Why the Push for "Well-Rounded" Students Might Be Holding Kids Back: Lessons from Graham Frey on Dad Saves America

 Education innovator Graham Frey, known for his work with Primer micro-schools and previously Alpha School, appeared on a recent Dad Saves America episode titled “Falling Behind” Is Public School Propaganda. In a wide-ranging discussion, Frey challenges conventional thinking about what schools should prioritize—including the common goal of producing "well-rounded" students.

Frey poses a key question for parents evaluating educational options (around the 1hr 30 min mark): "Do I want them to be really well-rounded? Do I want them to be specialized?"

This isn't a blanket rejection of breadth, but a call to make intentional choices rather than defaulting to the idea that every child must excel equally across academics, sports, arts, extracurriculars, and more.

Frey's Perspective on Well-Rounded vs. Focused Excellence

Capitol Fax: Illinois school district that called police on students “every other day” agrees to reform disciplinary practices

 I read through this and found this interesting. Should police be called for disciplinary issues at school?

This district is in downstate Illinois and it's a small district and often has far more arrests than they have students.  I may also recognize that many of these students come from backgrounds that isn't exactly conducive to better behavior.

What makes sense to me is that a school should be equipped to handle behaviorial issues and not have to rely on police to intervew.

Illinois school district that called police on students “every other day” agrees to reform disciplinary practices https://t.co/qdAaZkBTng

— Capitol Fax (@capitolfax) September 6, 2024

Via CapFax

CNBC: Will SCOTUS strike down President Biden's student debt plan?

 

[VIDEO] As you may know Biden's student loan forgiveness plan was challenged in the courts and it has made it up to the highest court in the United States. Will the Supreme Court of the United States rule against or in favor of Biden's loan forgiveness?

Is this something that you're following?

MKBHD: Best back to school tech 2022

 

[VIDEO] These are the tools Marques Brownlee recommends when you hit the campus in the coming school year. Particularly if you're in college, I would wonder what he would recommend for high school students.

And something from the comments I want to share with you which is important:

Guys, a quick note that you do NOT need all the high-end tech in order to do well at college. If you can (and you should), save as much money as you can while at college, pay your tuition in full and student loans as soon as possible instead of spending on liabilities like gadgets. Get the bare minimum you need and only spend money on products you know you are going to be using for 4-6 years (such as laptop). Don't overspend on phone, headphones, lamps, tablets, etc.

Follow this advice, all of these wonderful items are great. And not to be the negative type, if you live in a college dorm you risk the possibility of being robbed. When I was still on a college campus I've heard a handful of stories on this. Regardless if you want to give Bro. Brownless a small commission for buying these devices give some of these devices go right ahead. Hopefully they will be useful to you in your studies. :)  

The Catoosa Tornado and a classmate's connection

I went to school with the classmate in question from this Tulsa World piece. My 7th grade teacher at the time Mr. Albrecht was dressed up more than usual one morning to tell us the bad news. A classmate Erinn Haynes was in Oklahoma and her family was caught up in a tornado. Erinn survived, however, her parents and younger sister perished in the Catoosa Tornado.

Erinn didn't return to school for the rest of that year although she did return to graduate from the 8th grade. She did come back to see everybody before the end of that year, and she was at that time a long way from recovery.

The article published in 2018 showed that she's still suffering some effects mentally and physically. She survived and I know that she has a strong faith that helped her survive this. Having read this article I have a better idea of what happened with her on that fateful day 28 years ago as of April 22nd.

I'm tempted to ask about a tree that was planted for her late sister Paige. Shedd School has been closed since 2013 and have little clue about the fate of that tree that was planted in her honor or even the location of it. I might have a funeral program in my possession and I was not in attendance for that funeral. The program was probably copied and handed to us - her classmates - at that time.

I can't say I really understood the gravity of Erinn's situation at the time, however, what wasn't lost upon me was this was a very sad thing to find out about a classmate. When we found out it was just after spring break at the time.

I hope you read some of Erinn's story and the memories of others who lived through that storm on that day at Tulsa World.

What about these student loans?

 Well I'm sure even in the middle of a pandemic there are high school juniors and seniors who could use this information right now. If college is in your plan then this graphic from personal finance guru Dave Ramsey is something you should look into. My advice pay for your college in cash and you don't need prestige so while it's nice to go to Morehouse, Spelman, Harvard, Yale or Princeton don't think about how much money you can make in the future. Think about whether or not you can afford going to college without having to incur debt to do so.

A student with a ZERO GPA...

 

[VIDEO] When I was at Harlan I saw an article it was possibly in the Chicago Sun-Times or perhaps another lesser known newspaper, however, I saw in that article that in another high school in the city - possibly somewhere on the north and west sides if I recall - showed me something unusual. I thought it was a scandal at the time that this high school's valedictorian and salutatorian GPA didn't even break 3.0 they were still within the 2.0 range and if I recall correctly may not have even reached 2.5....

