Asserts the retired finance professor and conservative in Tennessee: "Consider that the head of the Chicago teachers union said that the
increased accountability demanded by the city administration over the
dismal performance of the school system was 'unfair' because 'poor kids
can’t learn'!
(http://eagnews.org/ctus-lewis-increased-accountability-unfair-because-poor-kids-cant-learn/).
Of course this is nonsense. Consider that virtually all these students
can recite every word to the most complicated rap after only three
listenings. Indeed, if Lil Wayne rapped War and Peace, these kids would
know Tolstoy in a week."
More commentary from Mr. Black: "The problem is that in the education system only the students
do not have an advocate. Lack of achievement is always laid at the feet
of the students when the real culprit is the method of instruction. The
teachers are taught methods that have demonstrated failure. Sure there
are high achievers but studies show that these students excel regardless
of the method employed. The colleges of education have an invested
interest in their traditional methods and will defend them to the
detriment of the children taught. Yet nontraditional methods such as
Direct Instruction have been shown to produce proficiency rates in
at-risk students that are equal to and even higher than those for
students in high income districts. Its [sic] high time that we quit excusing
the teachers and blaming the kids. As I have said before, if we want
kids to achieve then we should privatize the school system, collect the
taxes and turn it over to the Catholics."
Harold A. Black: "It's Time To Stop Blaming Kids For Their Lack Of Education, And Start Blaming The Teachers"
