Rather than spending so much time arguing over the ridiculous,
perhaps we should spend some energy focused on actual solutions to
the very real issues we are facing.
It seems the present day Abbott plan is to improve the schools with
the hope that kids who don't think they have much opportunity to
succeed in any case will focus and learn more. Perhaps we should
move from this "push strategy" to a "pull strategy" of ensuring the
kids in Asbury know they will have an opportunity to succeed if they
make the choices to take advantage of it.
What if we spent some of those Abbott funds on something like this.
Funding rules can be put in place to reward students who maintain
acceptable grades and stay out of trouble - and restrict those who
decide to follow a different path. Real incentive to stay out of
trouble and study. If you believe that being presented with a real
opportunity can encourage kids in difficult environments to make
smart choices, perhaps this is a much better solution than pouring
money down the current path. I certainly believe a motivated child
will succeeed despite the quality of the school, while a high-
quality school will often fail those children who are not motivated
to succeed. We've only addressed the school. Perhaps its time to
address the motivation instead.
Read below...
A Big Reason to Graduate in Kalamazoo; Benefactor to Pay for College
Education of All Students Who Finish Public School.
Byline: Steve Miller, SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Talk about a future.
Public schools in the western Michigan town of Kalamazoo are
starting to bulge after a nameless local benefactor promised to fund
the college education of any student who graduates from one of
Kalamazoo's three public high schools.
Beginning with the class of 2006, students who attend the city's
public schools from kindergarten through grade 12 get a full ride,
with a sliding scale down to 65 percent funding for those who
complete four years of high school in the district. They must attend
a university or college in Michigan.
The cash outlay is expected to reach $10 million to $15 million a
year.
>From the time the Kalamazoo Promise was announced in November to
Jan. 3, the 10,400-student school district reported an increase of
51 students, compared with a decrease of 104 in the same period the
previous year.
"But a major part of our growth that we see coming is when we look
at the high school and see that we are having fewer dropouts," says
Gary Start, assistant superintendent for Kalamazoo Public
Schools. "When they find they have all of these years of vested
college credit, it's a real incentive to stay."
The district has recorded a 20 percent decline in enrollment during
the past dozen years, the administration said.
School officials are considering a bond proposal to accommodate the
new students, and no budget cuts are forecast.
"I've been here for 22 years, and most of my career has been cutting
budgets," Mr. Start said, "so this is a very different and much more
enjoyable part of my career."
Wayne State University in Detroit, eager to attract Kalamazoo
students, will cut dorm fees by half for Promise students. Western
Michigan University, based in Kalamazoo, is offering free
accommodations for students taking advantage of the program.
Other programs have funded college educations for targeted students.
In 1981, businessman Gene Lang promised to pay the college bill of a
group of sixth-graders in a New York public school. The program was
transformed into the I Have a Dream Foundation, which serves 13,500
children in 27 states and 64 cities, but has become more dependent
on taxpayers. Tax records show that 76 percent of 2004 national
office revenue came from government grants.
In 1987, Philadelphia philanthropist George Weiss staked 47 inner-
city elementary school students to a college education. Now called
Say Yes to Education, the program has expanded.
These programs have revealed how education is linked to financial
resources.
The Kalamazoo Promise has the potential to reconfigure an entire
town that has been crippled by white-collar job losses.
"Kalamazoo has had some really difficult times," said Randy Eberts,
executive director of the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment
Research.
Kalamazoo was once home to Upjohn, which underwent ownership changes
until it emerged as part of Pfizer Inc. About 1,500 top-dollar
research jobs and 1,000 executive positions were lost, replaced by
lower-paying lab work.
"It is not the same mix, and not the same income level," Mr. Eberts
said.
Since the Promise was announced, developers have expressed interest
in acquiring land in anticipation of a surge of buyers.
"I've had people from out of state calling me about land and homes,"
said Matthew Maire, executive vice president of the Greater
Kalamazoo Area Association of realtors. "The developers are looking
for large sections of land they can develop in the Kalamazoo school
district. We know what to expect. And it's good."
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