Story in the
Telegram today about the principals at Union Hill and Chandler Elementary. Admittedly I am no expert on the Worcester School system, but I can not tell you how many friends of mine say that they can not send their kids to Worcester schools, but is it really the princials fault.
Check out the demographics. One school has 97.4% low income while the other had 98.8%. I would suggest that these schools poor performance is more a direct result of our housing policy that past 15 years with our over-reliance on low-mod income housing through all the CDC's.
8 comments:
Bill said, "Check out the demographics. One school has 97.4 low income while the other had 98.8%. I would suggest that these schools poor performance is more a direct result of our housing policy that past 15 years with our over-reliance on low-mod income housing through all the CDC's."
I'm not ready to lay blame that an over-reliance on low-mod income housing is the problem with these particular schools. Both of these schools are in neighborhoods that the middle class left long ago. Was CDC sponsored income based property built in and around these two schools? I don't think they have. I believe that most of the population draw at these two schools is from the same housing stock that has existed for the past 100 years. The major difference is that the population that has moved into these areas doesn’t have the good paying manufacturing jobs of past generations leading to many of the families living at or below the poverty level.
David said:
David said: "I'm not ready to lay blame that an over-reliance on low-mod income housing is the problem with these particular schools."
David said: "Both of these schools are in neighborhoods that the middle class left long ago."
Jahn Says: David the Chandler St School area as far back as I can recall would best be classified as a lower middle class to poor demographic. Agreed, Back in the day, the people of this hood worked in many of Worc's nearby industrial plants. Today those plants are long gone & bio-tech and Pharma-Fraud aint replacing those jobs, ever. Result is a partially or wholely dependent class that now lives in the area and/or buses their kids to that area for school
David said: "Was CDC sponsored income based property built in and around these two schools? I don't think they have."
Jahn said: David regardless of where CDC low income housing was/is built they bus the low income household students to the school. How many solidly middle class parents (teachers) do you think have their kids bused to Chandler St school? JOB, maybe?
David said: "I believe that most of the population draw at these two schools is from the same housing stock that has existed for the past 100 years. The major difference is that the population that has moved into these areas doesn’t have the good paying manufacturing jobs of past generations leading to many of the families living at or below ther poverty level."
Jahn Said: I am not sure what good paying manufacturing jobs mean in terms of money, but many of the shops these folks of yesteryear worked in years ago were sweat shops that didnt pay well, but responsible parents worked those lower paying industrial jobs and took more interest in their kids' education.
So lack of good paying jobs is a cause of bad students and kids' parents who dont care about their education? If anything, the lack of good paying jobs and more parents sitting home on the dole should mean they have all teh more time to be involved in their kids education?? It's people behavior and actions not lack of income.
David when they steal the copper tubing out of your house are going to cuzz the thief(s) or are you going to cuzz the thiefs lack of good paying jobs?
Myself, when i was in school and needed dinero I worked at a local South Worc. welting/leather shop for $1.75 per hour and 2 local plastics shops for about the same pay. I left the welting shop kinda fast. Lotsa folks there with finger tips missing. When my bank account was fat again, I spent more time with my nose in the books.
Once again it's the demographics, not the jobs.
Converting old inner city factories to densely built, intensive use low income housing would usually tend to draw more low income folks. You know the kind who live 100% subsidized lives and yet can spend $200 on newspapers for a scrap book the day after Nobama is elected. (Per the T&G anyway)
Too bad about teh principals, but hey they can still bid back into the school system for teaching jobs...unlike the dreaded private sector.
Maybe we could get the IAFF recruiting team into the area & find these kids parents good paying city jobs with a nice moonlighting gig to "boot". Put more struggling small contractors outta work...huh? [g]
I really think you have to live in the hood Dave for a wee bit...a real wealth of understanding overcomes you...ya meet on a daily basis those that are poor but working hard to the best of their ability and also the scammers..amazing how many scammers there really are Dave..again living in the hood really open's ones eyes
As a parent who has tried to help in the Worcester Public Schools for 6 years now, I have found that there are a number of things that just don't make sense. We have met some exceptional teachers and some who I cannot understand why they still have a job but they still do. I have seen teachers and administrators(some not all) who complain about not having things but when asked to send a request to the PTO, can't be bothered, even when parents are arguing about why the teachers don't have what they need to teach the children. I have seen a system who fights change and rarely want to see parents more than help in the library and run an occasional family event even though many are ready and willing to give much more. Only the schools in the heart of the city have things like after school programs while the rest of us pay to bus our children to the Y if needed. If your children are not from low income families, their achievements are often overlooked. Watch the paper for the next set of computers that are donated or grant that is received, it goes to what is perceived as the neediest schools. Thus, more and more middle class families are leaving.
As someone who works with people for financing every day, I have been appauled by number of clients in Worcester that don't pay their bills and don't care, having no problem collecting from the government to live. This is much different than those who have fallen on hard times due to loss of a job or illness. I think we need to take a look at what the real issues are of the family's that are making up the poverty levels that are being measured in these schools if we are going to use that as a gauge for things. There are a lot of assumptions as to who these people are. In addition, if they are really people in need of help, what do you think we are doing to these children who can read when we print that these are the 'poorest of the poor who have nothing'.
