The Journal Times reported, here, on Racine Unified's "reinvestment" plan. In a nutshell, the idea is that by building a few new schools, Unified could then reduce class sizes to their optimal levels, and improved achievement would follow. Of course the public will have to pay for this plan - the amount has not been detirmined - but it won't be cheap.
According to the JT article, if RUSD classes were now optimally sized, 826 elementary and 961 high school students would be displaced.
Supposing RUSD is correct about optimal class sizes, there are still options not yet explored by RUSD to solve the problem. Building more school is one option. Having fewer students is another.
I have no doubt that there is excess capacity in some of our private schools. Instead of building new public schools, perhaps we should explore the possibility of allowing current RUSD students vouchers to attend underutilized and high performing private schools. This would eliminate the overcrowding at our public schools, thus improving public school achievement - according to RUSD's own argument. Taxpayers would not be burdened with the huge expense of building new schools. Rather, since tuition at private schools is typically far less that RUSD's per student cost, txpayers could actually save money while improving RUSD student achievement.
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19 comments:
I have been hearing and reading for years that the problem with student achievemnet is lack of parent involvement. Therefore the reason for building big new schools must be to increase the gravitational attraction of those buildings to parents.
Dennis - again you are spot on.
But - you can be sure RUSD and the REA will find many ways why "it can't be done".
So are you saying that this blog is in no way financially supported by the teachers union?
KUSD has new schools.
What are they doing differently?
Parent involvement is crucial, maybe keeping the schools in context with students' lives would help retention and success... perhaps going back to neighborhood schools ...maybe?
all with equal access to resources...
I've got to follow up on this a bit.
privatize privatize privatize... that's the solution for everything.
If you can afford private schools great, if you can't, your kids should eat sh*t... well, that really destroys the middle class and the option of pulling yourself out of a bad situation. That's taking this idea to the absolute extreme. But if this is widespread, it creates an economic 'caste' system ensuring that if your family has the money, you have the education to make money, if not, shine shoes or something.
(see Guatemala, Brazil, Vietnam...)
If we gouge support for public schools by sending the money to private schools, public school will further deteriorate... ensuring the consolidation and retention of wealth, and the need for a strong security force to hold on to it... (see guatemala, brazil, vietnam).. talk about government control.. oh wait, the security is privatized also...
"If you can afford private schools great, if you can't, your kids should eat sh*t..." says anon 12:15. Well, if by eating sh*t you mean attending public schools in Racine, well that is what the school board seemingly wants for less affluent kids. But I am offering an idea that would allow some kids some options. Its kind of like a menu that includes a pile of sh*t and something edible. But you seem to prefer a sh*t only menu for poor kids. Not sure what is so good about your idea.
"If you can afford private schools great, if you can't, your kids should eat sh*t..." says anon 12:15. Well, if by eating sh*t you mean attending public schools in Racine, well that is what the school board seemingly wants for less affluent kids. But I am offering an idea that would allow some kids some options. Its kind of like a menu that includes a pile of sh*t and something edible. But you seem to prefer a sh*t only menu for poor kids. Not sure what is so good about your idea.
Though I agree that something must change, if we keep diverting money from public schools, they'll further deteriorate.... there is a pattern in conservative politics... underfund a program (see OSHA), it begins to fail, and then sound the alarms "This is failing, we MUST stop funding failing programs! "... clever.... and on the surface very logical.
On the flip side, the liberal politics make it possible for people/programs to have zero accountability, which isn't right either...
My eat sh*t comment was simply taking the scenario to the extreme that many neo-conservatives are keen on taking everything.... once these voucher programs begin.. it's a slippery slope.... will there soon be inc. schools with stockholders?
...if we keep diverting money from public schools,..
Who is the "we", the parents making free choice with their vouchers???
Yes.... we. If you want to send your child to a private school, then pony up that cash it takes to get your child into one (whether elementary, high, or university) .... For the rest of us, there is this publically support structure that has functioned for many many years. I went to public schools here in Racine in the 80s and they were top notch.. back when we still had a manufacturing base to draw taxes from...
If you want to see disfunctional systems.. visit Mississippi.. see how their roads, parks, schools are faring with all of their cheap tax rates... Again, there, the rich can afford to send their kids to private schools, the others.. well who are they anyway to demand anything?
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12:28
You sound like either a school teacher and/or a union member.
5:58 pm... not sure what that means, nor how to respond....how about: you type like a clairvoyant TV preacher?
Buildings do not educate, teachers do.
The problems RUSD faces will not be corrected with new buildings.
RUSD has a systemic problem and a union problem. And the only resolution I have observed to those two problems is Home Schooling and/or a Voucher System.
If you won't support either of them, and get them pervasive in our communities, learn to live with what you have been getting from RUSD.
Do or die Is spot on. THE only way to re-invent the RUSD is to set Caledonia Free, to create it's own School district. and then to expand School choice vouchers to the remaining student population and let the best schools achieve the best results for all the students. The Students who remain behind will have plenty of resources to provide a first class education for each child. No more excuses! No new buildings required. No additional staff required, Teacher students ratio improve and parental interaction and responsibility, improves. The only winner in this scenario is EVERY CHILD!! Why would the Teacher's union be opposed?
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