Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Charlottesville, Its Public Schools and UVa – Part Three – CCS Abandons Truancy Filings, Absenteeism Soars

—

by

sherlockj
in , , , , , ,

Courtesy of wallpaper.com

by James C. Sherlock

The effects of public policies can be murky.

Not this one.

The subject in this Part 3 is alarming chronic absenteeism of Charlottesville City Schools (CCS).  

At issue is the virtual abandonment by that division of the use truancy filings with the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, removing parental consequences.  

That change has been accompanied by enormous increases in absenteeism and everything, all bad, that comes with it.

The numbers are stark.

In the 2018-19 school year,

Then, in no particular order, came COVID and progressive overreach:

  • A CCS Office of Equity and Engagement;
  • Social-emotional learning;
  • Tiered systems and supports;
  • Restorative justice;
  • 86% of CCS students labeled as “gifted” in 2021. (A national embarrassment).

Lots of school divisions did the first four, but CCS appears to have leaned in to those types of initiatives harder than other school divisions.

That led up to the 2022-23 school year. The school board regulation on absenteeism had not changed from 2018, yet

Black Students. Academic performance of Black students in 2022-23 was at levels all but unimaginably bad. Go here and click on Black in all the SOL results.

CCS leaders do not want those results. Yet that appears to be the unintended effect of their lack of action on chronic absenteeism.

Black chronic absenteeism last year in the 8th grade at Buford Middle was 64%. It spiked there but was not limited to that grade or school as we see below. It included kindergarten.

Data courtesy of VDOE

Absenteeism declined in high school because of the influx of kids from K-8 private schools. Doing the math, we can see that there were 94 Black 8th graders at Buford and 137 Black 9th graders in the high school last year.

Background. Reduced truancy filings is a statewide trend.

In 2018-19 there were 14,326 truancy referrals statewide. In 2022-23 there were 5,116. But few school divisions scrapped that anti-absenteeism tool at the pace of Charlottesville.

VDOE nicely summarizes the definitions and life consequences of absenteeism and truancy. The ways VDOE offers to address absenteeism seem overly bureaucratic, but the Governor has made reducing absenteeism a priority and has a Task Force working to improve policy.

Bottom line. We all know that correlation does not necessarily equal causation. But for Charlottesville Schools, questions must be answered.

Will they use the truancy laws to re-establish parental consequences for their children’s chronic absenteeism? If not, why?

Reflecting the cobalt blue politics of their area and the influence of the University’s ed school, they may have decided that truancy charges are oppressive, perhaps racist.

The evidence indicates, however, that their failure to use that tool may be ruining a lot of Black lives.

If they have a better idea, I suggest they get to it.

Share this article

ADVERTISEMENT

(comments below)

ADVERTISEMENT

(comments below)

Comments

132 responses to “Charlottesville, Its Public Schools and UVa – Part Three – CCS Abandons Truancy Filings, Absenteeism Soars”

  1. WayneS Avatar
    WayneS

    I sympathize with the truants to a degree.

    If I was a kid unlucky enough to be sentenced (for lack of a better word) to enrollment in Charlottesville’s city school system I would not want to attend either.

    But on the plus side, at least the school system has successfully implemented equity in one area – they don’t go after anyone for truancy.

  2. Nathan Avatar
    Nathan

    “Will they use the truancy laws to re-establish parental consequences for their children’s chronic absenteeism? If not, why?”

    Because it wouldn’t be equitable.

    It’s the same thinking we are seeing with law enforcement.

    Public safety has been destroyed in many American cities because of an idea. That idea holds that any law-enforcement activity that has a disparate impact on black criminals is racist. Disparate impact is why many police departments have dismantled gang databases and antigun task forces, why they have given up on public-order enforcement, and why they have all but eliminated car stops. It is why “progressive” district attorneys have stopped prosecuting trespassing, shoplifting, fare evasion, and resisting arrest, why bail is being eliminated, and why judges let repeat offenders back on the street. Disparate impact is the reason that chain stores like Starbucks and Walgreens would rather close high-loss outlets than accost thieves.

    https://www.city-journal.org/article/tell-the-truth-about-law-enforcement-and-crime

  3. Teddy007 Avatar
    Teddy007

    Maybe they found that teaching was easier when no one cares if the worst students who have no interest in learning are not there.

