Charter Schools Reconstructing LAUSD: NCLB’s Downfalls are Improved through Charter Divisions

While the debate of No Child Left Behind is heating up in educational politics, likewise are the challenges that nationwide school districts face from charter innovators. There continues to be stringent criticism opposed to NCLB; opponents argue that “drilling kids with rudimentary knowledge, teaching the standardized test year round, and leaving no room for originality or authenticity,” in a terse are the most harmful consequences of the Act. Institutes that suffer the most from the law are public schools in impoverished areas. Consequently, audacious educators took the initiative to implement charter schools as a way of providing better opportunity for students coming from disadvantaged backgrounds. Furthermore, these new divisions offer small learning centers in order that each student receives 1 on 1 attention and provide parents with a variety of excellent school choices. While exploring the blogosphere, I came across two other posts that further expanded on these notions. The first is titled, “Finally, Some Real Changes in Public Education,” by a journalist of L.A Times who discusses the surpassing benefits students obtain from charter schools rather than public high schools; moreover, he mentions that the Los Angeles Board of Education handed over to Green Dot charter one of the lowest performing schools in the district, Locke High School. Displayed to the right Green Dot and Steve Barr celebrate superb decision. The latter is “Kozol on Hunger Strike to Protest NCLB,” by a LAUSD educator, who critically analyzes No Child Left Behind and describes how one educational activist fasts publicly to protest the Act. My comments for these posts can be viewed in the links provided.

“Finally, Some Real Changes in Public Education”

Comment:

Foremost, I would like to address that your title immediately drew my attention because of its ingenuousness; furthermore, its sincerity lead me to have high expectations for your blog. As a charter school teacher myself, I hinted that your post would allocate discussion to the charter division, if not placing it at the forefront of your argument. Secondly, your post was very well-composed and articulate, keeping me interested and fond of reading it thoroughly. I relished how you incorporated your own unique secondary school experiences into your argument; they were very appropriate and supplemented tangible evidence to your position. I definitely agree with your argument that charter schools are a miraculous remedy for students and parents from underprivileged backgrounds. Referencing Green Dot in particular was a very prudent decision being the non-profit organization has an outstanding reputation reflecting its great increase not only in test scores, thus fulfilling NCLB, but also in high school graduation rates and transitioning students into 4-year institutes compared to neighboring public schools. My only concern reflected primarily on athletics. Though Green Dot has been successful in many domains that traditional public schools remain unaccomplished, what happens to the various extra-curricular activities offered in public schools? Moreover, are sports and student clubs even a vital aspect of Green Dot’s entire curriculum? Extra- curricular activities, in addition to academics, remain prominent to a student’s high school experiences, if not his/her future career aspiration. Furthermore, what happens to highly gifted athletes who certainly desire good education alongside getting recruited into the University of their Choice on a full-ride scholarship? One memory that I admired at LACES but never got from my later charter high school was the great sense of school spirit being that I was one of the renowned Breaststrokers and dance team innovators. I wonder if Green Dot or similar charters consider athletics in their rigorous programs. Though athletics should not be the greatest aspect of a child’s educational structure, they do play a crucial role in the child’s overall school experience and transition into their next realm of education.

“Kozol on Hunger Strike Protest NCLB”

Comment:

Your post addresses prominent issues and you disclose cogent arguments by way of articulately presenting your views. I definitely acquiesce with your take on NCLB and Senator Kennedy’s stringent response to the bill. It is completely absurd that the Act continues to be implemented, consequently, as you mentioned, “plung[ing] urban education back to the dark ages of desegregation.” I think it is important that education activists take action on their beliefs beyond fasting like the legendary Kozol. I agree that if modifications are not made, NCLB should be discarded altogether. But after getting rid of the bill, what’s next? Though I initially opposed NCLB’s extensive focus on standardized testing owing primarily to the fact that it disallows teachers to incorporate creative teaching methods, schools could not be administered with unlimited spontaneity. A key focus on test results keeps the teachers and students, as a whole, mindful of grade-level standards that need to be acquired before a grade promotion. Furthermore, how else can educators assess kids and evaluate students' results if not through standardized testing? I consider the more salient issue to be concerning the discrepancies between public schools- how urban districts get much less resources and benefits in juxtaposition to their suburban rivals. I think you could heighten your argument by expanding on such notions. Furthermore, acknowledging that charter schools serve as a remedy for students attending disadvantaged institutes could have been a possible way of offering constructive criticism to the dilemma of NCLB. Contrary to public schools that overwhelm children with test-prepping courses in hope of receiving government funding, charter educators have applied different mechanisms and have made substantial progress in bringing urban districts up to par, and beyond. To the left, I have displayed a graphic chart as evidence to the significant results of Green Dot charter.