24 November 2008

KLEIN’S NEW YORK MODEL NOT RIGHT FOR AUSTRALIA

“There has been a flurry of enthusiasm for chancellor Joel Klein’s New York schools’ model” ” said Chris Watt, Federal Secretary of the Independent Education Union of Australia, “and while the New York model of ranking schools might sound attractive to some, first-hand experiences of front-line educators reveal a flawed system in which students with greatest need attract least support.”

“Indeed some US researchers have suggested that the attention to test scores at the expense of everything else has become borderline obsessive.”

“For example the Bronx High School of Science in New York which boasts Seven Nobel prize winning scientists, seven Pulitizer prize winning authors plus many others, and where students have achieved scores of 90% on Klein’s tests, are now resitting exams to achieve 95% scores because funding is linked to demonstrating improvement in raw academic scores.”

“Students who were once being academically challenged through higher thinking activities are now time wasting on accountability activities so that the school can sustain its level of funding.”

“Assigning letter grades to schools has favoured schools in wealthier areas, with low percentages of special education students and low immigrant populations.  The schools that don’t make the grade are ear-marked for closure”

“Perhaps not surprisingly, the schools that have been ‘merged’ or closed have been in low socio-economic areas,” said Mr Watt

“Our schools and our students deserve an accountability model that addresses problems where they exist, not one that potentially creates ghetto schools across our country.  This can only happen if there is a genuine dialogue with those who know, the teachers.  “

Contact:

Chris Watt

Federal Secretary Independent Education Union

Ph        (02) 6273 3107                   0419 259 143