Progressive Nashville

Why segregated schools make no sense

Nashville's school board on a 5-4 vote recently approved a plan to redistrict our schools. It's a plan that will lead to increased segregation and a lower quality of education for the students who most need it.

We need to look no further than Louisville to see the value of integrated schools. School officials in that district worked to mix students of low, moderate and high income families together with the goal of boosting learning among the low income students.

In a recent New York Times magazine article, writer Emily Bazelon says

Once they started looking for them, (assignment director Pat)Todd and her colleagues saw the effects of class division and poverty in the Jefferson County schools. Thorough racial desegregation had not, it seemed, led to thorough class desegregation. At 40 of 90 elementary schools in the district, 75 percent or more of the students came from low-income homes. And the effects of these high concentrations of poverty were striking: poor students in Louisville, black and white, fared worse when they attended schools filled with other poor kids. In elementary school, 61 percent of poor students at mostly low-income schools scored proficient in reading, compared with 71 percent of poor students at majority-middle-class schools. For math, the comparative proficiency rates were 52 percent to 63 percent. Because black students were disproportionately poor, they were more likely to attend high-poverty schools, and this was contributing to the district’s pronounced black-white achievement gap.

The goal of having equal schools in terms of resources is not enough. For a significant portion of the population, the best possible education can only come when students have the opportunity to attend schools outside of high poverty areas. The issue is one of income rather than race, but because a higher percentage of blacks are poor, the effects are racial.

Research by Douglas Harris at the University of Wisconsin bears this out.

Harris says:

The evidence from peer effect studies suggests that integration has little negative effect on the achievement of whites, but increases outcomes for disadvantaged students and for the average student.  Some of the evidence from the peer effects literature suggests that the apparent positive effects of integration on achievement may be due more to the achievement or income of peers rather than peer race.

The redistricting plan approved by the board of education is bad for Nashville. It will create groups of schools widely separated in student performance and will give students from poor neighborhoods less of an opportunity to improve their lives.

We need a plan that brings us together for the common good rather than being further divided into a system that reduces the chances for success for all the district's students.

    -- Jim Grinstead

A safer Bicentennial Park

Enclave says efforts are finally being made to make Bicentennial Park safer. Enclave publisher Mike Byrd and blogger Catherine McTamaney have been writing about increased security at the park since the two-hour rape of a woman last year.

Byrd says:

This morning I snapped a picture of what appears to be an emergency call box and a blue strobe light newly affixed to a park lamp post (HT to Joel B. for the tip after his original sighting while jogging the park). At least three lamp posts that I spotted across the park have these boxes (which are currently covered in plastic garbage bags).

Visit the blog link above to see photos of the new boxes.

Mike says it best:

Thanks to the Parks Commission for relenting on this issue and taking some action to make the North End a safer place to live and to traverse. Kudos to the Salemtown Neighbors Neighborhood Association, which took the lead and expressed their concerns to both the Commission and our elected officials. A special thanks to all of those Nashvillians who sent e-mails and other correspondence to help leverage needed changes at the state park.

Another voice for impeachment

Former Salt Lake City Mayor and Progressive Rocky Anderson added his voice to others in a Congressional hearing on the limits of executive power calling for impeachment of President Bush.

But because Democratic leaders say they don't have the stomach for impeachment, Anderson has another suggestion:

Vital to our constitutional democracy and to our political and moral standing throughout the world is a comprehensive consideration by Congress of what is to be done for the sake of accountability and to ensure that the horrendous damage to our nation and to much of the rest of the world as a result of the illegal and abusive misconduct of administration officials never be again repeated.

If a Democratic Congress cannot bring itself to impeach this president who has soiled the Constitution, the least it can to is to take steps to see that it doesn't happen again.

    -- Jim Grinstead

To do list: Buy new lawn mower

A 56-year-old Milwaukee man is accused of shooting his lawn mower because it wouldn't start.

Keith Walendowski was charged with felony possession of a short-barreled shotgun or rifle and misdemeanor disorderly conduct while armed.

According to the criminal complaint, Walendowski said he was angry because his Lawn Boy wouldn't start Wednesday morning. He told police quote, "I can do that, it's my lawn mower and my yard so I can shoot it if I want."