Now in this case dude isn't at a 1.0 and he didn't half want to come to class. Mother had no real idea where he was in school. And this is a systemic problem students aren't learning, they're not coming to class. In a school over 400 students only two were proficient in Math and English. Perhaps at that Chicago high school long ago this was the same situation.

I reiterate what I said over a month ago about plans by NYC's public schools to eventually eliminate their top programs for the best students. These are what public education needs to fulfill their mission, and as for these other schools that aren't able to do the job something has to be done with them. The idea of compulsory education isn't going away soon, but it makes no sense to have our young people sent to schools where they're woefully unprepared for the real world.

Anthony Brian Logan will get very upset at the school and the mother of this child that's failing at school and he really can't contain his temper.

Student loan crisis a hoax?

 

[VIDEO] Something to share with you this morning, something to chew on as we hear about President-elect Joe Biden's plans as far as student loan dept. Perhaps Rob Smith is right, the issue of student loans is a hoax and an issue of the elite who made choices about what to study, getting an advanced degree, even to not do what's necessary to not have so much debt.

I flirted with the idea of student loan forgiveness on occasion. Of course the other side of the argument is we shouldn't just forgive all student loans. We hear this would ruin the finance system because well lenders won't be able to get that money back.

Either way we could argue this is an issue or personal responsibility and even I have to question some of my decisions of my time in college.

What I can agree with today, is that going to a university shouldn't be just another entitlement. You have to want it, and that means you have to pay. Ideally, we need to take student loans out of the equation and in order to get that undergrad degree at the very least you need real cash and hopefully not pay interest on it.

The mad-mad-mad-mad world of niche sports....

 I just wanted to share this article. There are some parents out there obsessed with getting their children into a top tier college. They're getting them ready early, but then do children not deserve their childhoods.

I don't have children but I don't mind they get involved with sports, however, my hope is that they enjoy playing and they should decide if they should do this for their livelihoods or to get into a top-tier school.

This quote kind of grinded my gears a tad:

On paper, Sloane, a buoyant, chatty, stay-at-home mom from Fairfield County, Connecticut, seems almost unbelievably well prepared to shepherd her three daughters through the roiling world of competitive youth sports. She played tennis and ran track in high school and has an advanced degree in behavioral medicine. She wrote her master’s thesis on the connection between increased aerobic activity and attention span. She is also versed in statistics, which comes in handy when she’s analyzing her eldest daughter’s junior-squash rating—and whiteboarding the consequences if she doesn’t step up her game. “She needs at least a 5.0 rating, or she’s going to Ohio State,” Sloane told me.

What's wrong with Ohio State? Why this pursuit of an Ivy League education? Don't get me wrong if you get in you're set, however, there are plenty of great schools to attend out there - like Morehouse for instance. :P

Another quote from this article I found:

In 1988, the University of California sociologist Harry Edwards published an indictment of the “single-minded pursuit of sports” in Black communities. The “tragic” overemphasis on athletics at the expense of school and family, he wrote in Ebony magazine, was leaving “thousands and thousands of Black youths in obsessive pursuit of sports goals foredoomed to elude the vast and overwhelming majority of them.” In a plea to his fellow Black people, Edwards declared, “We can simply no longer permit many among our most competitive and gifted youths to sacrifice a wealth of human potential on the altar of athletic aspiration.”

Thirty years later, in a twist worthy of a Jordan Peele movie, Fairfield County has come to resemble Compton in the monomaniacal focus on sports. “There’s no more school,” a parent from the town of Darien told me flatly. (She, like Sloane and several other parents, did not want to be identified for privacy and recruitment reasons.) “There’s no more church. No more friends. We gave it all up for squash.” She says she is working on a memoir that she intends to self-publish, titled Squashed.

This article went from obsessions of college admissions to obsessions with sports. I guess families have their obsessions with getting what's best for the young people. 

Parents, what's your read on this?

h/t Newsalert

Tribune: Chicago police arrest 13 people after tents are set up outside CPS headquarters to protest officers in schools

It seems the demonstrations continue as far as protests with regards to having police officers in school. And it seems that there was a clash involving tents at Chicago Public Schools HQ - 42 W. Madison St.

More than a dozen people were arrested, including two minors, after protesters set up tents outside the Loop headquarters of Chicago Public Schools on Monday to protest the stationing of police officers in schools.

Police said they gave protesters several warnings that the tents outside 42 W. Madison St. were blocking the streets. Those arrested were charged with “illegally obstructing the roadway,” they said.

The protest was the latest call by activists for the removal of Chicago police officers in Chicago public schools. It came days before the Chicago Board of Education is to consider a resolution that could phase out use of officers.

