tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2586988941850907367.post2098709220268673796..comments2024-03-24T11:39:28.574-04:00Comments on NYC Public School Parents: Race Till They DropPatrick Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10631038958645725010noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2586988941850907367.post-36512676677670838642010-03-03T21:55:10.602-05:002010-03-03T21:55:10.602-05:00...It wasn't just a little mentoring and assis......It wasn't just a little mentoring and assistance, Josh -- Edison proposed adult-free classrooms.carolinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08127336930949752636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2586988941850907367.post-26741371323501410122010-03-03T21:54:20.946-05:002010-03-03T21:54:20.946-05:00Edison Schools, desperate to make a buck, has been...Edison Schools, desperate to make a buck, has been proposing the use of child labor for years -- both older students teaching younger ones and also child-labor support staff (custodians, secretaries). It's only a little more surreal than the other s#!t they do. <br /><br />Great, great post!carolinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08127336930949752636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2586988941850907367.post-77015257726873485142010-03-03T21:15:52.934-05:002010-03-03T21:15:52.934-05:00Exactly, Josh! They'll take a good idea and di...Exactly, Josh! They'll take a good idea and distort it beyond recognition. Just like, while it may make sense to use public transit in some cases instead of yellow buses, a couple of years ago they tried giving 5-year-old's metro cards. Of course that was right after Donald Rumsfeld was named head of pupil transportation ... http://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2007/03/rumsfeld-named-nyc-school-bus-chief.htmlGary Babadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02081430777224237696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2586988941850907367.post-38041256150526730122010-03-03T18:28:22.012-05:002010-03-03T18:28:22.012-05:00The idea of having older children help teach young...The idea of having older children help teach younger ones is to me a valuable idea, amongst many others for re-structuring schools. <br /><br />Native speakers of languages other than English can assist native English speakers in learning those languages. Students from blue collar families whose parents have taught them trades can assist those from white collar families, like mine, in which we grew up with 2 right thumbs. <br /><br />My daughter was in an alternative public elementary school which had bridge classes K-1, 2-3, & 4-5, where students who were more advanced in some areas helped others and vice versa. She learned how to appreciate difference and to share what she knew.<br /><br />The satire in Gary's piece is that none of this is what will emerge from any anti-union re-structuring that may occur as a result of the combination of political posturing about education, and a fiscal crisis of the states and cities.josh karannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2586988941850907367.post-15395819958634479622010-03-03T17:48:42.474-05:002010-03-03T17:48:42.474-05:00And to think all this time I could have been worki...And to think all this time I could have been working for Edison and making a fortune on ideas like this. Oh, the price we pay to be ethical!Gary Babadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02081430777224237696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2586988941850907367.post-57842983711961789492010-03-03T15:53:11.481-05:002010-03-03T15:53:11.481-05:00Brilliant as usual Gary; but this is not so far-fe...Brilliant as usual Gary; but this is not so far-fetched. Recently Chris Whittle of Edison schools fame (or infamy) wrote a book recommending a new kind of system in which teachers would be paid more but the teaching force radically downsized, by getting older students to do alot of the work, by teaching the younger kids and/or helping out in other ways.Leonie Haimsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17317355552298136811noreply@blogger.com