Should Teachers Pay Be Linked To Student Grades

[RICHARD]

I agree with the "vocational route" as far as school goes.
Some kids don't have the patience to sit in a chair all day and absorb the
lesson plan.

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About the teachers giving the answers away?


T&F

A,B,C, D-None of the Above?

Write an essay......

The student STILL has to know the right thing to put on the paper?

[Marigold2]

I believe much of the problem starts in the womb. Young people having children while they abuse drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and or abusive lifestyles.
Babies born with little or no nutrition addicted to drugs or cigarettes at birth.
Love birth rate, low IQ because above mentioned items.
These women don’t care about their children. They are unable to take care of themselves and the child is the least of their concerns.
Some are in jail time and time again. The father is unknown or has 7 other kids with 6 other women.
The worst offenders are the ones who have who’s kids are mentally and sexually abused.
They never really stand a chance. It is sad beyond belief and oh so true.
Birth control, is the only answer I can think of. The only thing that will work 100%. Never having these poor kids in the first place is the kindest thing of all.
Our schools and our country are not able to help them and furthermore should not have to. Birth control, self control. If you make a kid you should be responsible for it but if you are in jail or addicted to drugs you don’t give a s&*t.

[lizbud]

This Editorial in the local paper really got me thinking about the
bleak outlook for many kids in this area. I have no school age childen
anymore, but I don't envy any of today's parents of school age kids.
I don't have any answers, but I do believe the love of learning should
be instilled by the parents before the children even go to school.


Our Opinion
IPS must find path to progress
Posted: April 14, 2010Comments

A discouraging new report makes clear that a culture of failure still is deeply entrenched in Indianapolis Public Schools.

A team of education consultants, hired by the state, found inept administrators, weak teachers and a central office staff that is more disruptive than helpful in 12 of IPS' worst-performing schools. The report could lead to a state takeover of as many as eight of the schools next year.


Whether the state Department of Education, the mayor's office or another entity could improve conditions at the schools is an open question. But it's obvious that the district's current approach is not working, despite sustained efforts by Superintendent Eugene White to improve academic performance and student behavior.

The consultants, employed by a firm called Cambridge Education, found massive deficiencies at five IPS high schools -- Arlington, Broad Ripple, Howe, Manual and Northwest. Numerous red flags also were raised about Donnan Middle School "For too long the school and the district have attributed low ISTEP scores to students' poor skill levels on entry and their challenging social circumstances," the evaluation team wrote of Donnan. "It is time to recognize the shortfalls in teaching that have led to the high levels of failure and to carry out a detailed examination of what students need and how instruction can best meet their needs."

Other schools fared better, but even at those sites evaluators found problems that should trigger significant reform. At Gambold Middle, for example, the team urged district administrators to "ensure the school is released from large numbers of initiatives and professional developments that detract from the school's core purpose of raising student achievement."

It's time to drop the old excuses about why so many schools within IPS are failing. It's not because of student poverty. At Gambold Middle, 85 percent of the students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Yet, the principal is given high marks by evaluators and the school's overall performance is judged as fair. In contrast, at Donnon Middle, where 83 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, overall performance is rated as poor and administrators and teachers were given low marks. "A major barrier to student progress is that the school does not know how to improve," evaluators found.

The same could be said for much of IPS: It does not know how to improve. For the sake of this city and its children, a way forward must be found.