A woman who lives at Walendowski's house reported the incident. She says he was intoxicated.

Walendowski could face up to an $11,000 fine and six years and three months in prison if convicted.

TNGOP Still Lying to Tennessee Christians

Recently I was alerted by a horrified co-worker that the Bredesen Administration was nullifying every diploma issued by a Christian school in Tennessee and firing every police officer, firefighter, and daycare worker that had one.

Wow.  You’ve got to have a high level of right-wing paranoid delusion to bite on a lie that outrageous.

I spent a few seconds looking up the facts (something the co-worker hadn’t).  It turns out that one police officer in Roane County was recently notified that since his high school was unaccredited, he’d have to take the GED in order to continue working for the police department.  They gave the officer one month to comply.

The officer’s high school happened to be a fundamentalist Christian one -- but that’s irrelevant to the story.  The high school was unaccredited.  The state doesn’t acknowledge diplomas from unaccredited high schools, religious or not.

Sounds pretty reasonable to me.  Unaccredited is unaccredited.  Who cares if it’s a religious school or not?

The TNGOP, for one.  And they care so much that they’re willing to lie to your face about it.  From their new press release:

Last year the Department of Education began declaring that diplomas from home schools and church-related schools were invalid for employment as a police officer, day-care [sic] worker, firefighter or other professions for which state law requires a high school diploma.

If that were true, every police officer who attended a Catholic school would have a sure-fire lawsuit against the State -- and the ACLU would be first in line to help them out.

But it’s not true.  The TNGOP left out a critical word.  It should read, “diplomas from UNACCREDITED schools.”  Without it, the sentence is a lie. 

Instead, the TNGOP intentionally left out the most important word and added in a few completely irrelevant words -- "home” and “church-related.”  Why?  To manipulate you, of course.  To bait you.  To fool you into outrage over a completely manufactured controversy.

I don’t care if you want to go to unaccredited high school or not.  Knock yourself out.  But if you do, you’re going to need a GED to be a cop.  Your religion has nothing to do  with it.

…or it shouldn’t anyway.  But Rep. Mike Bell (R-Panderville) is pushing legislation to get special rules for unaccredited Christian schools so their diplomas count while unaccredited non-religious schools don’t.  I’m not sure that’s Constitutional, but I’m pretty sure that’s stupid.

- Calvin Rye

Fan of Joe

Joe responds to a Kleinheider post about drivel from Bill Hobbs which praises President Bush for keeping terrorists away from America's door.

Sez Joe:

I have a rock in my back yard that has kept tigers out of my back yard.  Whatever that rock did, it was successful.

Who is in charge at the schools

Connie Smith, the state's supervisor working to make sure Nashville's underperforming schools get back on their feet, says the accountability for schools rests with the school board and the administration, not with the state.

She's right. But the state is the 500 pound gorilla in the room that can't and shouldn't be ignored. If the board adopts a foolhardy redistricting plan that will cost millions of dollars without a clear source of funding, the state has the right to block the expenditure if it will hurt the schools it is trying to resurrect.

The state isn't in charge -- but it has the final say.

Eventually that will change and when it does, the school board must become more accustomed to being actively responsible for the quality of education in Nashville and not simply turn that job over to a new director.

Recently board member Gracie Porter tried to start that effort. She proposed a committee to lay out a path of action for the new director expected to be hired this fall. The intent was for the state, the current administration and board members to set priorities for a new director so that he or she would know what actions and results are expected.

It was a proposal that made sense, but it was opposed by many school board members who wanted to leave the decisions up to a new director and handle any shortcomings when it was time to do the director's annual review. That's waiting much too late.

Board chair Marsha Warden opposed the committee, but she should not let her opposition prevent the group from beginning its work. A new director needs all the help he or she can get and getting clear direction from the board and the state about what needs to be done is the best thing that can be done to help a new director be successful.

Three entities are in charge of our schools -- the school board, the administration and the state. If we're going to have great schools, they all need to be on the same page about what actions are needed so they can be prepared for the time when the state steps away.

It's time for Warden to put this committee to work.

