cheka.
31st October 2016, 01:40 PM
been following this story for 10 years. federal judgre raped kc taxpayers for black deadwood in their isd. isd builds taj mahals of schools with ridiculous perks and amenities. black scores went DOWN, despite the BILLIONS spent
latest update in post 2 --- still pathetic
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-09-02/news/9309020009_1_magnet-schools-school-district-students
Six years ago, Kansas City's public schools were the educational equivalent of an unwanted stepchild in an old folk tale-abused, neglected and chronically poor. But they have undergone a transformation akin to Cinderella's, brought about by their very own fairy godmother, federal Judge Russell Clark. What has happened since then may be the illuminating educational experiment of our time.
In 1987, the judge stunned legal experts by ordering an increase in local property and income taxes to finance a complete rehabilitation of the schools in Kansas City. He hoped to combat racial segregation by luring back whites, most of whom had long since fled to private or suburban schools. The ultimate goal, however, was to improve the performance of black students, whose underachievement Clark blamed on racial isolation and miserly funding.
His decision has produced a windfall of $1.3 billion, or a staggering $36,000 in extra funds for every pupil in the system. As a federal appeals court noted, "The sheer immensity of the program . . . (is) without parallel in any other school district in the country."
State officials forced to come up with the new funds gripe about "Taj Mahal buildings." Schools that once were open to the elements have every amenity an educator could imagine. Among the additions are a $250,000 planetarium, 15 science labs, greenhouses, language-immersion programs and a host of magnet schools. The district now boasts high schools specializing in agribusiness, engineering and advanced technology.
Throughout the system, class sizes have dropped dramatically. Central High School, a decrepit facility that was torn down and replaced at a cost of $32 million, now features a swimming pool, handball courts, courses in Ancient Greek and hundreds of personal computers. Previously all-black, it now has a liberal smattering of white faces.
And what has been the effect of all this on educational achievement? More failure. The students who were supposed to profit from the rebuilding of Kansas City's schools are not doing better. They are doing worse.
As the Economist magazine of Britain notes in its Aug. 28 issue, high school dropout rates in Kansas City have soared since 1987 and now exceed 60 percent-more than double the national rate. Data compiled by University of Missouri education professor John Alspaugh show that black Kansas City grade-school students score lower on reading and math achievement tests today than they did when this gigantic experiment began.
Contrary to what anyone would assume, pupils in ordinary schools outperform those in the expensive, lavishly equipped magnet schools. And the bizarre evidence is that the longer kids stay in magnet schools, the worse they do.
Arthur Benson II, the lawyer who filed the lawsuit that prompted this undertaking, once said that the overhaul of the Kansas City schools would be a valuable test of theories: "Conservatives say the '60s proved you can't solve social problems by throwing money at them, and liberals say the '60s proved you can't solve social problems without throwing enough money at them."
The people running Kansas City's public schools have thrown more than enough money at their problems. They have proved only that they know how to buy their students everything but a good education.
latest update in post 2 --- still pathetic
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-09-02/news/9309020009_1_magnet-schools-school-district-students
Six years ago, Kansas City's public schools were the educational equivalent of an unwanted stepchild in an old folk tale-abused, neglected and chronically poor. But they have undergone a transformation akin to Cinderella's, brought about by their very own fairy godmother, federal Judge Russell Clark. What has happened since then may be the illuminating educational experiment of our time.
In 1987, the judge stunned legal experts by ordering an increase in local property and income taxes to finance a complete rehabilitation of the schools in Kansas City. He hoped to combat racial segregation by luring back whites, most of whom had long since fled to private or suburban schools. The ultimate goal, however, was to improve the performance of black students, whose underachievement Clark blamed on racial isolation and miserly funding.
His decision has produced a windfall of $1.3 billion, or a staggering $36,000 in extra funds for every pupil in the system. As a federal appeals court noted, "The sheer immensity of the program . . . (is) without parallel in any other school district in the country."
State officials forced to come up with the new funds gripe about "Taj Mahal buildings." Schools that once were open to the elements have every amenity an educator could imagine. Among the additions are a $250,000 planetarium, 15 science labs, greenhouses, language-immersion programs and a host of magnet schools. The district now boasts high schools specializing in agribusiness, engineering and advanced technology.
Throughout the system, class sizes have dropped dramatically. Central High School, a decrepit facility that was torn down and replaced at a cost of $32 million, now features a swimming pool, handball courts, courses in Ancient Greek and hundreds of personal computers. Previously all-black, it now has a liberal smattering of white faces.
And what has been the effect of all this on educational achievement? More failure. The students who were supposed to profit from the rebuilding of Kansas City's schools are not doing better. They are doing worse.
As the Economist magazine of Britain notes in its Aug. 28 issue, high school dropout rates in Kansas City have soared since 1987 and now exceed 60 percent-more than double the national rate. Data compiled by University of Missouri education professor John Alspaugh show that black Kansas City grade-school students score lower on reading and math achievement tests today than they did when this gigantic experiment began.
Contrary to what anyone would assume, pupils in ordinary schools outperform those in the expensive, lavishly equipped magnet schools. And the bizarre evidence is that the longer kids stay in magnet schools, the worse they do.
Arthur Benson II, the lawyer who filed the lawsuit that prompted this undertaking, once said that the overhaul of the Kansas City schools would be a valuable test of theories: "Conservatives say the '60s proved you can't solve social problems by throwing money at them, and liberals say the '60s proved you can't solve social problems without throwing enough money at them."
The people running Kansas City's public schools have thrown more than enough money at their problems. They have proved only that they know how to buy their students everything but a good education.