Public School - Flagship Enterprise

Here comes our flagship!   It is the best in the fleet!  Don’t look behind it though, because we are still using some of old beat-up ships too.  This analogy might seem a little silly when comparing it to education, but this is honestly what a lot of people do to make their point against or for public education. 

I have watched movies, TV programs, and newscasts regarding the ‘reform’ of public education.  Most of these describe a school in which public funds go to private organizations to create Public Charter schools.  They show students fully engaged in the education process:  Raising their hands, using technology, having group discussions, writing on paper, and listening intently to the teacher while they teach are all ways of showing in quick movie clip how the school is a ‘high’ achieving academic marvel.

Then they show clips of the local public school.  It is worn out and thrashed.  The kids are pushing their way from class to class.  The desks are in shambles.  It seriously looks like a nuclear disaster struck and the school is abandoned.  Finally they show concerned parents wanting to get into the awesome Charter school, but unfortunately too many people want to go there.  So, they have a lottery system that chooses who can attend.  They show parents and students crying when their number isn’t called, because they have to go back to their horrible public school. 

Maybe you have seen these exact same broadcasts? 

I have seen movies, TV programs, and newscasts celebrating the local schools.  Most of these describe a public school that has achieved great things.  Here are your average kids that create a program to help their community, or received a distinguished school award from the state.  They win a National Academic Decathlon, or their football team makes it to the National Finals.  They may surprisingly show students fully engaged in the education process:  Raising their hands, using technology, having group discussions, writing on paper, and listening intently to the teacher while they teach are all ways of showing in quick movie clip how the school is a ‘high’ achieving academic marvel.

In this paragraph, I should be describing how they then show low performing Charter schools…but unfortunately this doesn’t seem to be a balanced reporting when it comes to broadcasts.  You can read about them in a quick Google search: ‘Failing Charter Schools’  (Here is one article: http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/flagler/2012/07/16/failing-flagler-charter-school-may-expand.html ) 

Maybe you have seen these exact same broadcasts?

About a year ago, a new study found that Charter schools and Public schools are achieving at the same level academically.  It was reported on the mainstream Evening news too!   These results surprise me because most of the lowest scoring students, those who are special needs or EL, do not have services provided in most Charter Schools, so they can’t attend.  If you remove those students, give only students in which parents have to fill in an application to attend, and give the ability to remove a student if they are not following your program or a discipline problem, how could you do poorly?  It would seem that you have a pretty stacked deck to have a high achieving school.  The truth is:  Some schools are awesome, some are good, some are ok, and some are bad.  This is true regardless of Charter, or public.

 It should dawn on you as to what is being reported upon.  It is the flag ship.  It is the best of the best on both sides.  They are reporting on the newest and best and bringing it out for all to see.   I just don’t understand why the local public school is getting the bad rap?  It seems as if reform is just about closing down the public school for a charter school.  Why can’t it be about the dilapidated school that needs to be fixed up?  Why can’t it be about spending the money to make the public school look like the new charter built down the street?  Why can’t money be spent on making the Public schools like the all the best schools in the country?

How did we get to blaming the school and not doing anything about it, except punishing the school?  Everyone knows that if you believe something is bad, your actions start to reflect that belief and your children start acting the same way.  If you believe your local school is bad, maybe your actions and the actions of your children are not helping the problem, but making it worse.  It is time for a positive attitude toward education.  If we are positive, our children will be positive and our schools will change around us.   

Instead of putting forth our ‘flag ship schools’ maybe we should take a look at those who need help, or those who are just good and see how we can make them excellent.  Attitude toward the school is a big part of the change, like I mentioned above, but also a realization that every individual can take part in the improvement of the local public school.  Get your fingerprints and TB test, because those who take an interest in improving things have to go there to help.  Volunteer to SKYPE from work into a classroom, so that you can get students excited about learning a trade, or receive an education to become a professional like you.  Volunteer to help a school with an afterschool activity, like a Science Fair.  Instead of complaining about something you don’t like, get involved and change it.  Sometimes when you are involved in the making of something good, you realize that there are a lot of individuals that having been working hard at it for a long time and are relieved to find that others care too.