This Tuesday in Philadelphia marked the first stop of a multi-city education reform tour led by Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Speaker Newt Gingrich, and Reverend Al Sharpton.
The tour is a symbol that, despite the three of them not agreeing on other issues, our children's future is an issue that should bring all Americans together.
The first school we visited was Mastery Charter School, a remarkable success story. Just three years ago it was called Shoemaker Public School and it was one of the most violent and under-performing schools in Philadelphia. Then Mastery Charter took over the 7-12th grade school. In those three years, test scores jumped 60 points and now 100% of the students say they plan to attend college.
Remarkably, it's still the same building and same students. What changed? Mastery put in place a demanding structure that includes a strict code of conduct and rigorous coursework. Quality teachers that care about and challenge the students also made a huge difference. For example, one student told us that one of their former teachers at Shoemaker told them they would still get a paycheck no matter how the students performed on exams. Now the students praise their current teachers as mentors and role models that have put them on the path to college--something many of them didn't dream of three years ago.
The second school we visited was Delaplaine McDaniel Public School, a Pre K to 6th grade school. There we met with teachers, parents, and community leaders and listened in on a 4th grade literacy class. The kids were studying the poetry of Maya Angelou and were very engaged and eager to learn. They even wrote their own poems to present to Duncan, Gingrich, and Sharpton.
After visiting these two turnaround schools, it was very clear that models of what works in education exist. There are no longer any excuses for failing schools to not learn from these models of success.
Click here if you would like to receive email updates about the education tour. Below you will find some pictures, video, and news reports from the Philadelphia school visits.
Philadelphia Inquirer: An unlikely trio observes Phila. school reforms
Philadelphia Daily News: Visit to schools leaves Sharpton 'really inspired'
Wall Street Journal: School Push Hits the Road
Associated Press: Sharpton, Gingrich launch school tour in Philly
Metro: Newt, Rev. Al get pointers in Philly
KYW Newsradio: US Education Secretary Kicks Off National Tour in Phila.
CBS: Philly Students Meet With Education Secretary
NBC: The Odd Couple
ABC: "Listening and Learning" tour stops in Phila.
Audio: Gingrich on the Tom Joyner Morning Show
Video: Sharpton on Fox and Friends
Video: Gingrich: Why Aren't Failing Schools Changing?
Video: Sharpton: Education System Still Resists Change
FoxNews.com: Odd Couple: Gingrich and Sharpton
Fox News Live Desk: Gingrich, Sharpton visit schools to highlight education
That is truly amazing. It's more than just encouraging, it's literally the foundation on which any success this "unlikely trio" will have with your endeavors, (and clearly why it's also your first report). Job well done to these two Philly schools.
Thank you, all three of you, for this multi-partisan approach to understanding education reform. Thank you for providing a glimmer of hope.
Sincerely,
Gabriel Lawrence
Thanks so much Gabriel. The two schools in Philly were amazing to see, and it was very encouraging to see the students - they were all interested, engaged, and had a lot of pride in their school. We hope that we help spread the word about such examples of success, and help parents to mobilize so that their children have similar opportunities no matter where they are.
What a joy to witness! Not just the kids, but the courageous participation of Reverend Sharpton with whom I have never felt much in common. Courageous, just as these kids are, for daring to be a part of something new and challenging and facing the enormous peer pressure to be more like associates and neighbors who are far more comfortable with the status quo.
Platitudes, promises, and excuses (notably including insufficient funding) cannot stand in the face of such evidence of success. Keep the tour moving across every state in this country until courage and inspiration replace entrenched attitudes and assumptions! And insist on media coverage every step of the way.
Thank you all!
What?!?!?! Are you kidding me? Puh-LEASE! Okay, I know that it sounds all good and politically-correct to go on a tour, stand up in front of the kids and the cameras, and talk about the future, but GIVE ME A BREAK!
Is this how Newt is spending his time, lately? Touring with Sharpton and encouraging kids to read Angelou?
Let me inject some perspective. While the education of our children is very important and while I agree that there needs to be serious reform to our educational system, I don't think this effort is what we are expecting from of one of our political leaders at this time.
