Detroit Public Schools: Another Outrage!

September 30, in addition to begin the deadline when the state of Michigan is supposed to get its state budget passed, is what we call "Count Day" here in Michigan. The short version of the story is that (a) it is the day when school districts must get an "official" count of their student populations, and (b) that official count is multiplied by a per pupil allowance to determine how much $$$ the district will get from the state for the year.

You don't have to be a multiplication or public policy expert to see that districts want both numbers (the "count," and the per pupil allowance) to be as large as possible.

The Detroit Public Schools (DPS) school district is among the very worst in the civilized world. Its graduation rate is around 25%, pitiful by any standard whatsoever. Its student population has gone from about 160,000 just nine years ago to a projected 83,777 this year—a decline of more than 47% in under a decade! It is unsafe and has a bureaucracy that socialists envy. Its financial integrity is mocked by Bernie Madoff. Blogprof has a running list of commentary on DPS, if you want to immerse yourself in its failures.

So what do you do on Count Day? Do you attempt to restore financial integrity? Do you announce new academic expectations? No. You bribe students to come to school.

Articles in the WSJ and Detroit News give further details. It is a disgrace of the highest order...and that's saying something, considering how disgraceful DPS already is.

Singing the Praises of the President

By now most of us have heard about the video of the elementary kids singing the praises of President Obama. I find it repugnant, and, like so many other things, I am severely disappointed that the media isn't pouncing on school administrators for this. You know, like they would have if two years ago children were singing the praises of the last president.

Now we learn more about the principal of the school. Dr. Denise King (someone please tell me who granted her a doctoral degree) is an Obama fan, and attended Obama's inauguration last January. Consider the following:

• Pictures she took at the inauguration made it into the school yearbook...despite the fact this was not a school field trip.
• Pictures of the president adorned the halls and various classrooms of the school. I have no problem with hanging a picture or two of the president on the wall (students, after all, should know who the president is and be able to identify him), but it sounds like this school went a bit overboard.
• Photos of "Obama-themed activities" were in the yearbook. I wonder what exactly those were....?

However, there were two facts about the principal that I found particularly troubling:

• According to parents who spoke with Dr. Denise King, "The principal of a New Jersey elementary school where young students were videotaped singing the praises of President Obama is making no apologies for the videotape and says she would allow the performance again if she could" [Emphasis mine].
  
• According to public records, Dr. Denise King hasn't voted since 2004! The article states, "A search of public records revealed that King, 46, of Cinnaminson, N.J., last voted in 2004 and had not declared any political affiliation. No records of political contributions could be found."

On the upside, the article made me feel better that my children are not in public schools.

Thoughts on President Obama's "School Speech"

Today, President Obama went to a high school in Arlington, Virginia, and gave a televised address to school children across the nation (video is available at whitehouse.gov). His remarks were controversial in advance of their release on Monday, but as it turned out, the bulk of the speech was a very acceptable encouragement to students to work hard and do their best and complete their education. Any president—or governor, or school board member—could have delivered most of this without any controversy whatsoever.

There were a few lines of the speech which he could have done without ["I'm working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn."], but the quotes below are actually quite accurate and worth the time required to speak them:

"But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world - and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.
And that's what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education."


"And no matter what you want to do with your life - I guarantee that you'll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You're going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can't drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You've got to work for it and train for it and learn for it."

[Personal Note: In my professional employment, I meet a lot of school dropouts who would have done much better had they heeded those last two sentences.]


"Maybe you don't have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there's not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don't feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren't right.

But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life - what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going on at home - that's no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That's no excuse for not trying."

"But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won't love every subject you study. You won't click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute."

[Personal Note #2: I am a math teacher. That last sentence is unalterably true. Focus on the word "seem."]


"So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you."

There comes a time when it is appropriate to agree with something your political opponent says, simply because it's right. As a parent and a teacher, I have no problem agreeing with the President on the quotations above. Student do need to recognize that education is important, that it sometimes requires a lot of effort, and that some things are more desirable or easier than others; and they must remember that perseverance is a desirable and important quality. As teachers and parents, we need to expect great things and great efforts from our students.