The resolution, up for a vote Wednesday, would “require that the CEO and district leaders, in consultation with school communities, identify and recommend an alternative plan to ensure safe and supportive school environments.”
...
Monday’s protest drew about 60 people and was organized by the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, Assata’s Daughters, FYSH Youth — HANA Center, STOP Chicago, KINETIC Youth — Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Logan Square Neighborhood Association and Enlace Chicago.

Tweets contained from the write-up at the Tribune

An 8th grade autobiography project

Literary terms

Before graduating from the 8th grade at Bennett Elementary one of our graduation requirements was to write our autobiographies. This was in addition to the constitution exam and the basic skills exam. To be honest I'm not sure if this was something required by Mr. Z - my 8th grade teacher - or if this was something required by Bennett School itself.

I do remember that I just had little clue as far as what should go into an autobiography. There wasn't much guidance as far as what to do with this assignment. As was common practice back in those days I never really sought out any guidance or direction for this assignment. As a matter of fact after having turned in a rough draft under threat of flunking, I definitely did get the editors treatment from Mr. Z as he threw the first few pages he didn't like into the trash can. OUCH.😠

Either way my autobiography back in the 1990s was written by pen on a thick stack of notebook paper. It never occurred to me to type this on a computer and then print it off. Bennett School at the time had a wonderful computer lab on the third floor with either IBM or IBM clone PCs. As a matter of fact it wasn't common for any of us to have used a word processor on a computer to complete this assignment. It's interesting how times have changed where computers have become a common appliance not just at school or work at home also. And we carry a computer with us now whether a laptop, tablet or even a smartphone (Android or iPhone).

I just had to include this video of a dot-matrix printer that was very common over 20 years ago in computer labs. [VIDEO]

What this means is that as cringeworthy as my autobiography was written as an 8th grader many years ago, I never saved this to a floppy disk or any hard drive at all. For all I know my handwritten copy had been filed away in a cabinet for years only to be forgotten about. Or it's probably been discarded long ago and admittedly I haven't thought about that rather groundbreaking piece of  literature in years.

To be honest the focus of my autobiography at the time was school. I don't think there was much talk about what happened during the summers other than those three occasions I had to attend summer school or the holidays . I'm sure there was some mention of issues with fellow students or some authority figure at school. I do think that whatever was written by me back then was just plain cringeworthy. Perhaps this would be a very difficult read for me now.

I wonder if Bennett students before they graduate are still required to write their autobiographies. As much as I hated that assignment back then, perhaps one piece of guidance for today's students is to take stock in their lives as it is at that point and be as creative as possible. Perhaps they can still use that computer lab on the third floor.

Capitol Fax: CPS receiving about three adult sexual misconduct complaints per day

Rich Miller writes in today's post about this: "Sounds like it’s time to revamp the vetting process." Referring specifically to 4.7% of CPS security guards.

CPS receiving about three adult sexual misconduct complaints per day https://t.co/raOqJ3b5cT

— Rich Miller (@capitolfax) November 21, 2019

ABC 7 Chicago: CPS students can begin applying to elementary, high schools for next year Monday

One of my own regrets from my time in the 8th grade is that I never got a real grasp of CPS' process as far as which schools I could attend and what programs they offer. Often I was dependent upon my parents or even my teacher. It seems like a nifty process students have to be able to chose where they can go to school.

Hopefully today's students take advantage and of course do their "due dilligence" on those schools and programs of their choice.

Visit go.cps.edu

For pre-k programs chicagoearlylearning.org.

Drama teacher charged with sexual assault of student

[VIDEO] I'm not going to say too much or editorial a lot about this. What's mentioned in the above report from CBS 2 states what I wanted to say he was a husband and father who is charged with sexually abusing one of his students. Now he has his mugshot in a TV report, online and perhaps even on a newspaper since I really first heard about this from the Sun-Times.

Regardless, another sexual abuse allegation out of a CPS school. CPS already has to face a number of issues and now they have to face sexual abuse allegations.

Stossel: Let charter schools teach

[VIDEO] John Stossel who I remember was something of a consumer advocate on teh ABC News program 20/20 and later joined FOX Business channel with a program highlighting the philosophy of libertarianism has been producing these short videos for Reason. It continues his work in the broadcast media as he continues to take on libertarian subjects.

In this most recent edition he takes on charter schools. Charter schools are in a number of urban school districts around the nation. Although these schools take public money they can be run like a private school. In this case Stossel looks at a charter school out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania called Boys Latin.

The question is whether or not allowing parents a choice as far as who educates their children a choice. Should they be able to chose a public, charter, or private school? Another issue touched upon is whether or not a public school district wants increased competition from these charter or private schools.

