IMO our schools are creating a lot of unemployable people, people who
are a detriment to themselves as well as to any business who hires
them. Since most of our foreign competitors do not have a similar
problem, it would seem that we will suffer competitively unless we
start doing a much better job preparing our children for work.
Although I don't remember Marvin Olasky citing this as a case in his
"The Tragedy of American Compassion", it would qualify in IMO because
just like assuming that government money would fix poverty rather
than mostly love and hard work by individuals on scene, we have
assumed that money through governments would give children good
educations.
As concerns the article, apparently in May of '95 the Republican
controlled state legislature gave Chicago's mayor sweeping managerial
control over the city's schools, their unions and their $3 billion
budget. The article says that Chicago's schools ranked last in
student achievement among the country's 47 largest school districts
and near the bottom in attendance and graduation rates with a dropout
rate exceeding 65%. Abolishing 1700 staff positions (no teachers)
allowed a 4% pay raise for teachers and balancing the budget which
had a 4 year projected $1B deficit at the start. Removal of
managerial control from a governmental chain and from professional
educators, making the custodian's union accountable to the principals
for their performance and many other changes were related in the
editorial. Having lived in New York City long enough to be familiar
with its problems, the actions reported in Chicago would apply to NYC.
It would appear that Chicago schools may be taking control of their
destiny rather than leaving it to government and the politics which
that always seems to bring.
For those who are looking for solutions, Chicago's experience sounds
as if it may be a positive step. Does anyone close to this situation
have any information which might enlighten the rest of us??
Regards, Joan
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Joan Pomo The Finest Tools for Managing People
Simonton Associates Based on the book
jpomo@gate.net "How to Unleash the Power of People"
--"jpomo@gate.net" <jpomo@gate.net>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>