If the President had given me the responsibility of delivering the speech, aside from a handful of edits, I could have done so in good conscience with a smile on my face.

The only other issue was whether schools should have showed the speech to their students. As with many other public school things, I think this is an issue best left to local consideration. The local superintendent, principal, or appropriate authority figure should have been able to make the call.

As it turned out, public pressure probably forced the President to shift his focus to the above, less controversial topics. That's a good thing. There is nothing wrong with the President of the United States delivering a non-political encouragement to school students to give their best efforts. Indeed, it's a good idea!

Pontiac School District Adopts Dress Code

I am a big fan of school dress codes. Every school (and I would even suggest this for those who homeschool) should implement some sort of dress code so that the students are dressed modestly, neatly, and non-disruptively.

The Detroit News carried a story today that the Pontiac School District will have a new uniform dress code, effective with the start of the 2009-10 school year. From the article:

From preschool through 12th grade, students must wear solid black, khaki or navy dress pants or slacks, knee-length dresses, jumpers, shorts or skirts. Students must wear white, navy, or light blue collared shirts and blouses with long or short sleeves. Turtlenecks of the same colors as shirts and blouses are also permitted.

Beginning the second semester of the 2009-10 school year, blazers may be required for students in grades 7-12.

There are also a number of things not permitted, such as

Clothing that will no longer be permitted includes:


• Jeans or denim fabrics (unless permitted for a school spirit day or a dress-down day)
  
• Tight fitting or baggy, oversized clothing
  
• Team jerseys (can be worn only when permitted), T-shirts, sweatshirts, tank tops, spaghetti straps, strapless or halter-tops or sheer, see-through blouses
  
• Sweat suits, jogging attire, athletic shorts, fleeces, loungewear or sleepwear
  
• Hooded tops
  
• Headgear, including hats, headbands, scarves, do-rags, stocking caps, bandanas and baseball caps
  
• Any clothing, jewelry, symbol or other object that can be perceived by a staff member as evidence of membership/affiliation with a gang
  
• Designer brand sunglasses or dark glasses (if prescribed, medical documentation needed)
  
• Designer brand stitched leather jackets
  
• Outerwear such as gloves, jackets and overcoats in the buildings

I think that this is good. However, let's analyze a few aspects of this, beginning with...

Reasons the District Gives for Having a Dress Code:

• Promote respect for self and others. I think I see what they mean by this, but I would have worded it differently. Dressing in a more professional or neater manner tends to make one think more highly of one's abilities and tends to have the effect of more, and more positive, achievement.
• "To prevent distractions and health and safety hazards that disrupt the educational environment." No argument there. The last thing schools need is problems stemming from students' clothing.
• It was noted in the article that the two Pontiac high schools are merging into a single high school this year, and that this will tend to help the students "blend in" better and become a more cohesive group. This is probably good, and will help to avoid the factions that might come from a "I went to ___ last year" mentality.
• Waivers for religious or medical reasons will be considered. Penalties have been established.

Now let me add some more to this:

Additional Reasons the District Should Have a Dress Code:

• Students need to learn how to look and dress like mature adults. Most public school students, quite frankly, dress like slobs in jeans and T-shirts. It is good for them to become accustomed to the dress and manners of adults. For this particular reason, I am not a fan of uniforms, although they are still preferable to the "jeans and T-shirts" look.
• Dress for success: There is plenty of evidence showing that students' dress has an impact on their accomplishments in school.
• Most students are going to have a job someday where they will have to conform to a dress code. Might as well get the idea now. (On a related note, I think it's OK to kindly and politely communicate to students that adults know better than they do on these sorts of things. Some students think they are the fountainhead of all knowledge and wisdom. This is nothing more than pride and arrogance.)
  