WBEZ: Teens Say Free CTA Rides On First Day Of School Are Not Enough

Usually on the first day of school students and their parents will ride CTA for free. Some students say this still isn't enough.

Students say it’s helpful, but they want the offer year round.

“I think students should get free rides because I don’t really know how you will expect youth who are focusing on their education and career to have constant money,” said Jennifer Nava, a senior at Kelly High School in the Brighton Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side.

It’s a big ask in a city dealing with a huge financial deficit. Just last week, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city faces a projected $838 million budget shortfall next year.

Still Jennifer, an outspoken teenager who keeps close tabs on city affairs, wants to remind Lightfoot that she promised to make transportation more affordable for students during her campaign.

“If time is not now, then when?” Jennifer said.

How about this, create a U-Pass program for K-12 students especially designed for those students who must depend on public transit. If there isn't enough money to allow free rides for CPS students year round then do what the city's universities have done, require activity fees. Probably not a popular solution, however, as stated in the article the reduced fares for K-12 students add up.

16,000 homeless CPS students

That is a sad statistic and helps me recognize the many issues that CPS students bring with them to class. I can imagine there are those who are embarrassed by their circumstances, however, all they have to do is reach out.

From today's Tribune:

Students in temporary living situations rarely self-identify, according to advocates. Lockett, now 22, said he didn’t like his classmates and teachers to know he was homeless. But his situation is hardly unique.

More than 16,450 Chicago Public Schools students didn’t have a permanent home during the 2018-19 school year, according to numbers released Thursday by the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. Most were in temporary living situations, meaning they stayed in shelters, motels, cars or, in about 90% of the cases, “doubled up” with others, according to the coalition. Doubling up doesn’t generally meet the federal government’s definition of homelessness, so people in those situations don’t qualify for federal programs for those without homes.

About half of the city’s homeless students were in 10 of the city’s 50 wards, according to the coalition’s data. At least 865 were believed to be living in Ald. Walter Burnett’s 27th Ward. Burnett spoke at a homeless coalition news conference Thursday at City Hall to plug a proposed increase to the real estate transfer tax on properties worth more than $1 million to address the situation.

“We need to put the people first," Burnett said. “We need to help the needy and not the greedy.”

The advocates’ proposed 1.2 percentage point increase could generate about $150 million that could be used to reduce homelessness. The coalition said that’s 10 times as much funding as what’s already dedicated to the issue.

During her campaign, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she supported an additional tax on expensive property sales to direct more money to homelessness. But she has also said City Hall is on a different timeline than the homeless coalition. And she’s also suggested raising the transfer tax to help fill this year’s budget hole.

The coalition wants a referendum on the tax increase on the March ballot.

Newsalert: Should CPS be shut down?

What prompts this question? A report from the Chicago Tribune with regards to the continuing investigation into a number of sexual abuse claims to CPS students. The number could be as high as 1000 cases of sex abuse of students. That's a lot!

A branch of a global law firm will review roughly 1,000 Chicago Public Schools sex abuse investigations, as part of a quarter-million dollar contract that’s meant to reopen nearly two decades worth of old cases.

The Chicago Board of Education’s vote Wednesday to hire Dentons LLP marks the school system’s latest step to re-examine how officials addressed past abuse and misconduct allegations in the wake of a Tribune investigation.

Block Club Chi: Boy, 11, On Life Support After Years Of Bullying At CPS Leads To Suicide Attempt, Mom Says

I'm really aching for this boy and his family. He made a suicide attempt as in on life support. Jamari Evans is way too young to be ready to take his own life, as he's really just starting off.

It seems after some extreme actions from his teachers - ideally the ones who really should do what they can to protect him - contributed to his current condition. It's sad that he wasn't getting the support he should've had. It's also sad that highers up with CPS didn't take what his mother said seriously until Evans attempted suicide.

It's strange that he was even denied a transfer from his elementary school. What reason was a transfer to another school denied. This story should be a PR disaster for Chicago Public Schools.

BTW, I find it quite sad that the events that caused this young man to attempt suicide happened at a school named for the father of Black History Month, Carter G. Woodson.

CPS schools are closed on Wednesday #Chiberia

Many were concerned, especially on social media and with temps going to very chilly lows CPS is cancelling classes on Wednesday.

BREAKING: Chicago Public Schools has announced that schools will be closed Wednesday due to sub-zero temperatures and potentially record-setting windchill values. https://t.co/IstgmNO2yh

— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) January 29, 2019

And here's the official word by the CPS' CEO

The safety of our students is the district’s highest priority. All afterschool activities will be canceled tomorrow, January 29th. All CPS schools will be closed on Wednesday, January 30th.

— Janice Jackson, EdD (@janicejackson) January 29, 2019

If you're looking for a warming center here's some information posted at The Sixth Ward. Feel free to call 311 to find one near you.