DPS Scores Record Low On National Test -Detroit Local News Story -WDIV Detroit Page 1 of -Detroit Local News Story -WDIV Detroit Page 1 of 1


DPS Scores Record Low On National Test


DPS Manager: Scores Not Kids' Faults

POSTED: Tuesday, December 8, 2009
UPDATED: 7:27 pm EST December 8, 2009


DETROIT --Results released Tuesday from a national achievement test show Detroit Public School scores were the lowest ever in the math category.

The National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) exam was taken by about 1,900 fourth- and eighth-graders.

The scores were based on a scale of 500. The national average was 239. The fourth-graders from Detroit scored 200.

Among eighth-graders, Detroit students scored 238, compared to the national average of 282.

According to the test results, 69 percent of fourth-graders and 77 percent of eighth-graders in Detroit scored below the basic math level.

"These numbers are only slightly better than what one would expect by chance as if the kids had never gone to school and simply guessed at the answers," said Michael Casserly, executive director of the Washington-based Council of the Great City Schools, which represents large urban school districts.

Test organizers said 18 urban districts took part in the NEAP. "The numbers are shocking and appalling and should not be allowed to stand," Casserly said.

The NAEP is an hour-long exam. It is scored in two ways: Average results are scored on a scale of 1 to 500 and in the second criteria, students are ranked from "below basic" to "advanced."

Detroit Public Schools Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb said it was not the fault of the students.

"It is directly the result of the failure to lead. It is a result of the failure to manage," said Bobb. "It is the result of the failure to establish rigorous academic, and strong academic standards. The results are the failure of the (school) system's leadership."

Reading and science results are scheduled to be released in the spring.

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/21901263/detail.html

12/9/2009

Below, is my Commentary [Please read]


COMMENTARY

The above story, should be a wake up call to every parent of a child enrolled in the Detroit Public School[DPS] system.

Not only the DPS, but any public school.

In the above story, we see how bad things can get for our students, who attend the DPS, and the response of those in leadership, as to who is to blame.

Addressing the situation of the DPS, what is not being said, and what needs to be, is all of this is the fault of the voters of the city of Detroit, who have allowed the DPS, to continue to function as it has, and their loyalty to the teachers union.

Over a span of 10, or even more years, voters have had the chance to choose other sources to educate their kids, [private, parochial, and charter schools] by way of having school vouchers, and each time it was presented, voters turned them down, flat!!

Their reason for doing this was, both the DPS, and the teachers union, in a sign of total unity, told the public that vouchers would take money away from the public schools, rendering them less able to do the job of educating our kids.

Well, let me say something. With the results of the recent (NAEP) test scores, if this is what we get for our money, then, any body with a lick of sense, would say, we are being stupid for supporting a system, that, if a foreign country, came in and did this to our children, we would declare war on them.

Here is something that most of you don't know [especially in the black community] about the alternatives.

In the case of private and parochial education, these same tests, over the past 30 years, have shown that the same age children in these institutions, score consistently, at, or near the top.

Who, in their right mind, wouldn't want the best for their child??

The DPS, and the teachers union, don't want you to be able to do that, so, they embark on a campaign of scare tactics, by talking about if money goes to these other sources of education, then we will not be able to hire, and keep good teachers.

My response to that is this. What are you saying about the teachers we have in the DPS, now??

As far as I am concerned, if this product [our kids’ scores] is the best that these 'good’ teachers are putting out, we need to totally reject it. I can guarantee, if any one of us purchased a product, or service, that consistently failed, we would want a refund.

And think about this.

The cost of educating a child in the public schools, is about $6500 per year. The same process, costs about $5000. in the other institutions.

The yearly salary of teachers in the public schools, runs about $80,000. The salary of teachers in these alternative sources is about $50,000.

Now, my point is this.

These teachers are making less money than the public school teachers, yet their product, is far superior.

Most kids in these alternative systems, read, write, and do math at least 1 year ahead of their counterparts, in the public school system.

I know this, because my daughter, who is now [28], had been in Catholic, and Lutheran schools except for 1 year of her time as a student. She was miserable when she had to attend a DPS school, when she was about 9 years old, because she complained that what they were teaching her class, was the same thing she had been taught, a year earlier, in Catholic school.

What all of this boils down to is, parents are going to have to make a choice as to who they really support, their kids, or the DPS, and the teachers union.

What we need, among other things, is a whole new mindset. We settle for an inferior product that costs more than a superior product, that costs less, just to satisfy a King Kong gorilla [DPS and teachers union], that is riding on our backs.

THINK ABOUT IT!!!!!
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