Second Thoughts (Ed Rendell & Education)

www.countypressonline.com ^ | 4/1/03 | William Lawrence

[Temple Owl]

By: William W. Lawrence 04/01/2003 We Pennsylvanians are rather generous when it comes to spending money on education for our children. On the average, we shell out $10,400 annually for each public school student. That, according to the Commonwealth Foundation, when adjusted for the cost of living, is more than what 47 other states and the District of Columbia spend on their kids.

What do we get for it? I am embarrassed, but I'll whisper it to you. Not much. Pennsylvanians placed 46th out of the 50 states on the SAT college entrance exam.

How does Governor Fast Eddie Rendell plan to solve the problem? Ah, you peeked!

[Temple Owl]

ping

[Diva Betsy Ross]

PA homeschooling bump. I just hate this guy.

[Democratic_Machiavelli]

all-day Kindergarten ping

[twigs]

I don't like Rendell either. My Dem husband voted for him, but when he heard about Rendell's proposed tax hikes, he asked me if he could rescind his vote. I reminded him that he shouldn't be surprised--that's what Dems do. I've been working on him since we've been married--the Dems are dutifully supplying the evidence.

[Democratic_Machiavelli]

If I remember correctly, Pennsylvania was where they had that trouble a few years ago with children forcibly being examined (completely examined), in spite of waivers signed by parents saying their private physician would fulfill the state requirement.

Promote family rights bump.

[Alberta's Child]

Pennsylvanians placed 46th out of the 50 states on the SAT college entrance exam.

I'm no fan of public education, but this is always one of the most deceptive statistics that is used in assessing school performance.

My parochial high school actually had a lower average SAT school than the public high school in the same town, but what the statistics didn't reveal was that 98% of my graduating class took the SAT while less than 50% of the public school students did.

[Tribune7]

ping

[Tribune7]

but this is always one of the most deceptive statistics that is used in assessing school performance.

But it is just about the only one we got. Pa. ranks low in other categories too so there is a correlation.

[Tribune7]

Pennsylvania was where they had that trouble a few years ago with children forcibly being examined (completely examined), in spite of waivers signed by parents saying their private physician would fulfill the state requirement.

I think it was in one of the upstate school districts.

[netmilsmom]

Bump for later read..

[Alberta's Child]

The state of New York has a formal examination process at various grade levels. You cannot graduate from high school in New York until you pass your Regents exams.

There are a lot of complaints about that process, but it does provide an accurate indicator of a school's performance because just about 100% of the students take the exams.

[Genaro]

Rendell is obviously pandering to his base and redistributing income like all DEMS do. With a proposal to increase to 3.75% of gross makes one think of moving to Florida. Too bad Matt Ryan is dead; he might have been able to stop this.

[cynicom]

Deceptive???? Not really. Both of my children were "educated" in PA public schools. Both went to college. Both will tell you that their "education" was woefully inadequate.

[stevio]

Yea all day Kindergarten, just what I want, my kids getting an earlier indoctrination start.

Call your state senators and congressmen. We still have the majority. Make them make rendell renege his deal to the NEA.

[bvw]

How much of that state money is dumped, wasted, in The Philadelphia School System of Chaos, Danger and Despair?

[bvw]

I also believe that in Pennsylvania, as you suggest, the dynamic that you suggest, that makes this SAT measure deceptive -- is correct. State-wide, except in only a few top-noth surburban districts, only the best students take the SATs.

However -- in Pensylvania, money will NOT solve the problem, but it will WORSEN it. Discretion and Accountability are the cure -- liberal supplies of money poisons those cures.

[Alberta's Child]

LOL. I wasn't trying to make the case that Pennsylvania is a bastion of excellence in education -- I simply wanted to point out that average SAT scores are not necessarily an accurate indicator of acadamic performance.

I've long suspected that in some jurisdictions there are two reasons for the incredible increase in the number of "special education" students -- 1) the special ed. teachers get paid more, and 2) these students aren't necessarily included in the school's performance on standardized tests.

Based on some of the ways "performance" is computed, I could take almost any school district in Pennsylvania and turn it into a top-rate district tomorrow -- I'd simply take anyone with an IQ under 120 and put them in special ed.

[Michael Barnes]

I wish I could find the article on the school in the Phila area that was run by a private firm. It was still a public school, but was operated outside Gov't. It was doing fantastic. The local area teachers and Gov't did everything in their power to shut it down. (this is the short version of course)

[Democratic_Machiavelli]

Deal?