tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33353812.post116144528810642333..comments2024-02-17T04:12:23.721-04:00Comments on parentalcation: Carolina School for Inquiry - TakedownTurbineGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781298806992944235noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33353812.post-49801038480022819122012-05-30T15:53:36.204-04:002012-05-30T15:53:36.204-04:00This is a terrible school. I had to pull my child ...This is a terrible school. I had to pull my child from this school because of the major bullying problems. This is not a school of inquiry, it is a school of injury.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33353812.post-92032230042364827912011-05-03T12:12:52.012-04:002011-05-03T12:12:52.012-04:00Mr. Hester,
I am curious as to your opinion on CS...Mr. Hester,<br /><br />I am curious as to your opinion on CSI now that it is in its 5th year of educating students. Do the test scores (highest scores for 6th grade in Richland 1) or the fact that it has successfully met AYP or the success stories of individual students make any difference in your argument?<br /><br />Just wondering...Monicahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08604323173494363642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33353812.post-51276510813661174902009-04-23T07:39:00.000-04:002009-04-23T07:39:00.000-04:00As the parent of two children that attend CSI and ...As the parent of two children that attend CSI and a professor of early childhood education I couldn't disagree more with your statements dismissing inquiry based learning. I challenge you to examine the NAEYC guidelines as the principals of developmentally appropriate practice, all supported by brain research at the top university laboratory schools. Additionally, many local private schools are abuzz with the 'Understanding by Design' philosophies created by McTigh which embrace a similar inquiry-based teaching technique. I myself sat through one of the teacher workshops on the subject with 200 other local private school teachers.<br /><br />My children are learning the concrete mathematical schools via hands on approaches that appeal to all learning styles at CSI. There are no drills, only applications. My kindergartner is doing 3 digit addition problems and double digit subtraction. I assure you she is receiving a quality education.<br />That being said I agree whole-heartedly with your statements regarding the elitist private school families being resistant to the addition of poor minority children to their school population. Having taught in local private schools that are so lily-white one would almost think that the children of color were brought in only for brochures, I can imagine the looks of horror the idea of their little Madeline and Parker attending school with "those kids" must have provoked. <br />School in SC are still very much segregated by both class and race. Schools like CSI level the playing field.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33353812.post-3001896444562560262007-05-19T07:53:00.000-04:002007-05-19T07:53:00.000-04:00Anon,The Carolina School for Inquiry is a differen...Anon,<BR/><BR/>The Carolina School for Inquiry is a different school than the Center for Inquiry. I am not a big fan of either one.<BR/><BR/>The "inquiry" method of instruction is well suited for upper middle class parents who want to feel good about themselves and their kids.<BR/><BR/>Their children are bright already and would learn at the worst school in the country.TurbineGuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09781298806992944235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33353812.post-9127776819747925452007-05-19T01:59:00.000-04:002007-05-19T01:59:00.000-04:00The Center for Inquiry in NE Columbia is housed at...The Center for Inquiry in NE Columbia is housed at Summit Middle School, so you need to look at those scores. The district is Richland 2. My kids were at another charter school, the Center for Knowledge.<BR/><BR/>You'll note not many of the kids are getting subsidized meals.<BR/><BR/>This link will go to the Center for Inquiry 2006 PACT scores:<BR/>http://ed.sc.gov/topics/assessment/scores/pact/2006/show_school_pact_scores.cfm?ID=4002082Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33353812.post-50490526637167431562007-03-08T00:04:00.000-04:002007-03-08T00:04:00.000-04:00p.s. I realize that my last comment could be taken...p.s. I realize that my last comment could be taken as dismissive, and I don't mean it like that.<BR/><BR/>My concern for my kids and for every kid is that they get the absolute best education available.<BR/><BR/>So far, every bit of hard valid research I have seen points out to "direct instruction" as the most effective teaching pedagogy, especially if it implemented correctly.<BR/><BR/>I have yet to run across a single large scale study or even a single example of constructivism or inquiry learning that shows the sort of results the Direct Instruction reform model has with low SES students.<BR/><BR/>If you can convince me that inquiry learning really is the best method with empirical data, I will convert instantly and become inquiry learning’s biggest supporter.<BR/><BR/>Of course in turn, I would hope that both of you would change your views if studies and experimental results showed that Inquiry Learning wasn't as effective as other pedagogies.TurbineGuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09781298806992944235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33353812.post-88553907467033200622007-03-07T22:17:00.000-04:002007-03-07T22:17:00.000-04:00Thank your for your response Cindy and Stacie.Cind...Thank your for your response Cindy and Stacie.<BR/><BR/>Cindy, <BR/><BR/>Unfortunately the Center for Inquiry doesn't have any disaggregated test data I can view. I did find the data for Forest Lake, which includes the Center for Inquiry and I am not to impressed. My local elementary does a much better job and its also has a large minority and subsidized meal population.<BR/><BR/>As to the book you referenced, it doesn't even come close to being valid research. I found its description and it is nothing more than a puff piece.<BR/><BR/>The fact that it is supported by the USC School of Education holds no sway over me. Education schools are notorious for having biased and frankly quite wrong views of education pedagogies. the school.<BR/><BR/>I do agree with you about the myth that lower SES students learn differently than high SES students. Inquiry learning is as ineffective as teaching high SES kids as it is teaching low SES students. Without adequate content knowledge, inquiry learning is nothing more than a hit or miss way of teaching, and is terribly ineffective.