Just like we don't like to blame schools as failures when test scores are dismal, we don't accept great scores as signs of success. But since they Ed Deformers are setting the agenda, when a windfall of data comes our way, we use it. Note in particular Harlem's PS 241. (Some teachers from there are GEMers.) Here are some delicious morsels from Leonie.
See below article in Daily News – reporting that PS 150 in Brownsville, which the DOE tried to close this year to make way for a charter school over the objections of the community, made the fourth greatest gains of any school in the city on its 4th grade reading scores.
There is a chart in the print Daily News – not online that I can find -- of the top ten schools – and PS 241 was the only school in Manhattan to make the list.
This was the second school that DOE tried to close to make way for the expansion of Eva Moskowitz’ charter chain. Two out of the top ten schools.
The only thing stopping him was the lawsuit filed on behalf of parents in these communities, which saved Joel Klein from the embarrassment of having closed two of the top ten most improved schools.
Of course, he already sent letters to the parents in each these schools asking them to withdraw their kids, so who knows whether the schools will survive.
Meanwhile, look at these KAPPA Ii test scores in D5:
MANHATTAN DISTRICT 5 Knowledge And Power Preparatory Academy Ii 50 48.2 42.4 ( percent of 6th-8th graders at grade level)
Compared to District 5 as a whole: 71.3 64.9 45.6
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2009_school_score/manhattan/index.html#ixzz0Ey9lhNdH&B
Written and edited by Norm Scott: EDUCATE! ORGANIZE!! MOBILIZE!!! Three pillars of The Resistance – providing information on current ed issues, organizing activities around fighting for public education in NYC and beyond and exposing the motives behind the education deformers. We link up with bands of resisters. Nothing will change unless WE ALL GET INVOLVED IN THE STRUGGLE!
Ed Notes Extended
▼
Saturday, May 9, 2009
5 comments:
Comments are welcome. Irrelevant and abusive comments will be deleted, as will all commercial links. Comment moderation is on, so if your comment does not appear it is because I have not been at my computer (I do not do cell phone moderating). Or because your comment is irrelevant or idiotic.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but that ain't a KIPP school. It's better known as KAPPA, and there are several others. The KIPP schools in district 5 are KIPP Infinity and KIPP STAR. Those are lower on the chart: Kipp Success Through Teamwork Achieve & Respon Col Prep Charter 77.3 77.1 81 90.2 Kipp Infinity Charter School 67.5 100 96.6 96.7
ReplyDeleteSorry to burst your bubble that charter schools should replace neighborhood schools. Boy if they keep "improving" by your standards, there will be no more public school whipping boys to thrash. By the way, is there a union at PS 251 and PS 150?
ReplyDeleteNot sure where the defensiveness comes from. I made no value judgments in my comment. You made a factual error in that the school you mentioned is not, in fact, a KIPP school. I pointed it out and presented you with the actual scores of the KIPP schools in the district to which you were referring. I said nothing about improvement or unions or charters replacing public schools.
ReplyDeleteYou're awesome Norm. You proclaim victory by asserting that the district schools beat KIPP, and then when someone points out what should have been obvious (that Knowledge And Power Preparatory Academy does not spell "KIPP"), you get mad and change the subject, if not the headline. It's so great when folks show their true colors.
ReplyDeleteYou're even more awesome Socr-- er - anon. You changed the main subject of the piece from the fact that public schools slated for closing to be replaced by Eva did really well. Remember those "rallies" by parents calling for 241 to be closed? Why not address that issue?
ReplyDeleteFollow your trail and it always leads to picking on the nit.