News Chicago Public Schools prom slogan: ?This Is Are Story?

[Grapesoda]

It?s hard to deny just how poorly Chicago?s public schools are performing when it hits you in the face. Such is the case with Paul Robeson High School?s 2014 prom theme: ?This is Are Story.?

prom themeThat image came from veteran investigative reporter Chuck Goudie, who posted this image on his Facebook page.

Some people might enjoy mocking the irony of the gross misuse of vocabulary.

But unless the organizers of the prom festivities planned the wording this way as a joke, there?s nothing funny about the situation.

Paul Robeson High School is located in the Englewood neighborhood on Chicago?s South Side, one of the poorest and most dangerous neighborhoods in the city. The high school also is part of the failing Chicago Public Schools, or CPS, system.

Four out of 10 CPS freshmen do not graduate.

If they do graduate, 91 percent have to take remediation courses in college because they do not know how to do basic math and school work. Just 26 percent of CPS high school students are college-ready, according to the ACT subject matter tests.

Students in these schools whose families can?t afford an alternative are trapped in classrooms that, for the most part, aren?t equipping them to succeed in the future.

But while CPS students get left behind, their teachers receive generous compensation.

The average CPS teacher salary is $76,000. The last contract negotiations in 2012 gave CPS teachers 17 percent raises over three years.

The median household income in Chicago is just $47,408. The disparity is worse in Englewood, a neighborhood where 23.6 percent of residents are unemployed and the average per capita income is $12,255.

Something?s not adding up.

Students can?t spell. They can?t do math. They aren?t graduating. And they?re not being set up to succeed in the real world.

So why should CPS teachers be rewarded with raises?

The Paul Robeson prom theme is a glaring example of just how bad things have gotten in Chicago Public Schools. The tragic irony is that Paul Robeson students picked a theme that evokes hope for the future; something every child deserves.

But until CPS changes its ways, the system will continue failing students at schools like Paul Robeson.

It?s time all Chicago students have a reason to believe in a brighter tomorrow.

[Lichen]

White man's fault.

[gnawledge]

There is always an excuse. Try the parent(s) not giving a shit.

[bronco67]

I've seen this coming. In my last office job, it was always funny (and scary) to read un-spellchecked inter-office emails from some of the younger co-workers. They don't feel the need to learn proper grammar these days.

[NaughtyRob]

That is really fucking sad.

[Phoenix]

They thought they be good at grammar. They was not be good with grammarization.

[12clicks]

maybe it was pirate themed

[MaDalton]

where do the parents come into this? should not parents be responsible that their kids show up in school, do their homework, can read, do math etc?

i don't think you can blame only the teacher when they are confronted with 20-30 kids at once that all lack basic skills. Teacher are not wizards

[12clicks]

where do the parents come into this? should not parents be responsible that their kids show up in school, do their homework, can read, do math etc?

i don't think you can blame only the teacher when they are confronted with 20-30 kids at once that all lack basic skills. Teacher are not wizards

chicago parents and teachers are cut from the same cloth.

[escorpio]

Those idiots don't no a fucking thing.

[Grapesoda]

where do the parents come into this? should not parents be responsible that their kids show up in school, do their homework, can read, do math etc?

i don't think you can blame only the teacher when they are confronted with 20-30 kids at once that all lack basic skills. Teacher are not wizards

Ma blame the powers that 'be'... you're so special, whitey's been keeping you down, American culture is crap, the world owes you, etc etc etc

[dready]

If your going to teach kids, learn them english to. Geez.

[pornguy]

I learnt it. and I seent it in school

[EonBlue]

[John-ACWM]

Makes one chuckle but it's a sad situation.

[crockett]

where do the parents come into this? should not parents be responsible that their kids show up in school, do their homework, can read, do math etc?

i don't think you can blame only the teacher when they are confronted with 20-30 kids at once that all lack basic skills. Teacher are not wizards

The parents are likely as uneducated as the kids.

[2MuchMark]

Hahahahaha geezuz...

They should learn how to write english gooder.

[rowan]

If you haven't seen the movie Idiocracy, do so immediately. The first few minutes of that movie seem more and more likely to happen.

[dready]

If you haven't seen the movie Idiocracy, do so immediately. The first few minutes of that movie seem more and more likely to happen.

Sad but true.

[CDSmith]

Let's phase out cursive. Kids don't need to actually learn math, we have computers and calculators for all that. Spelling? Please, spell-check me my McDonald's order and shut up foo.