<BR/><BR/>Stacie,<BR/><BR/>Thank you for your offer for me to visit your school. That is very kind of you. I am pretty sure that a tour wouldn't change my views, but I will consider your offer.<BR/><BR/>Perhaps my comment about the motives and intensions of your schools parents was unfair. I imagine that the majority of your parents just want their kids to have a education regardless of the demographics of the school<BR/><BR/>I am interested in your schools test scores.<BR/><BR/>I am also curious as to how much home tutoring goes on in your kids homes.<BR/><BR/>To both of you, I am interested in your opinions of the results of Project Follow Through in the 1970's that showed Direct Instruction was by far the most effective school reform model.<BR/><BR/>My last question is this. Can either of you point me towards a single low SES school that uses inquiry learning and/or constructivism ,that is open enrollment, and that has raised the performance of low SES students to that of middle class students?TurbineGuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09781298806992944235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33353812.post-67868615803879800262007-03-07T11:07:00.000-04:002007-03-07T11:07:00.000-04:00Thanks Cindy! Your words are thoughful and true a...Thanks Cindy! Your words are thoughful and true and I appreciate you speaking up for the many families that Mr.Hester has dismissed with his lack of understanding.<BR/><BR/>To you, Mr. Hester I would say that it is always smart to go to the source to make sure your comments are based on fact rather than select bits and pieces of articles, etc. that would seem to serve your purpose. <BR/>As one of the founding members of the Carolina School for Inquiry and a parent, teacher and Curriculm Coordinator in the school it is my pleasure to invite you Rory, to visit our school. Come and take time to get to know the people that worked so hard to create another choice for exemplary teaching and learning in Richland One. Take time to thouroughly investigate that which I and others invested a great deal of their professional and personal efforts to bring to fruitition. Take time to talk to our paretns, grandparents, aunts and uncles who are thrilled that their children are passionate about learning and don't want to miss school even for a day. Talk to them about how amazed they are to be part of an educational setting where they are vauled, honored and respected for the funds of knowledge they share with us every day.<BR/>Rather than make assumptions about what you THINK is happening in our school, just take time to find out for yourself.<BR/>My number is 691-1250 extension #25 and my email address is smandrell@carolinaschoolforinquiry.org.<BR/>Please take time to know us before you judge us! <BR/>Sincerely,<BR/>Stacie MandrellAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33353812.post-1163345457799811132006-11-12T11:30:00.000-04:002006-11-12T11:30:00.000-04:00It is obvious that you are very passionate about t...It is obvious that you are very passionate about this issue. I have never blogged--I've never seen the need--but I had to write and extend/redirect at least one point within your comment now. <BR/> I am a Language and Literacy doctoral student at USC. I know many of the people who opened the Carolina School for Inquiry and professors who support it from USC. Without getting into the theoretical issues to explain why this school is a wonderful idea (see book reference below), I must defend the "intentions" of the people who opened it.<BR/> The people you speak of are more than “misguided” parents with good intentions. They are in fact educators themselves who have taught students of every SES for years. They opened this school on sound theory AND practice and purposefully planned on reaching lower SES students to debunk the myth that "those" children cannot learn, and more importantly that they cannot learn in ways that higher SES students(along with lower SES students)do at schools such as the Center for Inquiry in NE Columbia--which is and amazing school. There is a waiting list to get into the Center for Inquiry which many criticized at first based on the same arguments that you are trying to make. The school is a model for learning for educators through connections to USC and through professional publishing (see Mills, H.; O'Keefe, T. & Jennings, L. (2004).Looking closely and listening carefully: Learning literacy through inquiry. Urbana, IL: NCTE.) It is in this spirit that the parents/educators/PhD. students who opened the new Carolina School for Inquiry did so. <BR/> So, before you are "Sure that they were a bit upset to learn that as a charter school they had to open up enrollment to the surrounding poor minority community," why don't you ask them? I can get you their numbers, an interview, a visit to the school perhaps, and then you can be sure.<BR/><BR/>Sincerely, <BR/><BR/>CindyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33353812.post-1161710810675552452006-10-24T13:26:00.000-04:002006-10-24T13:26:00.000-04:00I was raised in the country in southern Indiana. I...I was raised in the country in southern Indiana. I went to a consolidated school with very little money, and got a quality education. Two Shakespeare plays a year through high school, Chaucer, Hawthorne, Conrad. Four years of math, two years of chemistry, and two years of Latin (yes, it was a public school; that should give you an idea how old I am), and two years of French.<BR/><BR/>I don't see any socioeconomic difference between South Carolina and Indiana. I see no reason why it wouldn't work there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33353812.post-1161623805672860462006-10-23T13:16:00.000-04:002006-10-23T13:16:00.000-04:00I happen to stumble across both blogs today. On f...I happen to stumble across both blogs today. On friday I made a trip to my childrens schools to see if they were using the TERC program... thankfully they weren't.TurbineGuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09781298806992944235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33353812.post-1161622482997663582006-10-23T12:54:00.000-04:002006-10-23T12:54:00.000-04:00We have Investigations at our daughter's school. ...We have Investigations at our daughter's school. It is a joke.<BR/>Oak Norton has a good website about the curriculum. Also, Linda Moran hosts the "beyond terc" group on yahoo. Terc is another word for the Investigations curriculum.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com