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Anne Foster
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Anne commented on the article |Andrew, thank you for weighing in with these comments. I agree with you that there are many places where financial investment in poor communities would yield higher academic results and graduation rates. The issues that come with poverty are massive, and we as a society cannot expect schools to fix those problems. And yet it seems that many people do expect this, and if schools don't get good results, they are ready to close them. I believe in high expectations for all students, but there must be other pieces in place in order for those expectations to produce results. You have suggested some of those pieces here, and I believe we must keep talking about this issue. Thank you for your thoughtful, realistic approach.
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Anne commented on the article |Lafayette, thank you for your thoughts about the school boards in districts that are failing. I believe that you are absolutely correct that there is a close correlation between student achievement/performance and the quality of school boards. Having said that, I will add that micromanagement, unfortunately, can take place across the entire spectrum.
School boards set the tone and atmosphere of a school district and its expectations for its students. They are the entity that gives direction to a Superintendent and staff. If they themselves operate in a way that involves favoritism and nepotism, then they have tricked the voters/mayors into putting them in place for all the wrong reasons and for their own agenda.
I would hope that in all communities, there could be some citizens who can see that this is happening and who determine to change it. Many people just don't spend their time monitoring the performance of their school board, but citizens and communities should hold school boards accountable. If their schools are not producing the results that are needed, then they should demand a change --if that change does not come, they should demand a new school board. I think more attention needs to be paid to how school boards function and how they should function.
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Anne commented on the article |
Joan, thanks for the questions you raised about federal governance of school districts. You are correct in your assessment that if states opt out of following NCLB, then any federal funds would be denied. Keep in mind that for many districts with large numbers of at-risk students, this could include Title I funds that provide huge financial support. Actually, there were several states that threatened in the past few years to opt out. Right now, in this economic climate, it is difficult for states to replace those funds. In addition, states have to look at the costs of compliance with NCLB versus the funds received.
Many people believe that when NCLB is reauthorized, there should be a return to greater local and state controls in education, while maintaining state testing and information sharing. NCLB increased federal spending, as well as federal intervention and governance. The authority over student testing policies used to be at the local level.
Keep in mind that over the past few decades, there have been various federal spending programs initiated, such as the Safe and Drug-Free Schools program. Federal funding has been greatly expanded in many areas.
In addition to NCLB, states and schools also come under the governance of many other federal laws, in general areas like discrimination, disabilities, etc. Other influence comes from general policies administered from the federal level through the state departments of education.
It is a complex web of funding and laws!
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Anne commented on the article |
Fred, Thank you very much for weighing in as a current school board member. I also thank you for your school board service, which is so valuable to your community, families, schools, students, and our democracy. You have an understanding of what school board service should look like that is very much in line with what I wrote about. School boards, elected or appointed, can provide effective governance as lay people, and they can be the bridge between the community and its schools. It's my hope that we can focus more on what effective school boards look like and encourage citizens to work towards that model.
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Anne commented on the article |
Luella, If your school or school district was falling apart, then I can understand why you would not have confidence in your school board. There are many policies and laws that school boards must follow that are complex and difficult, and it is difficult to navigate the territory of shrinking funds and heightened expectations. That's why communities must insist on effective school boards -- and if they are not effective, make a change.
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Anne commented on the article |
Debbie, I appreciate your writing and sharing your thoughts. You have made some very credible points. Many of the issues you point out come from No Child Left Behind, which is soon to be considered for re-authorization. I hope you will make your thoughts known to your elected lawmakers in Washington, DC., because changes can be made to the law. Other education laws are made at the state level. School board members, of course, do not make laws -- they are the ones in the position of living by the laws as they govern the management of school districts.
Many parents and citizens are dismayed by the emphasis on standardized tests and on testing in general. They understand that students come with various challenges and that they do not all learn the same way.
You are also right that there are many factors other than teaching that affect student achievement. That said, we need the best and most effective teachers we can find and train. We then need to make sure that their work environment and the way we as a society treat them will encourage them to remain in the teaching profession.
Hopefully you can stay in touch with your local school board and make your thoughts known to them on these and other issues. I hope that more people will follow public education issues as you are doing.
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Anne commented on the article |
Fred, thanks so much for writing. Obviously, you and I view this topic in much the same way, and I appreciate your contributions. I will look up your blog and read it. While some may see school board members at the bottom of the elected officials, I believe that school board service ranks at the top of public service, because an educated population is where it all starts and makes so much possible for so many people. Please stay in touch.
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Anne commented on the article |Thanks for reading this, Becky, and for all of your efforts to improve public schools through the Schoolhouse to Statehouse program of Parents for Public Schools!
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Anne commented on the article |I enjoyed reading this -- clearly a difficult situation and one that received a well-thought out answer. I do not know for sure if the mother here is an immigrant parent who is unfamiliar with the customs and culture of the American education system, or whether she is a non-immigrant parent who is still unaware, simply from never having known or understood. The organization Parents for Public Schools works to educate parents about the educational system, how schools work, and how to effectively communicate with educators. Clearly, this parent needed that kind of help, and if she had had it, she might not be acting in inappropriate ways that actually hinder rather than help her daughter. We all need to remember what a critical role parents play in the educational journey of their children and how important it is to help them get it right.
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