The ‘slave math lesson’ in Georgia and what’s missing

In Norcross, Georgia a government (public) school issued math homework to some of the third graders.   Unfortunately some of these word problems incorporated slavery lessons that they were being taught about in social studies.  “If Frederick got two beatings per day, how many beatings did he get in 1 week”, is an example that the kids took home with them. 

Any education minded person applauds the opportunity to combine two subjects.  However, math word problems combined with lessons about slavery is social studies are obviously not a good combination.

The school quickly realized that they made a huge mistake, apologized and said that they can’t comment further the situation until the investigation is finished.

Some parents and civil rights groups have said that this is not enough.  Ed DuBose Georgia NAACP President has demanded that anyone involved with the homework being allowed to move forward to be fired.  Two days after the homework was sent out about 60 people protested in front of the school.

The wrong target

In the spring of 2011 at least 178 teachers and administrators in the Atlanta Public Schools were caught changing answers on their student’s standardized tests.  82 of those teachers caught admitted that they had been cheating on behalf of their students for at least a decade.

The fate of those teachers and administrators are still in flux.  Some of them were given their jobs back-after being fired.  If hundreds of corrupt government school employees can’t be fired then 1 teacher who used horrible judgment in a written math question certainly should not be fired.

Protest, what protest?

I would’ve hoped to see protests when the APS cheating scandal was broken by the AJC, but nothing.  1 teacher does something stupid and racially insensitive and 60 people march on a school?  The question on the homework was offensive, poorly placed and shouldn’t have been sent out.  However, for parents to protest that and not the failure of the APS is misplaced blame.

• Georgia is the 41rst smartest state
•  Georgia is #47 in highest High School graduation rate, with 61.2%
• Georgia is 45^th in the nation for SAT results

Georgia obviously doesn’t pay their teachers well

Unfortunately that theology doesn’t hold water as the average salary for Georgia teachers is $46,526; that’s the 18^th highest in the country.

Georgia doesn’t spend money on their schools

Unfortunately only four states spend more on instruction related expenses than Georgia.

In today’s tech heavy world Georgia schools don’t have the equipment

No.  This statistic was startling, because Georgia schools have access to computers far more than other states.  For the record, it’s slide 188.

Georgia spends an average of $8,882 per student, that’s about $200 above the national average.  For that amount of money the children of Georgia are routinely in the bottom half of science, math and reading, see slide 83.

I agree with Ed DuBose from the NAACP, we should fire someone.  Fire the teachers in Georgia that aren’t educating children or cheat in order to make it appear t hat they’re teaching.  Complaining about one teacher that made a boneheaded, idiotic move is a distraction that doesn’t focus on the big picture.

The teachers that cheated in the APS scandal said that they felt pressure from the No Child Left Behind Act.  As an ex educator I say, if you felt pressure, learn how to teach or quit.  Your benefits are amazing and if you’re just doing it for that and not the work then you’re in the wrong profession.

In the meantime the clean up from that APS scandal could cost the city of Atlanta $9,000,000.  The City of Atlanta should start playing offense, counter sue these dead beat ‘education professionals’ for court costs and non performance.

Exit question.  Why do public school officials dislike the voucher system?   Can you name one area of business where private enterprise can’t out perform a government operation?  Now ask yourself why are these ‘professionals’ in charge of teaching our children?