Our economy is in shambles and our nation is AT THIS MOMENT teetering on the verge of Socialism with the Healthcare debate RAGING across our great country, and Newt is hamming-it-up with Al Sharpton, Maya Angelou and a bunch of 5th graders??????
Our economy is collapsing and the ideals for which our fore-fathers fought and died-for are in dire jeopardy of being annulled by the Liberal majority in Washington, and NEWT is posing with Al Sharpton and a bunch of schoolkids and holding a dixie-cup full of Kool-Aid!
There is only ONE solution to fixing our educational system, and it begins with ELIMINATING THE TEACHERS UNIONS. BUT DEFINITELY NOT by reciting Maya Angelou holding hands with Al Sharpton.
I'm VERY disappointed in you, Newt. The economy and our very freedom are in jeopardy as you and the members of American Solutions are reading this, and you are off eating animal crackers for the cameras.
Wanna fix education? Get rid of the teachers unions, and if you are not willing to say that in Sharpton's face, then you won't begin to accomplish anything.
Get out of his church.
Or stay in it.
Newt, Conservatives expect you to be focused on the economy now. Conservatives expect you to be focused on preserving our Freedoms.
Education has been gradually eroding-away for 40 years and Liberals have sunk their claws into our schools about as far as they ever will.
We can begin to fix education when Conservatives get back into office AFTER 2010 and 2012.
Meanwhile, get back on task, please! What would you think if all those tea-parties and tax protests this year didn't happen?
What would you think if the original participants of the Boston Tea Party decided to timidly amble up to the docks on a Sunday afternoon in broad daylight, and hail the British officers with Maya Angelou poetry, instead of forcibly boarding the ships and dumping the tea?
Well, excuse me for thinking that this is exactly what your efforts detailed in this article are all about. I don't know what you think you are accomplishing, but I can tell you that you aren't addressing the current crisis with Liberty and our economy.
Mr. Speaker:
Charter schools and vouchers are definitely a piece of the educational reform pie, but you're still not getting at the big problem in inner city schools. That's just a plain collapse of discipline and civility among students.
Yes, please criticize teachers and their unions, but you're not going to eliminate teachers unions as has been suggested here. However, you can appeal to teachers over their unions' heads by getting at the discipline problem.
I retired last year after 25 years in LAUSD. I was a pretty good math teacher, nominated for a College Board AP Calculus Teacher of the Year in 2003. I had enough of trying to teach in an environment where nobody cared.
What would have changed things? If my colleagues and I had the power to just remove students to reform schools. If a student's teachers said "go" then that kid would go.
We must do to public education what was done in New York City with crime. It's called the "broken windows" principle. You know what it is. Start sweating the small stuff and the big stuff will take care of itself.
You know better than to fall for the dog and pony show you're getting. Visit bad schools unannounced. Show the country how their money is being wasted. Make some news.
Frankly, I can't believe how you're being had.
Dan Hart
It is my considered opinion that it is not the Unions or the teachers creating the poor scores - it is the community and social environment that the students are surrounded by. Visiting only Charter Schools will clearly support this premise as the students at the Charter Schools have applied to the school or have parents that have made the application. Suffice it to say these students want to be taught and the family environment at home is very supportive. This is unlike the environments referred to by Mr. Hart and that is so so prevalent in inner city schools. Mr. Speaker you saw this and wrote about this when you studied the Detroit school programs.
If you doubt any of this -- just look at the National Spelling Bee or any of the National programs of that sort --- and you will see children educated in the public school systems - what is the difference in their development and progress -- I would suggest it is the community and social environment that the Oriental and Indian children are surrounded by once out of the school buildings.
Mr. Speaker -- remember your own words -- "Bad Government and Bad Culture are a pathway to ruin." Let us address the real problems and stop pointing to only the teachers.
PS - I am not a teacher.
PUT THEIR DADDYS TO WORK AND LET MOMMY TEACH THEM POETRY,HOPE,AND CHANGE. NOW THAT' PRIDE.
I have to agree with a lot of what Mr. Kreamer has to say about bad schools. Some excellent students have risen from bad schools because they had parents who motivated them. By the same token, there have been bright students who failed to excel. We have to quit blaming schools for every social ill. Parents have to take some responsibility for the education of their kids. Schools are not baby sitters.