80% of NYC Public School Grads Can't Read

Started by LongBlade, March 08, 2013, 10:06:22 AM

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LongBlade

Instilling functional illiteracy seems to be a high priority for NYC public schools.

QuoteAlmost 80 percent of all New York City high school graduates who want to enroll in the City University's community college system must first relearn basic reading, writing and math.

All told, approximately 11,000 would-be students are required to take remedial courses each year.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2013/03/08/about-80-percent-of-nyc-high-school-grads-cant-read-well-enough-for-community-college/
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mirth

Who needs to read? Just do what Bloomberg tells ya.
"45 minutes of pooping Tribbles being juggled by a drunken Horta would be better than Season 1 of TNG." - SirAndrewD

"you don't look at the mantelpiece when you're poking the fire" - Bawb

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bayonetbrant

No matter who tries to place what blame where, no one will ever point fingers where they belong: the parents.

My daughter is 2-1/2 and she's already opening books and repeating the text on the pages from memory based on how many times we've read the books with her.

As far as Bayonette is concerned, she's "reading" - and it's because we (her parents) gave enough of a shit to start off when she was old enough to sit up straight.

That's not a function of the school system, but everyone will rush to blame teachers, unions, administrators, the President, textbook authors, el Nino, and sunspots before they ask the parents when the last time was that they sat down to read a book with their kids.
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TheCommandTent

Quote from: bayonetbrant on March 08, 2013, 10:25:16 AM
No matter who tries to place what blame where, no one will ever point fingers where they belong: the parents.


IMHO this is the root of many of the problems that plague this country, especially as they relate to the younger generations.
"No wants, no needs, we weren't meant for that, none of us.  Man stagnates if he has no ambition, no desire to be more than he is."

Longdan

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DoctorQuest

My son is in his first year of teaching middle school. He has seen first hand the difference that having parents actively engaged in education can make.

That being said, there are still bad teachers out there and he is currently suffering from the effects of his predecessor. This teacher did not insist on any accountability from the students and even allowed the students to address the teacher by first name.

And, no, this is not a new issue. We like to play the "good olde days" game but some things do not change.
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eyebiter

This smells like one of those "better put out a news release quick before they cut our budget" efforts.  Curious to see the specific demographics of those students.

Gusington

I am a graduate of NYC and NYS schools and I've done just fine. Why? My parents and grandparents gave a crap.


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mirth

Quote from: Gusington on March 08, 2013, 02:02:02 PM
I am a graduate of NYC and NYS schools and I've done just fine. Why? My parents and grandparents gave a crap.

I thought you got by on your looks.
"45 minutes of pooping Tribbles being juggled by a drunken Horta would be better than Season 1 of TNG." - SirAndrewD

"you don't look at the mantelpiece when you're poking the fire" - Bawb

"Can't 'un' until you 'pre', son." - Gus

Gusington

^If so I would have been dead 15 years ago.


слава Україна!

We can't live under the threat of a c*nt because he's threatening nuclear Armageddon.

-JudgeDredd

Sigma One

When I was in school, there were frequent book sales, I'm talking at least once a month. Hell, we even had competitions on reading and writing about a book for in-school coupons for prizes. This was in elementary school, and when you had a chance to win a snap bracelet or the grand-daddy Garfield alarm clock, you bet your asses we read. By high school there wasn't a need for prizes, I freaking loved reading, and my dorm had books all over the place, and when I got into a house with shared bathrooms, there was a small bookshelf in the crapper room.

I agree that parents should have a huge helping hand in getting their kids to appreciate and use their education, after all, they see them the most and impart their wisdom on them.

Gusington

^There still are these sales and competitions where I live, and both my kids love to read. Why? Because The Wife and I encourage them. And read with them. And read on our own. There are books everywhere in our house, that we actually use and read.


слава Україна!

We can't live under the threat of a c*nt because he's threatening nuclear Armageddon.

-JudgeDredd

Longdan

I noticed a big change in schools in the mid to late 70's when some people my age and a little older started having an impact
on teaching.  I had gotten out of High School in the early 70's and then into the army and out of country for some years.
Not long after coming back I found myself working in schools and the change was ridonkulous.  Learning was now supposed
to be "fun" and "non-competitive".  There were still some great teachers (pretty ones with big boobs) but there were bad
and slovenly teachers like I had never seen or heard of before.  Teachers had spares and "professional days" and stuff they
had only dreamed of just a few years before.  As always, however, it was parental involvement that made the difference but
the parents and the teachers were the same people it seemed. Kids come out of High School unprepared for University unless
their parents make up the deficit.  School has become babysitting for busy parents.  Blame it on birth control.
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OJsDad

I'll play a little bit of Devils Advocate on this.

What if NYC Schools said 'Hey, we're holding 11,000 back in each class because they cannot read'  There would a race to the microphones to condemn the district.  First the parents for holding their little angel back.  Then the politicians blaming each other for the failures.  Then the school administrators and unions becuase they don't have enough money.  Finally, they lawyers would come along to file class action lawsuits against the district for failing them.

From the way the article reads, I'm guessing that these students are graduated from the public school system.  How many kids go to private schools.  What percentage of them have these issues.

Yes, it does start at home, but its not like we're going to punish anyone at the home for these issues.  It's not like we're going to look at each case and ask the parents if they're working less than 20 hrs a week and getting lots of welfare, why their kids are not in school more often than not and not getting their homework done. 

And, if the kids totally fail to get a clue, we'll borrow more money so they can collect more in welfare than they will ever earn working.
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Boggit

It's a hard issue to deal with. Having supportive parents is wonderful, but sadly not all students have the benefit of supportive parents, so schools have to develop strategies that are inclusive and encourage at the very least a positive learning environment so people aren't often left behind in their education. It's not easy to achieve but is possible. I am privileged to be a School Governor and recently met Vic Goddard who was one of the speakers at the annual School Governor's conference. He's been very successful as a Head Teacher in helping pupils achieve a high standard at one of the most "underprivileged" schools in the UK. It is possible to achieve good educational results across the board for children whose parents are not engaged with education, but requires a lot of thought and planning by the Head Teacher and the Board of Governors.

The results mentioned are disheartening for NYC schools, but there is hope.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2011/sep/29/educating-essex-teachers-passmores
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