Rescuing Failed Urban Rescuing Failed Urban SchoolsSchools

The efforts and challenges for three The efforts and challenges for three mayors.mayors.

RiShawn BiddleRiShawn Biddle

The Indianapolis StarThe Indianapolis Star

URBAN DROPOUT URBAN DROPOUT FACTORIESFACTORIES

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12 Graduates

Freshman entering Indianapolis Public Schools district: 2,900 Number graduated in 2004: 997

Sources: Indiana Commission on Higher Education and Indiana Department of Education

LOSING OUT: CHICAGOLOSING OUT: CHICAGO

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

Children born inChicago: 52,560

Children enteringChicago PublicSchools: 29,917

Sources: Chicago KidStart and Chicago Public Schools

DALEY’S MIXED RECORDDALEY’S MIXED RECORD

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

Class of1995 (Pre-

Daley):39%

Graduated

Class of1999

(Daley'sfirst class)

Class of2004: 46%Graduated

Entering freshmen

Graduates

Source: The Consortium on Chicago School Research

THE PETERSON PLAN: Too THE PETERSON PLAN: Too incremental to change failing school incremental to change failing school districts?districts?

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

IPS Lawrence Pike Township Charter schools

2002-03 Enrollment

2004-05 Enrollment

Sources: Indiana Department of Education and Indianapolis Star reports.

VOUCHERS: HELPING SOME KIDS IN VOUCHERS: HELPING SOME KIDS IN MILWAUKEE, BUT NOT CHANGING THE MILWAUKEE, BUT NOT CHANGING THE OVERALL FAILURE OF PUBLIC OVERALL FAILURE OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS.SCHOOLS.

0

20

40

60

80

100

1993 1996 1999 2002

Percentage of Milwaukeehigh schools promotingless than 60 percent of itsfreshman to senior yearon time.

Source: Johns Hopkins University Center for the Social Organization of Schools.

A Hollywood Model for A Hollywood Model for education?education?

Changing the model of Changing the model of how education is how education is financed and operated financed and operated must be done on national must be done on national and state levels before and state levels before any reform can work.any reform can work.

School districts: From School districts: From school operators to school operators to outsourcing operations.outsourcing operations.

Charters and privates: Charters and privates: Focusing on education, Focusing on education, not buses.not buses.

Independent authorizers: Independent authorizers: Specialists in regulating Specialists in regulating schools.schools.