    A better question is whether disinterested students can be forced to learn new material.

    1. Lefty665 Avatar
      Lefty665

      Education is not just for the “good” kids. The premise is that education for all benefits all of us, both directly and indirectly. Teaching the “good” kids is easy. Reaching those who are not so easy requires some actual skills on the part of the school and teachers. The SOLs clearly show how Charlottesville schools have failed to reach a sizeable portion of their students. The failure is the schools not the kids.

      1. Teddy007 Avatar
        Teddy007

        One cannot teach students who do not want to learn. One is just forced to either fail the students or lower standards to let them pass and go away. A much easier policy would be to make high school voluntary, stop checking attendance, and focus on the students who want to learn. Remove high school as a focus of teen rebellion and more learning will occur.

        1. Lefty665 Avatar
          Lefty665

          Nonsense. Easier but not better. More nonsense.

          Abandoning a huge number of kids because they are not prepared to be excited by school and eager to study is criminal in addition to being a huge waste of people and a danger to our society from an exploding underclass unprepared to thrive.

          Our public schools supported by all our tax dollars have the obligation to teach ALL our kids, not just the easy ones. It’s not just the law, it’s the right thing to do, and it benefits us all in the long run.

          Your ‘tude is incredibly short sighted.

          1. Teddy007 Avatar
            Teddy007

            The public schools would teach all kids but the attendance would by voluntary. If a kid is more interesting in being a rebel instead of student, then the student can be a rebel somehwere other than the school.

          2. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            I always thought that public education was done because
            it was perceived as a net benefit to society above and beyond the taxes required to fund it.

            Higher literacy and productivity and less crime and entitlements.

            Where did I get this wrong?

  4. WayneS Avatar
    WayneS

    I sympathize with the truants to a degree.

    If I was a kid unlucky enough to be sentenced (for lack of a better word) to enrollment in Charlottesville’s city school system I would not want to attend either.

    But on the plus side, at least the school system has successfully implemented equity in one area – they don’t go after anyone for truancy.

    1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
      Eric the half a troll

      Apparently they don’t in Allegheny County either…

      1. WayneS Avatar
        WayneS

        I don’t know about Allegheny County. The article is not about Allegheny County.

        If you write an article about Allegheny County schools I will comment on it.

        1. LarrytheG Avatar
          LarrytheG

          When Cville is selectively targeted as the worst example in Va, and progressives in general are blamed, why not show some others to demonstrate it and what more appropriate than the county that surrounds Cville and is actually a significant part of Cville MSA?

          1. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            Yes. Why not? Who’s stopping you?

            Write an article about it and I will comment on it.

          2. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            Why do we have comments on articles in BR? We’re supposed to comment only
            according to the author or others like you? geeze… The problem we have is
            that articles are written that are so focused as blame or attacks that simple
            ignore other relevant facts in order to maintain what sometimes appears to be
            a truly illogical and unfair approach. Comments allow others to weigh in freely
            and they should as too many of BR articles IMO are not like they used to be when
            BR first came on the scene:

            “ABOUT
            Bacon’s Rebellion is Virginia’s leading politically non-aligned portal for news, opinions and analysis about state, regional and local public policy”

            note the: ” politically non-aligned ” part… especially when being told about “leftists” and “progressives”, “social justice warriors”, etc…

          3. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            The problem we have is
            that articles are written that are so focused as blame or attacks that simply ignore other relevant facts in order to maintain what sometimes appears to be a truly illogical and unfair approach.

            You have a point. Perhaps what they need is a good example. I am 100% certain that Mr. Bacon would post an analysis of the problems in our school systems prepared and penned by you. You can persuasively make your points about how wrong and unfair “conservatives” are on the issue. And you can do it without casting blame or attacking these wayward “conservatives”.

