Duluth public schools: Math scores fall, reading improves
July 31, 2012 at 7:00 pm in Duluth News Tribune
Duluth schools scored extreme highs and extreme lows on 2012 state tests for reading and math. Continue Reading
Duluth public schools: Math scores fall, reading improves
36 Comments
Everyone knows what the end all, be all solution is: More money for the ISD 709!!!!!!
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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Just a couple hundred million more and a few more shiny new schools ought to get them right into that meaty part of the curve.
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Have the low scorers run around that 6 mil East stadium that wasn’t even part of the Red Plan, or the extra pool lanes. All those necessary things that were going to improve the district.
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So much for the “right” special help! We’re so caught up in political correctness we are incapable of accomplishment. Non-existant discipline and pandering doesn’t cut it.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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Maybe we should go to a longer school year. Those nice new schools are only open 170 days a year. Maybe not…..we would have a riot organized by the teacher union.
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Those shiney new AIR-CONDITIONED schools are not acheiving what the screwel board said they would. The screwel board said we needed shiney new monuments to their egos in order to teach the kids properly. Hmmm, maybe they should have invested in teachers instead? Well, as long as the new monuments to the screwel boards egos are air conditioned we should seriously look at a longer school year, at least the kids would be comfortable during those hot summer days.
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What a proud proud men Mr. Dixon and Mr. Foster must be this morning.
When are districts going to wise up and connect superintendent compensation to the only thing that matters, student outcomes.
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These results are so appalling that both these guys should give back half OR MORE of what they took from tax payers.
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You people complaining about the school board do realize there’s more to it than just the elected idiots right?
You’re forgetting that there’s also teachers, parents and…STUDENTS actually accountable as well. If little Timmy & Susie are too busy sexting, or parents let their kids do whatever, or their teachers are absolutely burnt out, the best admin in the world isn’t going to make a difference.
Now back to your regularly scheduled pitchforks.
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NEVER!!!!! Little Timmy, or Susie are innocent little angels 24-7-365. It is the teachers, or Bush’s fault. You should know, in 2012, it is always someone elses fault.
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You do have some good points. It all starts at home. If the family unit isn’t strong then how do we expect kids to learn. Schools are not a replacement for good parents. How many of our students come from broken homes? People don’t like to talk about the fact that family is important. Who was the bright person that said it takes a village to raise a child??? Well…..how is that plan working out for society??? I know its not a perfect world….and the kids end up the ones getting hurt when families are not intact or involved.
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To Pat and John: It is not politically correct to infer that the families of certain underachiving groups of students is the problem. Those adults claim that it takes a village to raise a child…because the family is so disfunctional and so detached from their kids that the community is expected to fill the void left by caring parents. Now shape up and be politically correct guys or you will find yourselves targeted by a certain local campaign that tells us it’s all your fault.
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Read, Writing, Arithmetic, carried the past generation to what our country once was. The day society took prayer and the flag out of the system is the day the system went to Hades…… Hate me for what I say, I can handle it..!
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Bob….Very good point! More political correctness…..more of the same kind of failing…..in our schools and in our society. Also very true about disfunctional families…..and family life with kids before and after school. Parents HAVE to give more time to the kids…..I know, it is a dog eat dog world…..but the family unit MUST come first! The story needs a lot to be desired ……as far as the make-up of the story goes as well….they compare sophmores better than average in reading, and juniors down in math! Why can they not give a grade by grade breakdown….and in the different subjects…..they mix things up to much…..in the way they write the story! Either the DNT does not have a complete breakdown….or they put it out there…..just the way the District wants them to report it……or, the journalism is just plain…..bad! Take your pick folks! These guys sound like politicians….just soft soaping the constituents……like always! Please remember……do not vote for an incumbant politician, school board member…..or ANY incumbant…..until they get the message….believe me, it will not take them long to understand…..they get elected to GET THE JOB DONE…..if not…..out the door! NUFF said!
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I don’t know what the stats are for Duluth, but across America, 40 per cent of children are born to single mothers. And 53 per cent of births to women under 30 years of age are outside of marriage. I wonder if there’s a correlation between fatherless homes and academic achievement.
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We have an entire segment of our society that cares more about the habitat of our wildlife than it does about the habitat of our children. They worry so much about the environment and surroundings of the birds and fish. Society ignores the harsh truths of children growing up in a one parent household. I’m not saying that single parents are evil. Quite the opposite. I know “family” has many definitions in todays world. How does society promote and ecourage the idea of family? How do we support those who are single parents? I knew when I was growing up that I would have to answer to my parents for what I did in school.
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If you have a need to regurgitate your lunch, check this out: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/29/opinion/sunday/is-algebra-necessary.html?_r=3
This genius would like schools to focus even LESS on math. Any surprise the guy’s a PoliSci prof?
