Hi Rodney,
What are we really dealing with: bad mom or bad school?
This mom made the ultimate sacrifice. She put her honesty, integrity, and potential career as a teacher on the line to allow her children to attend what she perceived to be a better school. She, of course, was eventually apprehended for falsification of records and other violations. She apparently was aware of the risks involved in her dishonesty but continued with the masquerade. As a mother, I can’t help but wonder what brought her to the conclusion that she would have to make the ultimate sacrifice – dishonesty in the name of a good education. This mom did not want her children to get a bad education at a bad school.
What is a bad school? According to Sparks (2011, p. 19), a “bad school” is considered “the lowest performing public school, often lingering for years, neither improving enough to get off of accountability life support,” and “bad schools rarely get better or shut down” Sparks (2011, p.19). This mom could not risk providing her children with a compromised, watered down education. So, she risked her own credibility. Perhaps this mom was frustrated and simply stated to her children, “we’re looking for higher-quality options” Sparks (2011 p.22). “If this (our neighborhood) school is just going to be a tiny, corrupted place, let’s just find another place to go” Sparks (2011, p.22). So, rather than actually physically move, she used the address of the children’s father and found another school that would provide a quality education for her children.
Aretia
Sparks, S.D.(2011) Study finds bad schools rarely get better or shut down. Education Week, December 2010. Retrieved from the website http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=26&hid=25&sid=55e98519-4251-426e-a7c8-7d4c1e35f615%40sessionmgr4
Hi Aretia, It is tough to say what is right here. I have had many conversations about what makes a good school. In my opinion a lot of what someone gets out of education is contingent upon what they are willing to put in on their side. All to often students falsify their address in order to attend the school I teach at because of its reputation as a good school. I can honestly say I understand to some extent why they do so. Others schools in my county are definitley not as desirable to attend.
ReplyDelete-Melanie
Hi Melanie,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments. It is hard for you and I to determine or even officially say which school is good or bad. We, of course, can have our opinions. To be as neutral as possible on this issue, I sought answer in the literature. According to Sparks (2011, p. 19), a “bad school” is considered “the lowest performing public school, often lingering for years, neither improving enough to get off of accountability life support,” and “bad schools rarely get better or shut down” Sparks (2011, p.19). Even though this mom falsified her address, I wonder would I have done the same thing if faced with the same set of unfortunate circumstances. I don't know. However, I have a commonality with this mom and other mothers; “we’re looking for higher-quality options” Sparks (2011 p.22). “If this (our neighborhood) school is just going to be a tiny, corrupted place, let’s just find another place to go” Sparks (2011, p.22).
Sparks, S.D. (2011) Study finds bad schools rarely get better or shut down. Education Week, December 2010. Retrieved from the website http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=26&hid=25&sid=55e98519-4251-426e-a7c8-7d4c1e35f615%40sessionmgr4