I think assuming that the homelife is the issue is a bit of a reach. You don't need money to be a good parent.
We are currently trying to decide on a place for our oldest child for 7th grade. As people who are very active in the community, we would have never thought of anything other than WPS. Yet, getting information on what our options are in WPS has been excrutiating. And, when we did meet with the principal of the neighborhood middle school, he was nice but clearly not concerned if our daughter went there. They apparently have a waiting list from the other side of the city... go figure.
I am confident that Dr. Boone has a long road ahead but I believe she also can make a difference with everyone paddling in the right direction. There is an old boy network that has to be broken down and while I don't want anyone to lose their jobs, there has to be some consequences for those that are not willing to accept change and provide positive input to making things better.
Just my 2... well like $50 cents :)
Schools officials are tasked to solve the problems stemming from bad planning and misguided redevelopment goals. The school committee has no power to change the ecosystem that is at the root of most problem schools, so the blame is put on the very teachers and principals who face the toughest challenges. Maybe it would be wise to require a stint on the school committee as a legal requirement to run for city counsel. That way, the city would be governed by officials who have had to adapt to poor planning.
Anonymous:
1. I agree the school committee is for all intents and purposes kinda powerless totchange the home life of these students
2. I disagree that folks should have to serve on school committee before being allowed to serve on city council. Would you like to see the likes of a Mike Not Germane serve on teh school commitee? Surely u jest?? Would serving on the school comm. 1st make one more sensitive to the needs of the schools? Ya possibly, but we dont need any weeping or gnashing of teeth on the city council.
Happy 40 degree March to all !!!!!
You want to go a long way toward solving the public school problems? If it cost $13,000 annaully for a kid in the Worc public schools then just give each parent a voucher for 13,000 and let the parent decide where the kid goes to school.
Does the city tell you where to buy your car or your groceries or whatever? Then why should they be telling you where to purchase educational services by forcing you to pay property taxes to fund what is basically the General Motors of education i.e. the public school system
Put the ultimate consumer in charge of the purchase and not the teachers, the MTA, The EAW, Ms Boone, the school committee, Elmer Fuud, Obama, JOB, and other assorted hacks & pols. Do not put patronage, nepotism, and incompetence in charge, put the consumer in charge. CAn you say charter schools at least as a start?
Did it ever occur to anyone that the reason teh PTA is limited in what it can do is b/c teachers union views it as work that can only be done by an additional dues paying, card carrying member of the teachers union?
Anyone wanna free up a few extra million for the schools in Worc. Clean house by outsourcing the custodial services to the likes of EduClean and others. There is no need to be paying custodians the high wages that the schools pay them. Ya think Elmer Fudd or Joe Obrien or Tim Mmuraay would ever let thet happen? Fat chance.
Beth if you think the students' homelife is not the issue in these 2 schools in question I am sorry but you're naive. I agree you dont need money to be a good parent. It's not the money, it's the lifestyle.
In fact if you figure in ALL ANNUAL cxash sources for a poor household:
a. 9,000 in SSI
b. 11,000 McD's net paycheck
c. 8,000 in Sec 8 rent assist.
d. 1,000 in fuel assist.
e. 1,000 clothing allowance.
f. 3,000 in free day care
g. 4,000 in tax refunds
h. 15,000 live in BF under the table wages
52,000 total net cash income
Which is really a gross pay of more like $72,000 per year.
THEN REALLY HOW POOR ARE THESE SO CALLED POOR HOUSE HOLDS?
Clearly they are CATEGORIZED as low income, but foolish politicians continue to feed these SO CALLED POOR PEOLE OUR TAX DOLLARS B/C THE POOR know how to put on a Poor People Dog & Pony Show.
So once again it's not the money it's lifestyle/mindset. The term low income is in many cases an incorrect term. LOW LIFES might be THE better term?
And oh I forgot the $15,000 family plan free Mass health insuarnce these folks get and of course they can alway pawn to $6,000 rims on the late model SUV if need be.
Beth do you think the Jr High principal who works for an employer (the city) which employer has at the very least an oligopolistic and/or monopoloistic hold on education services really cares if you child attends his school or not?
In the principlas defense, oN the other hand the guy may not have the time to give the parents of every potential incoming student a talk or a tour.
And please the first person to call me uncaring, unsympathetic, mean, harsh, cold, hateful, a monster, etc, etc........please tkae along walk on a short pier. Thanx
This notion that Ms. Boone or any one person is going to somehow change things is a real leap. I wonder does Ms Boone have the executive authority to outsource janitorial services?
Not picking on ya Beth....as always I one persons opinion only.
Do we need more weeping or gnashing of teeth on School Committee?
(sorry: dark joke)
Beth, as you know, I agree with a lot of what you've said. I think (and remember, I just got here, so I'm going by the bit I know) that this is a case in which we have had some people really getting in there and working at it. It just isn't borne out in the sort of speedy test scores rise that the state is demanding.
Jahn, the costs vary from kid to kid: some kids cost more to educate than others.
When was Chandler Elementary built? I know Brian O'Connell--who attended Union Hill--was raising the point of neighborhood shift when he spoke on Thursday about Union Hill.
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