The War on Educators rages on in Chicago

[MurrayBannerman]

I don't think you realize how bad Chicago public schools are.

[MurrayBannerman]

I don't think you realize how bad Chicago public schools are.

We realize that, but we fail to see how giving them to a for-profit corporation will improve them.

They're turning over management of the schools, not selling them like the toll road.

[MurrayBannerman]

I don't think you realize how bad Chicago public schools are.

We realize that, but we fail to see how giving them to a for-profit corporation will improve them.

They're turning over management of the schools, not selling them like the toll road.

I was never convinced than better leadership would improve schools.

Well, when these schools have dumb problems, like bad attendance when they don't make it compulsory, I'm more convinced that it will.

[MurrayBannerman]

I don't think you realize how bad Chicago public schools are.

We realize that, but we fail to see how giving them to a for-profit corporation will improve them.

They're turning over management of the schools, not selling them like the toll road.

I was never convinced than better leadership would improve schools.

Well, when these schools have dumb problems, like bad attendance when they don't make it compulsory, I'm more convinced that it will.

Well, if the issue is than the leadership is incompetent, you replace it, you don't give the school to a private corporation.

Corporations goal is to make money. Running a non-profit school seems to be a money sink. The only way they could make money of of it is by putting the money which would be used to run the school in their pockets. It would be a terrible use of taxpayers money.

That's what they're doing. AUSL manages the school and has done so with great results.

From the article:

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Once again, they're not selling the schools or privatizing them.

[MurrayBannerman]

I don't think you realize how bad Chicago public schools are.

We realize that, but we fail to see how giving them to a for-profit corporation will improve them.

They're turning over management of the schools, not selling them like the toll road.

I was never convinced than better leadership would improve schools.

Well, when these schools have dumb problems, like bad attendance when they don't make it compulsory, I'm more convinced that it will.

Students in those schools likely aren't showing up because...
- they have no way of getting there
- their parents don't care whether they go or not
- they're scared to (because of gang violence or drugs or what have you)

If you want to fix Chicago's public schools, the trick is to make the students all upper-middle-class, give them well-educated, employed parents, and ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds that are scrubbed clean of the aftereffects of things like discrimination, segregation, slavery and immigrant issues. Now all you have to do is find a way to do all of that.

Number 1 is blatantly false. The public transit system and close proximity of the schools in urban areas completely destroy that theory. The second point isn't wrong and is a major problem, but throwing money at that isn't going to solve anything. The third point applies to a few schools, but it isn't an overarching problem. The city has done a fantastic job with the safe walk program.

This isn't an enigma. They've done different things, including this AUSL management and an increase in magnet schools, that have seen much success.

[MurrayBannerman]

There's some constitutional issues here. Attending a public school is a right. If a public school is privatized, it's no longer public.

Good thing it wasn't here.

[MurrayBannerman]

There's some constitutional issues here. Attending a public school is a right. If a public school is privatized, it's no longer public.

Good thing it wasn't here.

Sounds to me like it was.

Well, then, you'd be wrong.

[MurrayBannerman]

I don't think you realize how bad Chicago public schools are.

We realize that, but we fail to see how giving them to a for-profit corporation will improve them.

They're turning over management of the schools, not selling them like the toll road.

I was never convinced than better leadership would improve schools.

Well, when these schools have dumb problems, like bad attendance when they don't make it compulsory, I'm more convinced that it will.

Students in those schools likely aren't showing up because...
- they have no way of getting there
- their parents don't care whether they go or not
- they're scared to (because of gang violence or drugs or what have you)

If you want to fix Chicago's public schools, the trick is to make the students all upper-middle-class, give them well-educated, employed parents, and ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds that are scrubbed clean of the aftereffects of things like discrimination, segregation, slavery and immigrant issues. Now all you have to do is find a way to do all of that.

Number 1 is blatantly false. The public transit system and close proximity of the schools in urban areas completely destroy that theory. The second point isn't wrong and is a major problem, but throwing money at that isn't going to solve anything. The third point applies to a few schools, but it isn't an overarching problem. The city has done a fantastic job with the safe walk program.

This isn't an enigma. They've done different things, including this AUSL management and an increase in magnet schools, that have seen much success.

I don't think you realize how bad the gang violence is in Chicago.

''
I live in the Chicagoland area and spend some of my time in those gang areas when I'm home. I don't just watch Chicagoland on CNN.

[MurrayBannerman]

God bless Murraybannerman for keeping this conversation honest.

And we need more wars like this.

Semper fudge, my good friend.

[MurrayBannerman]

Chicago is indeed in need of education reform, but it won't be accomplished through charter schools and non-profit interventions. It will be accomplished through teacher evaluation and increased funding.

Funding for what?  As grating as a certain dominating poster can be, he is right that simply throwing money at the problem won't work.  What specifically is it that you think Chicago schools would need to have better funded in order to improve?

Not to mention, where would this funding come from? They have to pay the pensions out. That's already a huge chunk of their budget.