THE ALGEBRA 1 SYNDROME

OK, I live in California and it is a pretty well known fact that if a student does not take Algebra 1 by grade 8, they will not have the necessary requirements to attend a University of California institution or maybe not even a California State University. That means, if a student is not given Algebra 1 in grade 8, they reduce their chances of going to college in the State of California.
With that being said, my son's school realized this. Unfortunately, they realized this after the school year had started. Even worse, they failed to realize this when the students were in grade 7 so that they could prepare these students to start out in Algebra 1 when school began in the Fall.
Well, someone, in their infinite wisdom, decided to give the students who were not programmed in Algebra 1 an intervention/boot camp. I have my own thoughts on intervention (it doesn't work) versus a rigorous curriculum. I understand the No Child Left Behind game that many districts and schools are playing right now. What shocked me was that this school gave students the intervention (which doesn't work) and put them in an Algebra 1 class in December (3 months after school started.)
Parents clapped and cheered, but they didn't realize that this move would actually cause their children more harm that good. They will have 3 months less of preparation for standardized tests than the other Algebra 1 students. Not to mention that many of these students unprepared for the class in the first place.
There is a lot of talk about parents being the key to a child's academic success. However, many of the parents don't have all of the information to make an informed decision. Just like most of us don't know what McDonald's secret sauce is, but we assume that McDonald's does. If McDonald's trusts the secret sauce, who are we to differ? Most parents feel the same way about school. If the teacher, principal, or school says this is best, who are we to differ?
We expect a lot from parents, but we give them so little in return. Not one educator (other than myself) told these parents that the Algebra 1 situation was completely out of place. This was an issue that should have been addressed when the students were in grade 6, not pushed upon them in grade 8. If we really want parent participation, we have to respect the parents and not just let them know part of the story. The Algebra 1 syndrome plays itself out all across this country every day, but what does that do for the academic achievement of our students?

THE FUTURE IS NOW

I usually RANT and RAVE in my blogs. There is something about purposely undereducating children that bothers me. . . especially when those children are traditionally underserved populations. But today, I took a deep breath. My rants have fallen on deaf ears. They have been called "just another opinion of another crazy man." So, I had to stop and think if what I was doing mattered to anyone, what it important. That was when I really looked at my own children being undereducated in school. I realized the work their mother and I put in when the children came home. We made them college ready, gifted, or whatever you want to call it. However, all of that happened after school, not during. As an educator, I differentiate instruction for my children, but what about all of the parents who are unable to do so. So, yes, it does matter.
I had to make myself three promises:
1. Blog more often
2. Make it relative to what parents are experiencing as their children come home from the classroom, and
3. Bring the plight of educating underserved students and students of color to the forefront of our collective consciousness. Their should be no ARRA funding until we address inequities that currently exist in our public education system.
With that being said, I welcome your comments. I would really like to hear from public school teachers whose districts are using ARRA funds in the matter that they were intended and creating educational systems to make all students successful.

MY ODE

This ode is called "Taking it to the Streets: The Grassroots Movement"

It has only been weeks since President Obama's Ecomonic Stimulus Plan (although now it has a new name) has detailed its education piece and already schools districts, teachers, and vendors have earmarked that money.
(Won't someone please think of the children?)
Earmarked that money for teachers and books,
Earmarkled that money for schiesters and crooks,
Earmarked that money for political games,
Earmarked that money for more of the same.

I am quite confident that I heard President Obama indicate that when it comes to education, we need more innovation.
But yet, those same programs that created and extended the achievement gap are continuing to be funded by those that created and extended the achievement gap.
(Won't someone please think of the children?)

Educators have forgotten exactly who is their customer.
The customer is the parent,
The working 9 to 5 parent,
The trying to stay alive parent.
The parent with 3 or 4 mouths to feed.
The parent who has many needs,
But pity isn't one of them.
Because if the customer is always right, then some educators are doing it wrong.

I have worked in school districts where many educators refuse to stay past 4pm for a parent conference.
That's wrong!
Where they believe every minority household has no college graduates.
That's wrong!
Where they believe that they care for their students more than the parents of those students. But at the same time, conduct themselves in a manner that is detrimental to the development of those students who they say they care about so much.
Very wrong!

I could cite statistics, but I'm not.
You know who you are.
Let's make room for educators that care,
Educators who want to educate.

So here's what we are going to do.
Every parent
Hold you child's teacher accountable.
Ask what is the purpose of the assignment.
Ask if there is a goal in mind or if this is just idle work.
Ask to see some lesson plans.
As the customer, demand that the work is done right, so that the product, our children, won't break down at the side of the road.
Politicians
Don't give one penny of the stimulus money to any school district or program without a plan in place.
This is my challenge.
This is my grassroots movement.
I am Dr. EBlack
And I approve this message.