Wednesday, June 07, 2006
The Blind Leading the Blind?
Pennsylvania Education Secretary Gerald Zahorchak has asked the Pittsburgh Public School District to oversee the operations of the Duquesne School District. Nothing in Pittsburgh’s past suggests that they are capable of righting their own ship, let alone that of another failing district. While the new Superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools brings optimism with his consolidation plans and revised curriculum, he has yet to really accomplish anything.
The Pittsburgh School District spends more per pupil than any other district in Allegheny County and yet has some of the worst academic results to show for it. However, its students do outperform those of Duquesne—not a ringing endorsement. What will they teach the administration at Duquesne? How to spend more and achieve less?
Instead of looking to another public school system to repair Duquesne’s, state officials should be looking to the private or non-profit sector for help. Maybe the Diocese of Pittsburgh, which already runs a very successful education system, would be willing to take over the district. How about transferring the district over to a charter school company? One company currently operates in the area and claims more than 110 of Duquesne’s students in its schools.
The reason that this idea will not be tried is that the educrats in this state are afraid that it will be successful. Once it can be proven that a district can be privatized, student performance improved, and costs lowered, taxpayers around the state will be clamoring to follow this path. Teachers’ unions are not about to let that happen. Instead they will be content to let the students of Duquesne flounder in academic misery. From their point of view, it’s better to let another public system take over, even if that system is no different than the one being replaced.
The Pittsburgh School District spends more per pupil than any other district in Allegheny County and yet has some of the worst academic results to show for it. However, its students do outperform those of Duquesne—not a ringing endorsement. What will they teach the administration at Duquesne? How to spend more and achieve less?
Instead of looking to another public school system to repair Duquesne’s, state officials should be looking to the private or non-profit sector for help. Maybe the Diocese of Pittsburgh, which already runs a very successful education system, would be willing to take over the district. How about transferring the district over to a charter school company? One company currently operates in the area and claims more than 110 of Duquesne’s students in its schools.
The reason that this idea will not be tried is that the educrats in this state are afraid that it will be successful. Once it can be proven that a district can be privatized, student performance improved, and costs lowered, taxpayers around the state will be clamoring to follow this path. Teachers’ unions are not about to let that happen. Instead they will be content to let the students of Duquesne flounder in academic misery. From their point of view, it’s better to let another public system take over, even if that system is no different than the one being replaced.
