Posted on 05/06/2017 5:24:11 AM PDT by IBD editorial writer
Are we "doing" high school right these days? Is it enough to say we have improved our schools by offering more electives, more AP courses, IB classes, and STEM programs? Is that impactful enough, or at all?
These are inputs, not outputs, and they are no guarantee to students that they will get a job or get into the college they want to attend when they graduate. So, again, are we doing high schools right, today?
As the issue of school choice heats up, this is a question that needs an answer. If the choice is between two schools that aren't making a difference in the lives of low-income, at-risk youths, what's the point?
It is a question we had to confront at our own charter school in Gary, Ind. Gary is a proud city in the shadows of Chicago that has been hurt by the decline of the steel industry. Nearly 80% of the local school district's population is qualified for the federal free-lunch program and less than 15% of all homes in Gary report any college degrees.
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
How about courses that prepare students for careers as plumbers, electricians, A/C mechanics and the like, for those who have no business going to college but still need to be able to keep a roof over their head and food on their table by providing the services that are essential to maintaining modern civilization's infrastructure?
Kevin, what a Great article and Big difference you are making!
Please drop me a FRmail and tell me how I can get involved in supporting the Geo Foundation’s education outreach mission.
Well done sir -
RE:
“Commentary
It’s Time For High School 2.0
Students at the 21st Century Charter School in Gary, Ind., are earning college degrees while attending high school. (CBS News)
KEVIN TEASLEY
5/05/2017
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Are we “doing” high school right these days? Is it enough to say we have improved our schools by offering more electives, more AP courses, IB classes, and STEM programs? Is that impactful enough, or at all?
These are inputs, not outputs, and they are no guarantee to students that they will get a job or get into the college they want to attend when they graduate. So, again, are we doing high schools right, today?
As the issue of school choice heats up, this is a question that needs an answer. If the choice is between two schools that aren’t making a difference in the lives of low-income, at-risk youths, what’s the point?
It is a question we had to confront at our own charter school in Gary, Ind. Gary is a proud city in the shadows of Chicago that has been hurt by the decline of the steel industry. Nearly 80% of the local school district’s population is qualified for the federal free-lunch program and less than 15% of all homes in Gary report any college degrees.
In 2005, with poverty on the rise in Gary and an invitation from local leaders, we started a college prep charter school in Gary. We believed in our students going to college and thought that if we counseled them long enough, took them on college tours, showed them how to apply for loans and scholarships, showed them the value of a high school diploma, college degree, master’s degree, etc., that eventually all our students would catch on and graduate on time, and go to and complete college.
Not so.
It turns out, we were speaking a foreign language to most of our students. They came from homes void of college experience, let alone degrees. Our students didn’t believe they were going to college so they weren’t even trying that hard in high school. Adding more AP courses, more foreign-language teachers and more science classes wasn’t going to change that.
We knew our students were smart, and because we weren’t bound by rigid public school rules we were able to try new approaches. So we made a deal with our students. Take the college entrance exam, pass any portion of it, and we will cover your college tuition and textbook fees, and provide transportation. Our staff agreed to provide support so that students succeeded in their college classes.
At first, only a few took us up on our offer. They succeeded, and their success started to spread. In 2013, we had our first student earn his Associate of Arts Degree while in our high school. In 2014, we had three more students earn AAs. In May, we will celebrate five students who have achieved this goal and one student who has actually earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Purdue University — while in our high school. She is the first in Indiana’s history to do this. (A clip from CBS News about one of these students is below.)
We are focused on outputs, not inputs, and everything we are doing could and should apply to schools across the country.
In fact, we do this in Colorado Springs, as well. Our Gary school has 900 students. Our Colorado school has 320. Our two schools in Baton Rouge are elementary schools, and when the time comes for those students to go to college, we want to have a GEO high school operating in that state for them to attend. No matter the school size, our plan works!
Our 43 Gary seniors will earn an average of 17 college credits before graduating in May. Our 13 Colorado Springs seniors will earn 34 credits, on average, when they graduate, and two will earn an Associate Degree.
Both schools do this with the same dollars every other public school in their respective states receives from state and federal sources. But while traditional schools get K-12 results, we are getting K-14 and sometimes K-16 results — with K-12 dollars.
Our partnership with local colleges saves valuable dollars and allows us to more directly benefit each of our students. Our students earn certifications in auto mechanics, yet we don’t have a garage; the local community college does. We have students earning general education college associate degrees (equivalent to the first two years of college at a four year university), yet we don’t have professors on our campus; the community college does.
Instead of hiring multiple foreign-language, arts, science and math teachers, and building a bigger campus — the things you typically see at any traditional high school — we restrict our staff and building and focus on preparing our students to pass the college entrance exam. Once they pass the college entrance exam, we enroll them in college courses that count for both high school credits and college credits. And we insist on our students taking college classes on a college campus.
