4 comments

1. 

   Derek Kilborn · June 3, 2013 - 9:33 pm ·

   Kartik Krishnaiyer:

   Good evening – if you are going to criticize the school choice and reform movement, you at least owe us the courtesy of an explanation. First, do you think the public education system is broken? Second, what reform ideas or suggestions do you support for improving the delivery of a public education?

   Whether it was your series on school choice, the parent-trigger legislation or earlier postings about the former governor Jeb Bush, I have invited (practically begged) you to present your reform solutions. On February 26, you responded, “I will outline some of the solutions from other states in a future posting…” Furthermore, in the same article you cited, “Democratic legislators from urban areas who have worked to find solutions that involve improving public schools and even developing public-private partnerships under the framework of the public school system.” I asked in response, “Who are they, what are they doing and will their concepts work in the state of Florida?” As of this writing, we wait. In my opinion, your continued willingness to criticize, but unwillingness to present your reform solutions, represents a failure of the political left to honestly assess and help repair the state of public education in the United States.

   Republicans, conservatives, constitutionalists and libertarians have transparently put forth a cache of education reform solutions. Each of these solutions were initially designed to achieve maximum flexibility in execution, accelerate the response time to emerging problems, perfect measurements of accountability, and ultimately improve student performance despite a deteriorating family and social environment outside the schoolhouse walls.

   For years, the political right coalition has tried to work within the existing framework of local, public school districts but have been met with strong and consistent resistance from administrators, the unions (who do not always represent the opinions of the public school teachers) and their supporters. Much of this resistance is rooted in political and labor implications and not whether the reform solutions will actually improve learning comprehension. Parents don’t have time to wait for the political left to decide when they are going to share their reform solutions. If the public schools won’t respond to the parent’s evolving preferences and needs, then the parents will begin to pursue other alternatives.

   This is a battle of ideas (charter schools, vouchers, virtual learning centers, parent trigger options, collegiate partnerships, variable licensing requirements, longer days, year-round schedules, etc.) What are your reform solutions, and why are they better than the subject of your complaints?

   DISCLAIMER

   My mother is a retired public school teacher, I was educated in a public school, attended two state universities for my collegiate education and recently committed my pre-kindergarten son to attending a public school next year. I support public schools – school choice and reform does not mean anti-public, anti-union. Pinellas County’s magnet and fundamental school programs show how these ideas can successfully be implemented into the existing public school framework.

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2. 

   Susan Smith · June 3, 2013 - 9:58 pm ·

   The system isn’t broken. “Reform” suggestions: adequate funding, smaller classes, a rich curriculum (art, music, literature, geography, etc.), fewer high-stakes tests, more paraprofessionals, high-quality early childhood programs, end of zero-tolerance policies, wraparound services in high-poverty neighborhoods, mentoring programs for teachers and respect for what they are doing.

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3. 

   Susan Smith · June 3, 2013 - 10:19 pm ·

   Should have prefaced my comment by saying that education wasn’t broken before George and Jeb Bush and corporate America decided there was money to be made from it.

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4. 

   Derek Kilborn · June 21, 2013 - 8:23 pm ·

   Susan Smith:

   Thank you for your detailed response. Mr. Kartik Krishnaiyer shows such little respect for the school choice movement, I have been begging him to produce alternative concepts or a plan for repairing the delivery of a public education. Despite several failed promises to the contrary, he has produced nothing.

   In my community, several public schools and one charter school had pathetic 2013 FCAT results. On the contrary, the fundamental and magnet school program that is operated by and within the public school system has outperformed nearly all other public schools in the countywide district. It is proof that the flexibility normally practiced by private schools are equally effective when adopted by public schools. Frankly, I don’t understand why the whole countywide school district isn’t a fundamental and magnet school district? If parents do not want to participate, then let them out out of their commitments by sending their children to a handful of non-fundamental and magnet schools.

   School choice supporters and parents in certain neighborhoods are desperate for alternatives. In my community, one elementary school, Maximo (public) Elementary, actually had a percentage in achievement of only 15 percent for reading and 4 percent for math. Melrose (public) Elementary was 26 and 19 respectively. Gulfport (public) Elementary was 33 and 28 respectively. Imagine (charter) School only scored 27 and 13 respectively. This is embarrassing!

   These results explain why more than 400 students have already signed up for a new charter school in the neighborhood that is scheduled to open in the Fall 2013: http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/new-pinellas-charter-recruits-students-from-struggling-neighborhood-schools/2126961.

   I wish Mr. Krishnaiyer would show more respect for the facts and understand why the school choice movement is growing. Insults and excuses won’t improve the education results of our children. Thank you again for your respectful contribution to the discussion.

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