    -- Jim Grinstead

The Chamber's school agenda

Nashville's Chamber of Commerce gave us a peek earlier this week via an story in the CityPaper of its agenda for public schools .

It wants to create a workforce of people to employ in local businesses and industry. It particularly supports career academies where businesses partner with the schools to make sure students learn the skills local employers will need. Career academies are a part of that plan.

The CityPaper says:

Students at career academies will be able to choose a job-related focus — options span across music, construction, business analysis, mass communications, heath care and more — and study their academic materials in the context of applications to their chosen professions.

Chamber officials say that smaller learning communities and career academies have potential to improve both public education and the local economy, and merit support from the business community.

The objective makes sense for an organization that says its goal is "supporting the growth and prosperity of Chamber-member businesses," according to its web site. In fact, it makes sense to the community. Employers need workers and workers need jobs.

What doesn't make sense is how the Chamber is going about its objectives; Involving itself in school board politics and fighting for a redistricting effort that diminishes the quality of education are divisive and counterproductive actions.

The Chamber's goals are understandable, reasonable and should be considered by the school board. However, the board must realize that the Chamber's goals are not the same as the community's needs. Public schools do not exist simply to provide workers for local business and industry.

Schools exist to provide people the skills they need to have successful lives -- however individuals may define that for themselves. Our jobs do not necessarily define who we are and nowhere is that more evident than in Nashville.

Each year hundreds, if not thousands of people come here hoping to become the next great country music star. Odds are they won't make it and while they wait for a lucky break, they'll be waiting tables, driving cabs and doing other jobs that have nothing to do with who they are.

Business needs a workforce and it is prudent to teach those skills, but an education must serve all students, whatever their goals. If the Chamber wants a stronger Nashville, it must work to make sure every student in Nashville's schools gets a good education, not just the ones most likely to work in its member's businesses.

    -- Jim Grinstead

Warrior or Wimp?

“Conservation is not for wimps, it is for warriors. Not every American will put on the uniform of our Armed Forces, but every single American can help secure our energy future and secure our nation against the petro-countries.”

- Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN)

You got that, America?!  Do your part in the War on Terror!  Conserve energy!

Okay, it’s a little over the top.  But, hey, whatever it takes to get Republicans onboard with progressive energy policies is A-OK with me.

Of course, Rep. Wamp isn’t proposing anything nearly so dramatic as his rhetoric.  Too bad.  If Wamp were serious about treating energy policy as part of the War on Terror, he might get a little ambitious about it.  He might join the call for fundamental changes that will result in long-term security -- both economically and militarily. 

For example:

Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen (D) joined Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn in announcing that Nissan and the State of Tennessee are forming a partnership to promote zero-emission vehicles, including electric vehicles, in Middle Tennessee

Gasoline-free cars will be in Tennessee in less than two years.  Hey, Rep. Wamp -- why not lead the charge to make them the industry standard in ten?  That would require a warrior, not a wimp.

Instead, Wamp toes the line on GOP energy policy.  Their ten year plan?  Off-shore oil drilling. 

At best, off-shore drilling may provide some tiny fraction of relief at the gas pump in seven to ten years.  In other words, we won’t see any benefits for another two presidential elections.  Yet, it’s the centerpiece of the Republican plan.  Why?  Because it polls well.  It’s a wedge issue that divides Blue Dog and progressive Democrats.  It’s good politics.  And that’s all it is.  It won’t eliminate one Middle East dictator from the equation.  I doubt they’ll even notice.

If you want a warrior on energy, you need a Democrat.  Otherwise, you’re stuck with Congressman Wimp.

- Calvin Rye

He's from the Federal Government, and He's Here to Help.

Rep. Lincoln Davis is ready to grab his Riddler jacket and do his best Matthew Lesko impression.  The Democrat-ish Congressman (and potential candidate for Tennessee Governor) invites you to a two-day seminar on cashing in on federal grant money.

Rep. Davis deserves some praise for this one.  It’s a good idea for a Congressman to teach local business owners what assistance is available to them from Washington.  I hope others follow in his footsteps.  Especially the ones who think it’s cute to malign the federal government’s helpfulness. 

- Calvin Rye