<p>Well, they've done it again. Urban Prep Academy of Chicago, an all-male charter school with kids from the "worst" parts of Chicago, is sending 100% of its graduating seniors off to college. The school, founded in 2006, has stated that its continuous objective is to see to it that all of its students go to college. They are succeeding with flying colors.</p>
<p>The school started with kids whose futures had been left for dead by their public schools: Only four percent of the school's incoming freshmen were reading at grade level when they arrived on campus. But by sending all of their graduating seniors to college, they've not only gotten these kids up to speed, they've allowed them to zip past every other public school in the entire United States.</p>
<p>The students at the school are required to wear a jacket and tie every single day. They also go to school for two hours longer than other kids. They take English twice a day and are given a mentor with a cell number that kids can call 24 hours a day. They've clearly hit the mark when it comes to understanding that getting our children to the land of educational success requires both academic and sociological strategies.</p>
<p>Excellent. This is the future of education. With government resources and organization, implementing such a method nationwide is possible. We need far more of this; I’m glad that some of this country isn’t behind.</p>
<p>Sending 100% of graduating seniors to college is unnecessary. College is NOT supposed to be meant as a continuation to high school. What about vocational schools, career training?</p>
<p>“Nike commemorated the accomplishment with a limited-edition Urban Prep shoe. When a representative unveiled a prototype of the sneaker – complete with the school’s creed written on the insole and two pairs of shoelaces, one red and the other red-and-gold striped – the room erupted in applause and students rushed to the podium with cell phones and digital cameras.”</p>
A Nike spokesman was noted as saying, “We wished to celebrate the accomplishment of this nation’s inner city kids by releasing a new product manufactured for 6 cents a day by the inner city kids of another nation.”</p>
<p>this school works so hard to break societal and cultural stereotypes for young urban black men just so Nike can reward them with custom basketball shoes.</p>
<p>ahahaha omg i’m crying tears of irony right now</p>
<p>“They’ve clearly hit the mark when it comes to understanding that getting our children to the land of educational success requires both academic and sociological strategies.”</p>
<p>And money. In addition to the funding it’s entitled to receive from the state as a charter, the school also received an anonymous donation of $1 million in 2008 and $250K in 2009 from Oprah. If only every school had such support.</p>
<p>It’s easy to be cynical about the Nike’s participation. However, it happens that sneakers are items that “speak” to this remarkable group of young men. After all, every one of them must know a story of someone being killed or robbed for a pair of fancy sneakers. </p>
<p>Fwiw, programs that appear to be working have recognized the importance to find connections to their students. Nobody can teach them well without first understanding them. </p>
<p>As far as I am concerned, it does not matter why Nike was there or where their shoes were manufactured. All that matter is that they were there! </p>
<p>Perhaps others will follow.</p>
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<p>It is also easy to be cynical about money and the impact of donations. Perhaps, it might help people understand that while charters get the public funding (they are public schools) they have little support for infrastructure and hard assets.</p>
<p>Lastly, I always wonder why we find it so unusual (if not questionable) that money is donated to charter (and private) K-12 schools, but love to measure the private endowments that help so many of us in college.</p>
<p>I don’t think we find private donations to charters, privates – and even publics! – questionable anymore. I know of no school or school system that isn’t grateful for outside funding, if the money doesn’t come with political or commercial strings attached.</p>
<p>Who said the donations are “questionable”? I’m seriously thrilled for these kids. But I do find it a little disingenuous to not tell the whole story about all the financing these miracle-working schools, like Harlem Children’s Zone featured in “Waiting for Superman,” receive. Prince just gave that school $1M this month.</p>
<p>But the point is, the US government has the money to fund these schools. In a world where the United States (the sole remaining superpower) is the proud owner of 46.5% of the defense expenditures of all humanity, we can afford to increase educational spending.</p>
<p>Is the whole story ever told when it comes to education funding? Does the public EVER know how much money is spent at one particular school? Does the public EVER know how much was invested in the buildings, the athletic fields, the transportation systems? </p>
<p>Yes, the miracle-working schools do obtain a lot of support from private donations, but does that mean that they operate with budgets substantially larger than other public schools? From my imperfect perspective, I see that most charter and voucher schools operate with no-frills mandates (just as many urban catholic schools.) I see little evidence of over-the-top facilities that could rival country clubs. </p>
<p>All in all, it would disingenuous to equate the successes of alternative schools to the availability of better funding. The “more money for better results” mantra of the past decades has not exactly worked well in the K-12. </p>
<p>But you do have a point that the complete funding of the non-typical schools should be transparent. Just as it should be for every public school in the nation.</p>
<p>I was very moved to see an interview on the Chicago school, Urban Prep Academy. I was watching either CNN or MSNBC. </p>
<p>The top-scoring senior, who at one point during h.s. was homeless, was standing alongside his principal. The student testified to how the school never let him down or abandoned him, rather stayed with him no matter what turns his life was taking. The principal pointed out that because the school takes a lottery admission, there are no entry exams for academic potential. Principal referred to students bringing different challenges into the school as freshmen - economic, academic, self-perceptions to name a few. Many with reading levels below grade-level are remediated hard and fast in Grade 9. The principal emphasized that each “challenge” was met head-on by the school. </p>
<p>The principal then distinguished that line of discussion to contrast with the top-scorer standing next to him, whom he called “a brilliant student.” Regarding college acceptances, the somewhat modest student, when pressed, named his 3 or 4 acceptances already in hand from Illinois state colleges. Principal stared at him, then the camera to say, “he’s modest; he’s also applied to Yale and had a good interview yesterday, so if there are any admissions officers from Yale listening now…” </p>
<p>As each student receives his first college acceptance letter at home, it’s exchanged the next day at schoolwide assembly for a red/gold striped tie that he’s entitled to wear from then onward at school. The expectation of the school is very clear to students: go to a four-year college. </p>
<p>IMO, one has to be a practicing cynic to take a poke at these results. Yah, I get it about Nike, but really their 100% outcome of admission to 4-year-college for a graduating class of innercity African American males is worth plenty of praise and study to see what works in Chicago’s Urban Prep Academy.</p>
<p>You can call it successful if you want. 100% go to college, but
Same document (the annual report you can find on their website) says the ACT is only 1 point higher than in the district (a 16.5). This is still in the bottom 25% of test takers from my understanding.
A good teacher can be quantified by one who moves their student 1.5 or more years ahead in curriculum. There’s only so much you can do when your kids come in reading at a 1st or 3rd grade reading level. If you think I am exaggerating, talk to any algebra teacher about how their students can’t read the test, let alone get past math deficiencies.
There is more to education than meets the eye. The enduring successful programs are going to be the ones that help to eliminate these deficiencies before they form, ie lower elementary programs.</p>
<p>“:From my imperfect perspective, I see that most charter and voucher schools operate with no-frills mandates (just as many urban catholic schools.)”</p>
<p>Agreed. They don’t have to do things that public schools are required to do, such as provide transportation. More money can go to the classroom.</p>
<p>But we’re really on the same side, I think, and that means we want all kids to be successful, wherever that is.</p>