What will be interesting to see is if the dress code actually gets enforced. Whenever there are no penalties, the dress code is ignored; and when there are penalties, people get mad. About ten years ago, when I lived in Jacksonville, that school district adopted a uniform dress code...then let parents opt out their kids...then by the end of the school year, it was nothing more than a bad joke, engendering disrespect for the authorities who came up with the dress code in the first place.

Dress codes without consistent enforcement become a cure worse than the original illness.

I commend the Pontiac school board for their decision and hope that they stand up for it during the upcoming school year.

Pro-Life Free Speech Denied in California!

According to this news article (pictures included), a seventh-grade girl in California was made to change her shirt when school administrators, at the very beginnning of the day, noticed that it contained a pro-life message. That day, April 29, had been designated as "National Pro-Life T-shirt Day" by the American Life League.

A picture is worth a thousand words, especially in this case. You can view pictures of the T-shirt here.

The storyline is the usual plot: Student wears T-shirt disdained by left-wing school administrators, is rudely told to change it (and does). Parent threatens lawsuit (and in this case, lawsuit goes forward).

There are two main issues to note here. First, anyone walking around a typical middle or high school today will notice a variety of T-shirts with advertising slogans, sports teams, brand names, artwork, and other content on them. Most of them are not the least bit offensive (not liking some other kid's sports team does not count!), but quite frankly, occasionally they are. They might contain images of some perverse "artist" or "rock star," or encourage behaviors that are unwise, rebellious, or immoral. [Note: Schools generally ban—as they should—T-shirts which promote activities that are illegal for minors, such as smoking or drinking.]

A T-shirt containing two photos of living human beings and which implies that abortion kills them is neither offensive nor inaccurate. To ban such a T-shirt while allowing so many others is hypocritical, and constitutes allowing "free speech" for some students and not for others. [Note #2: I would have no problem if a school decided to ban all T-shirts or even all T-shirts with any kinds of words/messages; this is consistent, and part of an appropriate dress code.]

The second and greater problem is the realization—still present in America after all these years—that there are those who hate the pro-life message and want to kill it. Free speech does not interest these people except to the extent that it allows them to speak. They care not for what is right and good.

The article concludes with this insightful quote by the mother's lawyer:

First Amendment attorney William Becker, who represents Amador, disagreed that the shirt could be seen as containing inappropriate messages.

"The message of the T-shirt is that life is sacred," he said. "One would be very hard pressed to find anything wrong with that particular idea, except that some people do object to the political message."

A Great Posting About Parents and Schools

Over at the blog Michigan Blogger I read this great post this evening about how "Parents Need To Step It Up To Help Schools." Here are a couple of its excerpts:

I encourage you to read the entire post; it's a great one!

More days and longer hours seem like a good idea but it won't help until we fix the biggest problem with the schools.

The biggest problem with schools is parents. Yes, parents. Ask any educator and he or she will tell you - for the most part - that the best students have parents interested in their childrens' education.

There are too many parents letting their kids get away with too much by not disciplining them. Why should a kid behave in school when there is not only no punishment for bad behavior but the kid gets a sense of encouragement when the parent defends the improper actions.

That's not to say there aren't other problems with the school because there are. I will get into those issues another time. For now, we need parents to get behind the teachers and put the proverbial foot in the proverbial behind of their kids to make sure they get an education.

Parents Fuming as Texas Schools Let Gideons Provide Bibles to Students

Parents Fuming as Texas Schools Let Gideons Provide Bibles to Students

This foxnews.com story tells us that the Gideons dropped off Bibles at thirteen middle and high schools in Frisco, TX, for one day, as described here:

The Gideons are now taking advantage of a school policy that allows them to leave Bibles on a tabletop in the schools' front offices, though they're barred from interacting with students or remaining there during school hours.

Sounds insidious, eh? Nowhere in the article was it implied that members of the Gideons came into the schools to conduct organized proselytizing. Note these comments by parents:

"If they're God-fearing Christians ... they should be giving those items wherever they worship. School is a place to learn, not a place to worship."

