Wrong, wrong, wrong.
You know what gets me the most about the Times Union consistently being wrong on education issues the most? It's whenever they print one of their editorials some people read it and go, sounds like we are heading in the right direction, when nothing could be further from the truth and as long as the district with the Times Union’s tacit approval, continues to be more concerned about appearances than doing what is right, more and more kids will “graduate” ill prepared for life.
What is the Times Union’s wrong du jour and I literally mean wrong of the day? They celebrate the cities graduation rates. Lets say the graduation rate of 71.2 percent is absolutely correct, there is not one problem with the numbers at all, well friends that still puts Jacksonville 59 out of 69 (Florida school districts) and nearly ten percent below the state average, the thing is the graduation rate is no where near accurate.
The district uses grade recover to greatly inflate the numbers. Last year 13 thousand plus kids used it to make up classes they failed. Now there was a smattering of kids who tried hard and just didn’t get it and a few that missed a lot of days for legitimate reasons that were able to make up classes they failed, legitimate reasons for grade recovery, but the vast majority of users either skipped multiple days, made no effort in class or hurt classes by constantly disrupting them and then took a few tests on a computer to make up the class or in many cases, classes they failed. If a kid can make up an entire class in a few days or even a few weeks, usually without adult supervision, there cannot be the same rigor or the same value.
The state when figuring the averages doesn’t count kids who dropped out to take GED or adult education classes. When Pinellas factors in those kids their graduation rate drops 7 percent, and Hillsborough County drops a whopping 12 percent. How far would Duval’s rate fall if those kids were included? I don’t know and the Times Union instead of asking tough questions just reports the numbers and then celebrates them.
Neither does the TU mention how the way we compute graduation rates changed a few years ago and all the districts saw a bump and how next year it is scheduled to change again. Ron Matus and Connie Humburg of the St. Petersburg Times report this is going to create a huge drop state wide in our graduation percentages and a huge rise in our drop out rates. (http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/graduation-rates-soar-through-loophole/1140805)
Finally there is the notion the Times Union presents that tougher standards are a good thing for graduation rates. If by good it means kids are pushed through without the skills they need and then dumped on the street, then sure they are good but if it means preparing kids for college or the workforce then they are terrible for our children. We don’t need Algebra II we need a legitimate algebra I class, kids who want to drive trucks or study sociology do not need physics they need typing. In the districts zeal to say, hey look at us we have the toughest standards, they robbed teachers of the ability to fail kids (the C is the new F in Duval county) and robbed kids of a work ethic (you have to try hard to fail but if you do you can just use grade recovery). This might be great for graduation rates but it is terrible for society and the student’s future.
Times Union you have a powerful voice, this will get a few hundred hits on my blogs and then slip into cyber space but you on the other hand could be a positive agent for change. This however is not going to happen as long as you keep giving the Superintendent and the School Board a pass for hurting our kids. When you paint a rosy picture you give people a false sense of security and the truth is people should be more worried than ever.
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