You can just see the writing on the wall of where we're headed. Oh wait, no you can't. No one knows how to write anymore.

[TCLGirls]

[MaDalton]

so the solution is: pay teachers less money?

[CDSmith]

so the solution is: pay teachers less money?

That's one option. The other might be to figure out a better way for them to earn what they do get.

[12clicks]

so the solution is: pay teachers less money?

so the solution is: pay teachers more money?

[Just Alex]

I wonder if CyberHustler was writing dem black bidness cards.

[SmutHammer]

so the solution is: pay teachers less money?

I would say a better solution would be to fire them and bring in new teachers

[Vendzilla]

where do the parents come into this? should not parents be responsible that their kids show up in school, do their homework, can read, do math etc?

i don't think you can blame only the teacher when they are confronted with 20-30 kids at once that all lack basic skills. Teacher are not wizards

Raising a kid these days is tough, your kids need your help in so many ways.

My daughter started with hooked on phonics before she started the 1st grade, she graduates college in a couple days. I told her since she was probably 4 she was going to get an education. At the same time, I taught her how to shoot, how to protect herself, all the things that I could, (Funny I could still help her with Algebra and Trig) life lessons are important. I always showed her encouragement and love.
(When she wanted to see Rocky Horror Picture show with friends, I made up a bag with toast, rice and a squirt gun full of water)
Today, she's a veteran and in a couple days she will be a college graduate. Her vocabulary is way beyond mine, yet when she makes a big decision, she always consults me.
She is my best friend in the world and that's the most important thing.

It's sad when you see parents that just don't care enough to have real love for their kids and let the TV or video games raise them, then blame the schools for any problems. I yelled at a couple teachers, one got fired.

[brassmonkey]

i dont give a shit how you spell it shit is taking tax dollars 2 billion jusrt yesterday

[Vendzilla]

so the solution is: pay teachers more money?

I got involved with my daughters teachers. Scared a couple of them.

I got called one time to pick up my daughter because she missed her bus because a teacher held the class over because of one unruly student.

By the time I was done chewing out the teacher and the principal, I told my daughter right in front of both of them, that she did not belong to them once that final bell rang and she was to get on the bus and if they had a problem with that, they can call me again to the school, they never called me back and she never missed the bus again. She changed to high school the next year and was close enough to walk home with friends.

[ilnjscb]

It has nothing to do with the teachers. This article was written by an enabler.

[Vendzilla]

i dont give a shit how you spell it shit is taking tax dollars 2 billion jusrt yesterday

I'd like to see them cut off western union to Mexico, that would bankrupt them, LOL

Western Union received $1.15 billion in so-called foreign-exchange revenue in 2011, up from $910.3 million in 2009.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/02/bu...ew-limits.html

[SmutHammer]

I just wish I didn't have to press 1 for English.

[crockett]

Is it too early to say "guess the race"?

[crockett]

I just wish I didn't have to press 1 for English.

I don't really see what the big deal is about Spanish being spoken in the US. Nearly half of the territory of this country spoke Spanish before it became the United States.



All of the red was colonized by Spanish speaking people long before the US was formed. It's silly to think that a language that was spoken in areas long before English was should be denied because it's not politically correct, or it hurts people's feelings.

[Dvae]

I don't really see what the big deal is about Spanish being spoken in the US. Nearly half of the territory of this country spoke Spanish before it became the United States.
All of the red was colonized by Spanish speaking people long before the US was formed. It's silly to think that a language that was spoken in areas long before English was should be denied because it's not politically correct, or it hurts people's feelings.

So the American Indians spoke Spanish?

[Dvae]

White man's fault.

No not really. Its really the fault of the Unions and Politicians that support them. In most cases Democrats.

[Grapesoda]

I don't really see what the big deal is about Spanish being spoken in the US. Nearly half of the territory of this country spoke Spanish before it became the United States.



All of the red was colonized by Spanish speaking people long before the US was formed. It's silly to think that a language that was spoken in areas long before English was should be denied because it's not politically correct, or it hurts people's feelings.

wow you have really jumped the shark now... Italy needs to speak Etruscan, England needs to speak Danish and Celtic, Russia needs to speak Scandinavian, Greece needs to speak Lydian, Iran needs to speak Mesopotamian, Egypt needs to speak Egyptian, Israel, Palestine need to speak Aramaic... Latin America needs to speak obscure Indian dialects that are now dead, what a fucking dumb ass

[mineistaken]

I am not a native English speaker, but I do not believe anyone over the age of 16 could not know the difference between "our" and "are". Seems impossible.

