Joe Williams' Blog
Revisiting The Worst School Ever
Back in September, after Jesse Jackson Jr. spoke at our DFER launch in Washington, I blogged about a situation in my old neighborhood involving what was arguably one of the worst public elementary schools America had ever seen. Palmer Elementary School, which was a couple of blocks away from my home on Milwaukee's north side was so bad it made you ache inside watching those poor kids march into such an educational wasteland every day. Our liberal guilt was painful when we opted against sacrificing our son to the public education Gods (we decided to send him to a kick-ass public magnet school for white kids a few blocks west) and we agonized about how we could have helped that damn school.
My family and I were back in Milwaukee over the weekend for a wedding and we stopped by to see the old neighborhood. We saw that the school had changed its name (see picture above) and was newly committed to math (even if the administrators hadn't mastered the less than/greater than thing.)
The building looked better, to be honest. But it seems the place is still a cesspool. According to the most recent test scores on file with the Milwaukee Public Schools, the Worst School Ever is still pretty awful.
Continue reading "Revisiting The Worst School Ever"....
Posted by Joe Williams on October 30, 2007 3:01 PM
October 29, 2007
Talking About Ed Reform
The only U.S. Senator from Illinois who isn't running for president stopped by to meet with a group of our New York DFER supporters this afternoon and to talk about education reform. Sen. Dick Durbin (who as Assistant Majority Leader in the Senate, seriously outranks all of the Senators running for president) gave up quite a bit of his time to engage with us on issues all across the education reform board.
Thanks for your time, Senator!
UPDATE: Just in case Alexander Russo thinks we were partying without him, this was a business-like meeting, not a DFER pub crawl.
Posted by Joe Williams on October 29, 2007 10:32 PM
October 26, 2007
Crazy Week
Regular blogging will resume next week. Have to head to this place later today for one of these, and yesterday I spent much of the day at this, on the heels of a late night doing this.
I promise I'll be back on the saddle soon.
In the mean time, be sure to sign our online "Statement of Principles" and contribute to our political action committee here.
Posted by Joe Williams on October 26, 2007 12:11 PM
October 24, 2007
'An Army Of New Teachers'
Disclosure before I start: My wife and I both maxed out on our contributions to Barack Obama.
That said, I'm somewhat confused by one particular phrase from the Senator's town-hall style speech in East Los Angeles on his plans to improve the Latino drop-out rate:
Let's rebuild our crumbling schools and recruit an army of new teachers because what makes the most difference in any child's education is the person standing at the front of the classroom. And we also have to make sure that every child who wants to learn English has the resources to learn English. And that any child who comes here and studies here and does well in school has the same chance to attend a public college as anyone else... (Emphasis mine.)
OK, I'm with you, but I don't get the "army of new teachers" thing. Is the problem with public education really the current "army of old teachers", or is it more along the lines of a dysfunctional system which chews teachers up and spits them out as frustrated, jaded individuals?
If the problem isn't the old teachers, per se, as many of us believe, but outdated, counter-productive conditions which do very little to recognize and grow talent, etc. isn't that what Obama should be focusing on? If he puts an "army of new teachers" into the same old crap, what good could that possibly do?
Why not just say what everyone knows?
Posted by Joe Williams on October 24, 2007 12:10 PM
October 23, 2007
No Toddler Left Behind
Writing over at Politico, Richard Whitmire says pre-K is the sleeping/napping education issue in the presidential race.
Meanwhile, Charlie Barone looks at the presidential candidate and NCLB over at his newish blog Swift and Change Able.
Posted by Joe Williams on October 23, 2007 9:48 AM
October 22, 2007
Scarcity of Slots For Rich Kids?
Elizabeth Green reports this morning on the supply and demand problem facing New York City's (Manhattan, specifically) private school scene.
This is the one thing that could bring Gotham to its knees, no?
Posted by Joe Williams on October 22, 2007 11:30 AM
October 19, 2007
Black Eyes In Columbus
Regarding this situation from the other day, the Columbus Dispatch editorial board takes to the woodshed both the Franklin County Democratic Party and the Columbus Education Association - and accuses both of being completely tone-deaf at a time when they are preparing to ask voters for more money for education.
It's almost like they just can't help themselves.
Posted by Joe Williams on October 19, 2007 3:53 PM
