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Matlabmaster, those "exceptional Americans" back in the 1800's with their one room schoolhouses also had slaves and denied women the right to vote. I adore my country just like you obviously do, but come on man, your posts come off like a Sarah Palin speech. Perfect for the tea party base but leaving 85% of the country scratching their heads, while embarrassing the vast majority of Republicans who think in much more complex and reasonable terms. I honestly can't tell if you're trolling these boards brilliantly, or if you're just a college kid who watches Fox "News" and has no idea how the real world works.
Nope. Common core applies to all public schools in NYS.
Sorry to chime in late here but you are wrong. Most of the Westchester schools did not participate in RTTT which is what forced common core down everyone's throats. So these schools have been able to maintain their curriculum without sacrificing quality education for the hastily created set of standards and even more hastily created accompanying curriculum.
Unfortunately the city schools are not funded by taxpayers in the way that schools are in Westchester so they had no choice but to play the RTTT game.
Sorry to chime in late here but you are wrong. Most of the Westchester schools did not participate in RTTT which is what forced common core down everyone's throats. So these schools have been able to maintain their curriculum without sacrificing quality education for the hastily created set of standards and even more hastily created accompanying curriculum.
Unfortunately the city schools are not funded by taxpayers in the way that schools are in Westchester so they had no choice but to play the RTTT game.
No again. ALL schools in the state participate in the common core. It's state law. Someone is feeding you wrong information.
Sorry to chime in late here but you are wrong. Most of the Westchester schools did not participate in RTTT which is what forced common core down everyone's throats. So these schools have been able to maintain their curriculum without sacrificing quality education for the hastily created set of standards and even more hastily created accompanying curriculum.
Unfortunately the city schools are not funded by taxpayers in the way that schools are in Westchester so they had no choice but to play the RTTT game.
With all due respect, what .....?
All Westchester public schools are subject to literacy and math common core requirements per the NYS DoE
Amonkeysmama, did you ever find a town im Westchester with like-minded parents? We are currently looking for a home and would like to be around the same types of parents. We have a baby right now but before we know it she'll be off to school
With all due respect, what .....?
All Westchester public schools are subject to literacy and math common core requirements per the NYS DoE
While everyone takes the same tests, Westchester schools do not dramatically change their curriculum in order to meet the changing test requirements nor are their students and teachers held accountable to the test prep and sanctions the way they are here in the city. That's the fact, Jack! It's also the reason people take out a second mortgage for taxes...
Amonkeysmama, did you ever find a town im Westchester with like-minded parents? We are currently looking for a home and would like to be around the same types of parents. We have a baby right now but before we know it she'll be off to school
Congratulations, Tori! Hopefully by the time your little one is in school it will be better but if you are serious about heading north PM me and I'll share not only the best broker we met in Westchester but also some scoop on towns.
Sorry to chime in late here but you are wrong. Most of the Westchester schools did not participate in RTTT which is what forced common core down everyone's throats. So these schools have been able to maintain their curriculum without sacrificing quality education for the hastily created set of standards and even more hastily created accompanying curriculum.
Unfortunately the city schools are not funded by taxpayers in the way that schools are in Westchester so they had no choice but to play the RTTT game.
None of this is true. Common core applies to all NYS public schools. City schools and suburban schools are financed in the exact same manner (combination of local property taxes, state allocations and federal grants).
While everyone takes the same tests, Westchester schools do not dramatically change their curriculum in order to meet the changing test requirements nor are their students and teachers held accountable to the test prep and sanctions the way they are here in the city. That's the fact, Jack! It's also the reason people take out a second mortgage for taxes...
Actually all Westchester schools have adapted their curriculum. Sure they didn't need to "drastically change it" in most cases because the common core is a set of learning standards - not an actual curriculum itself. So if your saying the common core only made standard the level at which most Westchester schools were already teaching - yes. And that's a good thing - rigorous academics is important in most Westchester schools, and other schools in NYS. Getting the remainder up to that level is a fine idea.
Individual districts here (Westchester) have it much easier when it comes to firing incompetent teachers - but in the city its virtually impossible to do so - no wonder they need objective measures to cut the bad. Graduation rates and warehousing in many City schools are diabolical.
As for the "second mortgage" joke - the 4% NY City income tax that Westchesterites don't pay makes a big cut into those taxes when it comes to the final accounting at the income levels we are talking about. And unlike in the city, you see what school you're getting for your tax money.
Actually all Westchester schools have adapted their curriculum. Sure they didn't need to "drastically change it" in most cases because the common core is a set of learning standards - not an actual curriculum itself. So if your saying the common core only made standard the level at which most Westchester schools were already teaching - yes. And that's a good thing - rigorous academics is important in most Westchester schools, and other schools in NYS. Getting the remainder up to that level is a fine idea.
Individual districts here (Westchester) have it much easier when it comes to firing incompetent teachers - but in the city its virtually impossible to do so - no wonder they need objective measures to cut the bad. Graduation rates and warehousing in many City schools are diabolical.
As for the "second mortgage" joke - the 4% NY City income tax that Westchesterites don't pay makes a big cut into those taxes when it comes to the final accounting at the income levels we are talking about. And unlike in the city, you see what school you're getting for your tax money.
Are you just pulling this stuff out of a hat?
You've got me, I'm pulling this stuff out of a hat! Also out of the fact that I've worked in a school of ed at a large university in NYC for over a decade with direct access to how our educational system in this country, and directly in our state, works.
Regarding the funding piece, there is no disputing that property taxes are significantly higher in Westchester than the city tax and property tax combined when living in the city. That is unless you are in the top 1%, which may be the case by the nature of your arguments.
Common core is a set of standards, yes. Standards also drive curriculum, which drives instruction, which is aligned to a test. The hastily rolled out curriculum aligned to the standards and poorly written assessments that are bringing our children to tears are hugely problematic nationwide. In the city there has been much higher stakes attached to these tests, which have historically dictated school choice. This is where you are at an advantage in Westchester. The poorly written tests do not affect whether or not your child is placed in a highly regarded middle or high school.
And lets not get started on the arbitrary cut rates set after the tests are administered that show how our students, schools, and teachers are failing! In fact, there was a great piece on John Oliver a few weeks back that is very approachable and you might want to view ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6lyURyVz7k).
There are also a great deal of wonderful resources to read if you have questions about how education works in this country, starting with a very approachable text edited by the fantastic David Berliner "50 Myths and Lies that threaten America's Public Schools".
Lastly, it is not impossible to fire incompetent teachers. Administrators who adequately document performance are able to remove teachers who are ineffective. The false narrative around tenure is that it makes you untouchable, when in reality it only ensures you receive due process.
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