"I am not atheist — I believe in God," she told FOXNews.com. "But I just don't want any religion forced on my child at school. That's why my child goes to a public school."

The point these parents seem to be making is that they want religion to be expelled from their public schools. And this is a shame. A deeper understanding of the Bible and a personal relationship with God would make many of those students better academically, socially, and in other ways. That would make the school better.

Bibles are not the problem, folks; sin is the problem. Why is it OK for sinful practices (For example, think: Sex education) to be promoted in our schools but not OK for Bibles to be distributed? Why is there such antagonism toward the Scripture?

Heritage Christian School of Findlay, Ohio; and the Curious Case of Tyler Frost

The national news media has, since Friday, been starting to pick up a minor story from Heritage Christian School of Findlay, Ohio, which told a student that he would be suspended if he chose to attend the public school prom. The student, one Tyler Frost, defied the school, attended the prom, and received the suspension today.

A couple of media stories can be found here and here. As is almost expected these days, the student's dad is threatening to sue if the suspension is not lifted.

Naturally, most people today have no understanding about why the school made this decision, or why it has the policy in the first place. Most will not bother reading what the school has to say about the matter. The majority of the public feedback so far favors Tyler.

The majority is wrong.

There are several key facts in the case:

• First of all, Tyler and his parents signed a statement of cooperation each year. Regardless of their personal feelings toward the school policies, they agreed to abide by them. Tyler has attended Heritage Christian since kindergarten, and his grandmother is a teacher there. There were no surprises.
  
• The school's policy regarding proms (and such) is consistent with the school's view of the Bible and the school's understanding of, and teaching about, Christian living. Attendance at a prom is incompatible with Christian living. Tyler knew this.
• Tyler and his parents are dragging the school's reputation as far down as they can, and are bringing a lot of unnecessary, unwarranted, and negative media coverage upon the school. Quite frankly, in my opinion, for this alone Tyler should be expelled.
• Tyler's behavior is nothing short of defiant rebellion. He, with the willing support of his parents, is parading his defiance for all to see. This is entirely inappropriate where lawful authority is concerned, and all the more galling when intentionally done in front of a world which has very little understanding of God or of obedience. Tyler probably claims to be a Christian, but his actions portray something else.

The school is entirely within its rights to suspend this young man; I would argue that the school would be within its rights to also expel him for the circus he has instigated.

As a footnote, I know a few folks who are affiliated with HCS. The school has had an excellent all-around reputation for a long time. I would be quite pleased to put my children in that school if we lived anywhere near Findlay, Ohio. I'd even be happy to teach there.

Teachers Packing Heat—Attackers Take Note!

According to foxnews.com, a small Texas school district has passed a policy that will allow teachers to carry concealed firearms, provided they meet certain requirements. Several good reasons were given for this, many of which would apply to other school districts across our nation:

• "To deter and protect against school shootings." Politically correct, of course; but entirely within the bounds of common sense
• Safety concerns, particularly assaults
• According to the school superintendent, "When you make schools gun-free zones, it's like inviting people to come in and take advantage." He's right.
  
• The sheriff's office is 30 minutes away and the school is next to a heavily traveled highway

I hope other school districts see wisdom here and adopt similar policies.

THIS is How a Dress Code Should Be Enforced

I am so sick-and-tired of schools that don't enforce their dress code—even if it was a weak one in the first place. So I read with pleasure this foxnews.com article sent from a friend. I think it's an idea whose time has come. Here is the beginning of that article:

"GONZALES, Texas — Violating Gonzales High School's dress code is not a crime, but some of the offenders are about to start looking a lot like convicts.

Soon after classes begin Aug. 25, violators of the district's beefed-up dress code must don navy blue coveralls unless they get another set of clothes from home — or serve in-school suspension. The outfits aren't just styled like prison jumpsuits — they're actually made by Texas inmates.

"We're a conservative community, and we're just trying to make our students more reflective of that," said Larry Wehde, Gonzales Independent School District deputy superintendent."

Feel free to read the whole article, including the obligatory comments from people who don't like the policy.