Problems with Portland Public Schools? Of course not says the Portland Tribune today. Let's play a game: if you can detect the oxymoronic thought in these sentences, you get a cookie.
"The district’s options have helped keep Portland’s capture rate — the rate at which Portland parents send their kids to Portland schools — at 85 percent, one of the highest among urban school districts nationwide. • School choice is No. 1 on the list of “Things That Don’t Need Fixing” in Portland Public Schools. "
Otherwise a fine series of articles in the Tribune today.
P.S. The PPS says it's cracking down on the liberal school transfer policy this year. When you consider this, 'capture rate' takes on a whole new meaning, doesn't it?
Friday, February 24, 2006
Problems with Portland Public Schools? Nah...
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6 comments:
"School choice" - now send me my cookie. ;-)
too easy!
I like the way the reporter said "school choice" and "capture rate" in the same graph. How is it that school choice is not a problem for Portland students when the school administrtion has announced recently it's going to crack down on parents who are lying to get their kids into certain schools in the district. Capture rate? We make fun of that phrase on my show alllllll the time. Tells you all you need to know. You're not customers, you're captured tax payers paying for a system over which you have no control and no choice. Choice not a problem? Tell that to the parents who want to move their kids to a school beyond the boundaries of their neighborhood schoool. Read John Charles' piece in the Trib too. BTW: you heard it on my show first: maybe the school district will simply become a "management" firm for a series of charter schools.
Well, Victoria, we shall be victimized by top-heavy administration, and what poor management it will be!
Just ask one, simple question.
If, near the end of the current contract, the board of PPS was approached by a group of accredited teachers (just, say, equally qualified to what they've got now, large enough to replace all current union teachers) who said: "We'll work for 15% less in total compensation."
What would the board do?
What would the union say?
Would it be "for the children"?
Time's up!
I have no children in school in Portland. My kids are grown and have families of their own, and noe of them live in Portland or Oregon (luckily for them). But from what I read nearly every day in the fish wrapper is that be biggest problem Portland has with the public schools is the teacher's union. They seem to always be whining about being short of money for the classrooms, and in the same whine hollering for higher wages for the teachers. They want it both ways and can't figure out why they can't. And they are being backed by Taliban Tommy and the Four Horsement of Portland's Apocalypse, the city council.
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