Reason to homeschool number 45: Even I couldn’t mess things up this badly:
After saying this week that 50 percent of D.C. schools might not have all of their required textbooks when classes start August 27, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) and schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee acknowledged yesterday that they could not pinpoint the extent of the problem.
Only half the schools will have their required materials? What was that the National Association of Elementary School Principals said against homeschooling? Ah, here it is, at number three, homeschooling might:
3. Deny students the full range of curriculum experiences and materials.
Our books are sitting neatly on the shelf. We even tracked them along their routes from wherever to here. Materials are rarely a serious issue for the homeschooler. Material overload, maybe. Do you know how many blogs I’ve read this week where the author was literally drooling over the expected arrivals?
And the district does not even know why? The problem appears to be at the school level with not enough trained staff to manage textbook ordering. When I need a book, I can hop on Amazon, compare some prices and order it. A school needs trained personnel to wade through the paperwork.
D.C. schools have a history of this sort of thing. And this, in turn, has contributed to the problem as well.
Nathan Saunders, vice president of the Washington Teachers’ Union, said there is such mistrust among employees of the central office that teachers often keep books rather than turn them in at the end of the year, which throws off the tracking process.
The teachers seem to be on to something. You cannot trust central office. After all, they have pallet after pallet of shrink wrapped text books sitting in a warehouse and cannot figure out where to send them. Perhaps some local control would help? Like leaving them in the schools where they were last used?
Central office cannot even figure out why they do not know where the books go. They have to wait for an audit. And outside consultants. These outside consultants are worth their weight in gold:
Schools also received a new ordering form this week, as recommended by consultants, to make replacement orders.
Such sage advice. I wonder how much that cost the district?
Somehow, I doubt there will be much outcry when little Johnny does not have a textbook when school starts back. These problems only occur where incompetence is tolerated. And incompetence is tolerated because of, well, the slave mentality.
Principled Discovery is a place to stop and discuss news and information related to faith, family and particularly education. Pour yourself a cup of tea and join the conversation! 
They also called US a burden on the system. HA!
The system appears a bit top heavy, to me…but I don’t live in D.C. If this were not affecting children, it would be funny.
IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS ……..
Very funny, anonymous. But for you I fixed it. One of these days, I will learn to see those silly errors in my own writing.
Not to mention what a burden it is to the teachers. I remember my teachers who had to jump through so many bureaucratic hoops and still manage to teach us something. Pray tell me, what is the logic of hiring teachers who are “experts” in their fields, and then have a central committee dictate to them which textbooks they must use? If they are experts, surely they can choose the best and most up to date materials. And since it is they who will be stuck on the first day of school with their lesson plans shot if there are no materials, why not let each teacher handle ordering materials for their own classes while we’re at it? I know, in the real world, no one will go for it.
I agree…as a former public school teacher, I know these issues can be extraordinarily frustrating. And things appear to have gotten worse since NCLB. But it highlights the difficulty and inherent inefficiencies of any public, state-run institution. No single person can just be responsible. Everything has to be overseen, tracked and controlled by some agency or committee.
Being a grandparent and watching what has evolved, pardon the trigger word, with our public schools is a bit frightening. Our grandson will be permitted to enroll in our local elementary school ( a different school district from where he lives ) rather than the one which is closer to his house because we pay our taxes and make that benefit available to our extended family. The school which you describe in your article is very similar to the one he would normally have had to attend; lots of tension at the top, racial and political; not exactly a good place for young students. Last year he was in a private school and it was too expensive so this is a trade off; but at least I know most of the folks teaching in our local school, almost as if time had stood still for the past 50 years in the way our local elementary school is run, so nice for us.
The biggest difference will still be how much extra instruction our children receive from home, the lessons after the lessons, which can only be given by parents/grandparents who spend the necessary time to see that an education is being transferred to our children. The home schooling methods used, at least as found on your blog, would seem far superior to what is offered in any public school.
T.F. Stern, I really believe the primary source of educational success is parental involvement. Kids can do well in poor environments if their parents are fighting for them. And as your case shows, when the situation is bad enough, good parents take the necessary action. They fix the system or pull the child.
Thanks for the compliments on our homeschooling methods. : ) While I don’t really believe all approaches are created equal, I do believe that children benefit greatly from their parents close attention, regardless of what approach is used. If strong parental involvement can get a kid through public school, it certainly can get a kid through the mistakes every homeschooler makes!
Dana,
We just relocated from Northern Virginia. EVERY YEAR, it was something. At least this was life or health threatening. In the past, schools have been in frightening states of disrepair, air conditioners haven’t been working (a big deal in August in DC) and the fire marshal has refused to allow students in because of code violations. Between that and the union corruption, it’s amazing the kids learn anything.
At least there is always the socialization. : )
It is a shame, especially in the nation’s capital. You are right to say that the home schooling parent typically may suffer from an excess of material; never from a shortage!
What is particularly baffling is the fact that it appears as if DC really does have the books. They just don’t know where to send them!