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Carol Burris: The “culture” is more aligned with a communist nation than our nation. Well, that would be a 'faux-communist' nation, following the semantic style of, say, Israel Shamir, who has been rumored to refer to a certain event during World War 2 as a 'faux-Holocaust'. I would hope that Louis will respond to Shamey's personal attack on him in the current Counterpunch. On Sat, Jun 14, 2014 at 10:51 AM, Louis Proyect via Marxism < [email protected]> wrote: > ====================================================================== > Rule #1: YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. > ====================================================================== > > > NY Times, June 14 2014 > New Chairman of Board at N.Y.U. Is Announced > By ARIEL KAMINER > > New York University has announced a new leader for its board of trustees, > one of the largest and most powerful in American academia: William R. > Berkley, an insurance industry executive currently serving as a board vice > chairman. > > Mr. Berkley will have the title of chair-designate until October 2015, > when he will officially succeed Martin Lipton, who has overseen the > university’s ambitious and controversial expansion in New York and around > the world. > > (clip) > > In addition to his roles at N.Y.U., he has been active at Georgetown > University, where he helped found the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace > and World Affairs. In the New York metropolitan region, he has played a > role in the charter school movement, as chairman of Achievement First, > which operates 25 schools in three states. > > --- > > http://dianeravitch.net/2013/07/10/achievement-first-boot- > camp-for-kiddies/ > > Achievement First prides itself on its high test scores, but recent > stories report that these charters are also distinguished for startlingly > high suspension rates. Half the 5-year-olds were suspended last year. > > Dacia Toll, the Ivy League-educated leader of the charter chain, promised > to cut the suspension rate in half. Instead of suspending the kids, > apparently they will get even tougher on them in school. > > I have always wondered how privileged white college graduates learned to > be so hard on impoverished black children. It is highly unlikely that what > they do in these boot camps reflects their own home life or schooling. > > Here is the drill in the AF charters that gets higher test scores: > > “There is an urgency in the tenor of the classrooms at Achievement First > schools; a sense that every second must be used for learning. Even on the > last day of school at the Hartford middle school, a history teacher has a > tightly structured lesson that students are clearly enjoying. She uses a > timer to ensure that small tasks — like moving the desks into a U-shape for > discussion — don’t take longer then necessary. > > “The schools also have a language of their own that expedites > communication and students, for the most part, respond like a precision > team. A teacher at Bridgeport elementary schools tells her students to: > “SLANT, fold your hands and make a bubble.” Translation: Sit up straight, > listen, ask and answer questions, nod to signal engagement and track the > teacher with your eyes. And the bubble? Purse your lips and fill your > cheeks with air — a move that ensures quiet. > > “For years, the Achievement First students in Hartford, New Haven and > Bridgeport, have outperformed their peers on state tests in almost all > grades and subjects. On a recent visit to Achievement First’s middle school > in Hartford, a strict disciplinary code was evident. > > “In a large lecture hall with stadium seating — the “reflection room” — > two or three students who had been removed from class for behavioral > reasons sit quietly under the supervision of a staff member. > > “At the front of the room, the consequences of breaking the rules and the > rewards of not doing so are spelled out on large posters that proclaim, > “You’re not a born winner, you’re not a born loser. You’re a born chooser. > Make the Right Choice!” > > “And in most classrooms, two or three students wear a white shirt over > their blue school uniform, signaling that they are in “re-orientation” — a > disciplinary measure that permits them to stay in academic classes but > forbids interaction with peers and removes them from special classes like > music or physical education.” > > There is something Orwellian about that “Reflection Room.” I wouldn’t let > my children or grandchildren go to such a school. Would you? > > A comment posted on the article by Carol Burris, the principal of South > Side High School in New York: > > “As a public school principal, if I engaged in such practices, I would be > fired. No middle class suburban parent would put up with the systematic > humiliation of their children. The “culture” is more aligned with a > communist nation than our nation. > > “As for the “reflection room”–that is in-school suspension and for state > accounting purposes, it should be counted as such. These practices may > develop compliant children controlled by fear, but they will not develop > leaders who have learned self-control.” > > ________________________________________________ > Send list submissions to: [email protected] > Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/sranz18% > 40gmail.com > ________________________________________________ Send list submissions to: [email protected] Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
