Since 23 of the 26 Lynn Schools have bad enough AYP scores their students qualify for Supplemental tutoring. To actually receive the tutoring the child's family income has to fall below a certain criteria. This is one of those times it appears to pay to be poor.
However poor kids aren't the only ones doing poor on the MCAS. Last night at the PAC meeting I listened to a parent tell about how she has to shell out $300 a week for private tutoring. This is insane, we are punishing the kid for their parents doing well. Some would rightfully argue that it is the parents that are really getting punished. What kind of message is this sending?
We are promoting failure in our throughout all our education system. When our schools fail then we get libraries, librarians, and the need for a new Deputy Superintendent who becomes a part of ever-expanding layers of administration.
Back to the tutoring. My understanding is that if enough kids in a school are from low income families then the school qualifies for Title 1 money. This money in turn pays for tutoring for kids of those families. Like I said it pays to be poor in that respect. But what I also heard discussed at that meeting is that they are supposed to set aside a certain percentage of that Title 1 money based on some predetermined formula to pay for some "needs based" tutoring for non income qualified tutoring if the parent gets in all he required paperwork. Doubts were raised about whether this was happening. If not could somebody please explain why? What's happening to the money that was supposed to be earmarked for that? There are a lot of questions surrounding all of this Title 1 money. I just think it would be good to see a full public accounting of it.
Stanley, can you explain the "When our schools fail then we get libraries, librarians..."? We lost our neighborhood libraries... and I thought the school librarians were cut? I am missing information... Thanks for any clarification you can give...
ReplyDeleteJoyce, our two Level 4 schools, Connery and Harrington were required by the state to have libraries play a central part in their Turnaround plans. That Level 4 status allowed them to access a lo of extra money hence libraries we closed in the other five elementary schools that were lucky enough to have them and their librarians let go. Connery and Harrington's not only remained open but had their roles expanded. Go figure?
ReplyDeleteThe state by the way did not APPROVE Connery's Turnaround Plan so they were given some money and told to go back to the drawing board.
One of the other conditions for failing schools to get the state money (in addition to librarians) is that the class size be below a certain number (probably 25) as it is shown that above a certain number of children in a class (I believe 20), there are children being left behind and not learning (I am not just referring to schools with poor or ESL students but all schools) - but yet Lynn has many classes - including kindergarten - with over 30 children. Yet we blame the child and parent when the child does not do well! To save money, admins need to be cut not teachers and salaries are too high for many in this city with all those stipends and other benefits!
ReplyDeleteHopefully for $300 a week, they are getting 1 to 1 tutoring 5 days a week! I would tutor the kid for that money! To not qualify for the 'free' tutoring though does not seem very fair since they are obviously paying taxes if can afford that and their child deserves the same treatment as the other children in the class with the same learning needs.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mass.gov/Eoaf/docs/csc/decisions/layoff/shorten_holly_040711.pdf
ReplyDelete