            I’m sure your soaring prose and scintillating rhetoric would lead to all the “conservatives’ on the site being convinced of the error of their ways, changing their minds so that their opinions comport in every way with your own.

            Go ahead, give it a shot. It’d be a whole lot more productive than perpetually complaining about how others write their articles.

          4. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            The only articles I complain about are biased blame game stuff..that often lacks context or contrast. for the most part UNLIKE most of the articles in BR not that long ago.

            I don’t need to write my own articles to make relevant and legitimate comments on others.

            I usually only make comments about “conservatives” in response to overt attacks on “leftists”
            and “progressives” which make them fair game and really – fair.

            I do not offer ” soaring prose and scintillating rhetoric” much less good grammar !

            Someone would have to take on the job of “fixing” my grammar if I were to undertake
            your suggested endeavor.

            Thanks for the verbal “tomatoes” !

          5. James C. Sherlock Avatar
            James C. Sherlock

            The chronic absenteeism-truancy statistics are pretty compelling, don’t you think, Larry. Truancy filings evaporate, absenteeism soars.

            I don’t want to go out on a limb here, but Charlottesville parents had a 63% chance of winding up in court if their kid was chronically absent. Last year 1%.

            It doesn’t take a sociology degree to see the connection.

            That is not the only issue, as I have written, but it is the easiest one to fix, don’t you think?

            As for BR political balance, three words. Dick Hall-Sizemore.

          6. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            FYI – Allegheny County does not surround Charlottesville. Albemarle County surrounds Charlottesville.

          7. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            yes… screwed that up…

  5. Eric the half a troll Avatar
    Eric the half a troll

    As I was scrolling through the truancy data you linked to I was like “wow… what’s up with Allegheny County?” 36% of a mostly white student population! Who knew they had such progressive overreach way down there! But they got the black kids in Charlottesville beat…

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/36cc8b6f27aef7c172c912d68d7da654368b17e5c3423763920f2568d8c85a37.jpg

    1. James C. Sherlock Avatar
      James C. Sherlock

      There are 134 school divisions in Virginia. This series is about Charlottesville City Schools.

      The kids who live there do not get to move. If they did, over 100 of them would be a better choice.

      1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
        Eric the half a troll

        Looking at other schools with the same problems (or worse) can help you identify the underlying problems. Unless Allegheny is secretly a progressive stronghold, you seem to be off the mark with your current root cause analysis.

        1. James C. Sherlock Avatar
          James C. Sherlock

          Do the math on the 2018-19 and 2022-23 statistics of chronic absenteeism vs. truancy filings in Charlottesville.

          If you do not find that compelling, nothing will convince you. Which, unfortunately, seems to be the case here.

          1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
            Eric the half a troll

            You can’t just ignore data that disproves your theory and call your argument compelling. Fear not, Walcott was a great paleontologist but even he made the same error. It happens.

            Edit: Noticed you edited your original article to dial things back. Much better.

          2. James C. Sherlock Avatar
            James C. Sherlock

            I am working on the 133 other series.

    2. LarrytheG Avatar
      LarrytheG

      saw that also…

      other thing I noticed is that Asians are a big deal in NoVa… not so much in Cville or Albemarle.

      1. WayneS Avatar
        WayneS

        Does that matter?

        1. LarrytheG Avatar
          LarrytheG

          not really in this discussion.. except they do seem to be less a problem with absenteeism as others.

  6. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    The points in this article are well taken (except for the gratuitous swipe at the UVa School of Education with no basis cited).

    Charlottesville should be alarmed and should take steps to cut down on truancy. Filing in the J&DR court should be taken only as a last resort. There are other measures that could be pursued first. Attendance officers could be used extensively to visit the homes of the chronic absentees to determine the cause. (Sometimes, being absent is due to factors beyond the control of the kid and an attendance officer intervening could help.) One of the big mistakes made by Kamras in Richmond is getting rid of attendance officers.