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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Just further proof that the government controlled public schools have an agenda of dumbing-down the populace. Remember, a dumbed-down populace is easier to mislead and to control. Watch…rather than making the kids work to reach tough goals in test scores the tests and the goals will be softened so more kids can attain a satisfactory score. I guarantee it will happen, it has already started to happen with the ousting of “no child left behind”. The test standards were too high for some underachievers (kids and teachers).
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Still waiting to see how this 327 million has helped the students get a better education. Nice schools but really, have those new classrooms, football fields, tracks, gyms, smartboards really helped the students learn? Where is the proof of that – certainly not in the results.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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Some schools focus their academics on national tests, some dont. Some communities have pride in providing their children with the best education, some dont. Just remember, Duluthians voted in these leaders, and now they get to witness the results of those votes! If you want change, get involved. Be proactive instead of reactive. Get off your soapbox, roll up your sleeves, and make a difference with our children. If not, look in mirror, and you will see the answer to ALL your problems!
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And remember that Duluth has had decades of opportunity to retain tens of thousands of local college students who would have stayed here and raised families had there been well-paying jobs; but instead the powers-that-be took the easy route and decided to ride the Chicago Express and get those welfare dollars.
With that Duluth got an exponential increase in single-parent households, many of those having no focus on education. After all, who needs algebra when you can be a rapper? Who needs physics when you can be a baller?
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That’s impossible, Fred. Building shiny new schools and closing one of the three high schools meant a reduction in class sizes, just like we were told would happen. The school board always gets it right.
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Fred….sorry, the school board, Dixon, and JCI all tried to say that the classroom size would become smaller…..till they find out there is nothing left to give from the taxpayers…..so, they are forced to cut expenses ( teachers, and staff )…..well guess what……what happens when you cut teachers? The classroom size INCREASES….they were told this was going to happen…..many, many times over and over! The school districts and the left of center folks….blame the State on Mn for the deficiencies! Yes, the State cut back……as the State has financial problems as well, and they cannot afford MORE aid to the schools at this time….as the taxpayer cannot afford to pay the State or ANY local gov’t body any additional money now either! Wait till January….when income taxes are going to rise …….you think you have heard it all now??? Wait till next year! These people have got to understand that they HAVE to cut expenses, levies, etc….there is no more money to give them! Where on earth are the savings from the new schools?? More smoke from the school board and politicians! This TAX AND SPEND….has GOT TO STOP…..NOW…..AND I MEAN……RIGHT NOW!
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The voice of reason and truth spoken beautifully. Thank you Vern. Most rational people thought it was fool*sh to embark on a multi-hundreds of million dollar building campaign just as the whole country was sinking into a depression. In a depression money gets tight and it was entirely forseeable that the state would have to make cuts as finances worsened. Only a complete Idi*t (or a board of idiots) would have thought spending hundreds of mllions of dollars would be a good idea while the economy crashed.
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The voice of reason and truth spoken beautifully. Thank you Vern. Most rational people thought it was fo*lish to embark on a multi-hundreds of million dollar building campaign just as the whole country was sinking into a depression. In a depression money gets tight and it was entirely forseeable that the state would have to make cuts as finances worsened. Only a complete Idi*t (or a board of idi*ts) would have thought spending hundreds of mllions of dollars would be a good idea while the economy crashed.
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Im tired of hearing the single parent household excuse. Is it more challenging yes. But if you’re not giving the time for your kids you shouldnt of had any in the first place. You make time for them and just maybe your life as a parent would be easier. I know, I have a few of my own who live with me.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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ctcmn…You bring up another issue. We have in some cases people who are having children that are not ready or able to be good parents. You have people who are having kids with multiple partners. In some cases the grandparents end up raising the kids. And this is not tied to any specific ethnic group. But forgive me…we are not supposed to talk about this. We are only supposed to pay more in taxes to support these kids. So they can grow up to follow the same path in life and start the same cycle all over again. I will shut up now and get my check book out.
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Fathers Day in the hood must be really confusing.
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that is why they all call each other “bro” they may be. I remember when my daughter was in a “health” class at Denfeld (she graduated in 2000) the teacher asked who was from a divorce family every student except her was from one. My wife stayed home and raised her, I worked and worked overtime we drove an old car and did home improvement work ouselves but we realized the daughter was the most important thing -she is an attorney now
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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So it wasn’t you daughter that I graduated with in 1970 (and had a huge crush on but was intimidated by her being a honest to goodness genius)?
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Ulysses…..isn’t that the truth!! LOL!!!
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had a sisiter that graduated in 1970 and another that was from 1971 I was class of 1969
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Your 1970 sister is awe inspiring. She was the one that went to work at Los Alomos (pardon my spelling if I got it wrong), right? I remember her well. I wish nothing but the best and all the happiness in the world to her.
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That was Sue she graduated in 1971 double major in college of math and chemistry. the sister in 1970 was a music drama major in college and a great singer
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Great sisters. You are extremely lucky to have siblings like that.
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