Chicago Public Schools Boost Charters by Fixing Grades

[Hannah Bell]

According to the Sun-Times; the ten schools that had the highest rate of changing grades were located in disadvantaged areas. If you haven't read the article please click the link for the full story.

Hyde Park Academy was the worst offender where 91.61 grades per 100 were raised, 50.92 per 100 lowered and 39.38 per 100 "F"s changed to a passing grade. The only odd number, compared with the other nine schools was 50.92 per 100 of lowered grades. There definitely seems to be some creative bookkeeping going on at Hyde Park to deflect the other two categories.

There were also 880 "F"s changed to passing grades this year. Students were also ordered Blanket "A"s to all students of five new Hyde Park teachers after suffering substitute teachers the first quarter. According to Monique Bond, "issuing a blanket "A" directive is not within policy guidelines".

Some principals have blamed a new electronic grading system called GradeBook. Principals at Orr Academy and Austin Polytechnical Academy said "that could have reflected a teacher's difficulty in overriding GradeBook's grading formulas or scales".

I don't accept that as a viable answer. You would have seen the same problem system wide if that were the case. The greatest problems occurred in areas considered disadvantaged and where charter schools were initiated to help the youth. Schools, in some cases on academic probation.

Why are teachers even attempting to override GradeBooks formulas or scales? Haven't they already been calibrated? What kind of teacher overrides a grade - one who doesn't teach well?

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicago-political-commentary/2010/03/chicago-public-schools-boost-charters-by-fixing-grades.html

[Starry Messenger]

1. It's the Chicago Miracle!

We can make failing grades disappear!

[Hannah Bell]

2. isn't it funny how all these "miracles" turn out to be buttressed by fraud,

cherry-picking, special funding, etc.?

surprise.

[Starry Messenger]

3. I guess that's why they have to fire all the experienced teachers

They interfere with the special effects team. It's sickening. I wonder where all the "why don't you care about the children" posters are in this? Somehow accurately reported test results is 1000x worse than falsifying results to look like a "win"? :shrug:

[Hannah Bell]

4. the concern junkies are selective in their concern, it appears.

note several who've weighed in in the last 30" on the "loser" thread somehow didn't make it to the "gay" thread.

[Starry Messenger]

5. I guess accountablility only matters if one is an underfunded public institution

Don't people understand that their tax dollars are being flushed away in these charters?

[Hannah Bell]

6. most don't. some are promoting it because they benefit from the graft.

some are so brainwashed by 30 years of anti-public-ed propaganda that's all they hear.


billionaire eli broad wants "accountability" for teachers, but taxpayer bailouts for AIG -- the corporation he's heavily involved with.


fat cats = scamming hypocrites

[Starry Messenger]

7. And yet somehow the US public school system isn't "too big to fail" on DU

Oh yeah, the brainwashing...