This aspect is extremely important as our students need exposure to the college atmosphere — they need to see college isn’t a scary place and that they can do it. This builds confidence for them and gives them the strength and belief to be able to complete college while with us or soon after they graduate from our school.
We believe students need to earn actual college credits — and experience college classroom culture and real career training and certifications — before they graduate from high school. That is what our success has taught us. And when we open the doors to the community college, whether we have 900 students or 320, all of our students enjoy the entire catalog of college course offerings.
I’d like to say it’s easy, but it isn’t. It takes discipline and out-of-the-box thinking.
With today’s increasing demands on state budgets across the country and the increasing demand for college and career-trained high school graduates, we need to expect more and get more from our nation’s high schools. It is imperative that we encourage high schools to embrace sending students to college. And it is vital that we encourage high schools to remove barriers to students — the costs and challenges of tuition, textbooks, transportation and schedules — so that more students can take advantage of community and four-year universities.
This is “school choice on steroids.” Students can choose courses that meet their individual needs. We meet our nation’s output goals of college and career-ready high school graduates. And we don’t break the bank either.
That’s what we call doing high school right!
Teasley is president of the Indianapolis-based GEO Foundation.”
For your interest, if not for you list . . .
*impactful enough*?!?!?!?
Please.....
HOMESCHOOL so your kids don't end up talking or writing like this.
Absolutely.....
i hate that trendy word “impactful” and I hate “doing” high school, but that is how the movers and shakers talk these days, the cool people. And obviously, his use of language aside, this dude has got it right. Wish my first kid had been in a high school like that.
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If they offered real classes in trades, and not just for the losers who only give the teacher trouble, some of these kids might actually find that they are good with their hands and can contribute to supporting themselves.
It would give them a sense of self-worth and the self-esteem they are trying to brainwash the kids into having for no reason.
Give them something they can be proud of and a reason to be proud of it.
They also failed to realize many college educated and non-college educated people will need to do home and auto repairs, home renovations, appliance repair, etc to save money.
Even more ironic that the "specialists" failed to identify the "maker" movement where people of all ages are designing machines, new gadgets, and systems fit for new purposes. The homeschool environment is well-suited for exploration of these ideas, hands-on learning, and creativity.
I like the author's message, but he needs to drop the tired business cliches.
Pursuing college degrees while in high school is not a new concept. I know many homeschoolers doing this, they just don't issue press releases like this guy.
A lot of (maybe almost all!) high schools lost those courses during the 1970s when they were consolidated into one “Vo-Tech” school. (In the state where I grew up I think there was one per county!) The high school admins were happy to give those up because now the cost of maintaining such programs were consolidated in one place. They also then blocked any college bound kids from taking those courses. Convenience & need to the local students; well too bad! Now more “studies” teachers can be hired no expensive O&M on them.
will need to do home and auto repairs, home renovations, appliance repair, etc
= = =
Growing up working on the family farm, provided me with hands-on education in these and more.
And throw in a little Boy Scouts/Merit Badges (back in the day).
bring back industrial arts please
wood shop and metal shop - just the kind we took in jr. high would be enough
I interview young kids for jobs in my small manufacturing company and they have never touched a power tool.
I fear that that isn't close enough. Isn't it in the communist manifesto to take control of the schools, so as to produce totally brainwashed kids? Going to college and seeing people that have no business being there lecture them about "social justice" and "global warming" is a part of that brainwashing. Going by that, I believe it was planned out a long, long time ago.
They can't control kids if they're learning about building codes and how to splice wires or solder pipes.
They can play ball or eat themselves to death, as long as somebody pays for their heat and grocery bill.
And, oh, did I say pay for their sex-enabling, sex-changing, and abortion/abortifacient costs?
Nowadays, thanks to BSA leadership, a Boy Scout can get a merit badge for demonstrating how to select his first training bra.
As long as they are prepared to deal with getting into a union, or moving to an open-shop state.
Yes indeed - very similar experience - farms are one of the best education’s we can experience. Sadly, farming is foreign to today’s generation...scary actually.
25 years ago I interview kids ( from the very same high schools ) and would ask them ‘do you work on cars’ in a effort to determine how mechanical they were. Typical answers:
‘Not really, my brother and I rebuilt his 351 small block last summer...’
“Just a little, I rebuilt the rear axle of my 20 year old beater to change the drive ratio it’s a easy weekend job”
“Not at all, I sometimes help my Dad out in the garage. He loves restoring old cars. We just finished a rebuild of a 54’ Olds from ground up that took 3 years, He made me tear apart the tranny and rebuild it. “
Today the answers are;
‘Yes, I love working on cars and do it all the time. Last week I washed and waxed my Mom’s Car”
“Sure do, I can check the oil and tire pressure at least twice a year”
“Sorta, my grandfather lets me watch”
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