[GregE]

so the solution is: pay teachers more money?

You get what you pay for. Pay them less and what do you think you'll get?

[WDF]

Maybe I am dating myself some but when I was in High School we had Staff advisers for our graduating class. There were no spell checkers, computers, PDAs or any thing else like they have today The staff advisers knew how to spell as well proper word usage and grammar.

I guess the school staff of today are not required to know these basic skills and do little other then the minimum required for the salary they collect.

You get what you pay for. Pay them less and what do you think you'll get?

Paying them more is no guarantee of better scores or results either though.

[crockett]

So the American Indians spoke Spanish?

I said colonized. Indians did not colonize or build permanent cities or towns in the US, except Pueblo Indians whom were conquered by the Spanish long before English was spoken in the mid/south west. The Spanish, English and French colonized this country and built the cities which grew into what this country is today. The Spanish were responsible for the greater majority, yet somehow all this heritage is supposed to be lost and forgotten, because a some boarders were drawn on a map by people they never met.

[kane]

The high school of the town next to the one I grew up in had a big sign on the side of building that had the school's name and its slogan underneath. A word in the slogan was spelled wrong. They knew about it, but decided not to spend the money to get it fixed. I guess they would rather look like idiots.

[Mutt]

I said colonized. Indians did not colonize or build permanent cities or towns in the US, except Pueblo Indians whom were conquered by the Spanish long before English was spoken in the mid/south west. The Spanish, English and French colonized this country and built the cities which grew into what this country is today. The Spanish were responsible for the greater majority, yet somehow all this heritage is supposed to be lost and forgotten, because a some boarders were drawn on a map by people they never met.

How do you figure the Spanish 'were responsible for the greater majority' of colonies? The 13 original British colonies formed the United States of America.

The Spanish, French and British all vied for the territories of what is now the US Southeast. Texas was colonized by the Spanish as was California. I'm not arguing that Spain wasn't a significant part of the settlement of what is now the United States but no they weren't the greater majority and they lost/ceded all their territories in various wars.

[crockett]

How do you figure the Spanish 'were responsible for the greater majority' of colonies? The 13 original British colonies formed the United States of America.

The Spanish, French and British all vied for the territories of what is now the US Southeast. Texas was colonized by the Spanish as was California. I'm not arguing that Spain wasn't a significant part of the settlement of what is now the United States but no they weren't the greater majority and they lost/ceded all their territories in various wars.

So because they lost wars, it means they can no longer speak their native language? Spanish speaking people were the first to colonize the Americas. Now there are claims that the Vikings had a settlement which I do believe but it didn't last. There are also stories that the Chinese came to America, but again if they created any settlements they didn't last.

Spanish speaking people Portuguese and Spaniards were the first to establish colonies in the Americas that still survive today. St Augustine in FL is the oldest city in America. It was not founded by English speaking people but rather Spanish.

The Spanish conquered most of what would become the southern United States and moved west colonizing a large part of the south west and South America. Mexicans and South Americans are today descendants of both the tribal Indians and those whom colonized them.. Ie the Spaniards.

The English conquered and colonized a very small part of this country com paired to what Spain's direct descendants colonized. I mean hell Mexico was part of the Spanish empire in the 1500s long before America declared it's independence.

When the US was formed and English speaking people moved west, there were not just native Americans living in those territories but also Spanish speaking people whom were there before us white folks.

The simple fact is Spanish was spoken in most of the south and west of this country, long before English was spoken. Yes the US came out victorious in the land grabs, but it doesn't negate the fact that Spanish speaking people were there before us and in reality have every right to continue speaking their language here in the US even if it's not politically correct.

[MaDalton]

so the solution is: pay teachers more money?

no, not at all

i wish there was an easy solution but i dont think there is any

[CurrentlySober]

I am not a native English speaker, but I do not believe anyone over the age of 16 could not know the difference between "our" and "are". Seems impossible.

1) I know that you are not a native english speaker...

2) I know that you dislike me...

But - All differences aside, credit where credit is due. I can only speak / Type / Read ONE language... (But I can understand spanish, to a point, when its being spoken to me) SO FAIR PLAY TO YOU