wrong with government schools ?

Here are a couple of thoughts:

Students Lose When Diversity Is Main Focus

And

Teaching Teachers How Not To Teach

Quoting Investor's Business Daily on issues of government or public education is like quoting David Duke on harmony and unity.