    Now that two of my grandchildren are attending public school in Fairfax County, I am more more aware of what is going on in public schools. If a kid is absent from a class, or even tardy for the class, both parents (if there are more than one) get text messages that their child is absent/tardy. As my daughter has noted, it would not be possible for a kid to skip school without the parents being notified. Because it has not been an issue in their household, I don’t know how much followup, or what kind of followup, there is for those who are chronically absent. (I do know that one friend of my grandchildren was absent for more than 40 days last year. This was with her parents’ knowledge and consent. She is a straight A student and often felt like staying at home and getting her work done there.)

    1. James C. Sherlock Avatar
      James C. Sherlock

      Dick, the “gratuitous swipe” at UVa School of Education is not in the least gratuitous. That school takes pride in what they have done for Charlottesville schools. Stay tuned.

    2. WayneS Avatar
      WayneS

      If a kid is absent from a class, or even tardy for the class, both parents (if there are more than one) get text messages that their child is absent/tardy.

      That is an excellent policy. But what happens if a child’s home life is so chaotic and/or their parent/guardian is so irresponsible, that accurate contact information cannot be maintained. Reasons might include, providing fake phone numbers to the school, a cell phone a parent has at the beginning of the school year gets deactivated because the bill is not paid, a child is moved from home to home, couch to couch, so often that the school has no idea whom to even contact about him/her, or a parent/guardian simply ignores all the messages because they don’t care.

      A system such as the one in Fairfax is excellent and worthwhile because it works for the majority of students and their families. The problem is the children whose attendance needs the closest monitoring and the most action are the ones for whom the system is the most likely to fail.

      I don’t know the best way to solve the excessive truancy problem short of taking every parent to court, and don’t want to see that happen. However, I do like the ideas proposed by James Wyatt Whitehead above (or below, depending upon how you sort the comments).

    3. WayneS Avatar
      WayneS

      If a kid is absent from a class, or even tardy for the class, both parents (if there are more than one) get text messages that their child is absent/tardy.

      That is an excellent policy. But what happens if a child’s home life is so chaotic and/or their parent/guardian is so irresponsible, that accurate contact information cannot be maintained. Reasons might include, providing fake phone numbers to the school, a cell phone a parent has at the beginning of the school year gets deactivated because the bill is not paid, a child is moved from home to home, couch to couch, so often that the school has no idea whom to even contact about him/her, or a parent/guardian simply ignores all the messages because they don’t care.

      A system such as the one in Fairfax is excellent and worthwhile because it works for the majority of students and their families. The problem is the children whose attendance needs the closest monitoring and the most action are the ones for whom the system is the most likely to fail.

      I don’t know the best way to solve the excessive truancy problem short of taking every parent to court, and don’t want to see that happen. However, I do like the ideas proposed by James Wyatt Whitehead above (or below, depending upon how you sort the comments).

      1. LarrytheG Avatar
        LarrytheG

        I think you’ve touched on the issues associated with some households where mom/dad are not well educated, don’t have good paying jobs, are financially stressed… can’t pay bills, in trouble with creditors, moving around, and probably not paying as much attention to their kids as well-educated, higher income parents that maintain a more stable home life.

        So what can public schools do about that? What can they legitimately be held responsible for? Would “choice” or other alternative/Charter schools as a “solution” do any better?

        1. James C. Sherlock Avatar
          James C. Sherlock

          Public schools are held accountable for successfully educating the kids in front of them.

          The fact that it is a hard mission does not make the obligation go away.

          I celebrate those who try.

          But I will not excuse failure, especially in the cases of poor minority kids.

          Neither should you.

          Choice is always better because it inserts competition.

          1. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            I agree with you and I’m all for other approaches as long as we also hold them accountable
            to the same standards.

            “Choice” is NOT “always better” just because it is “competition” and until and unless we collect the same data to prove they are, it’s a specious claim at best especially when the “competition”
            approach to these issues is to boot the kid , rather than actually perform better.

  7. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    Relevant WaPo article:

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/088e8f2570a941ce5b0dfb1800b47f465baef6a44c638b4cba743a0669fa8d77.png

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/73298d98b1b7e592437778bc5d4fbb8a59ca5f8a845aca0c58015ffc669f8c15.png

    “The trends in the nation’s capital reflect troubling patterns across the country. In the school year that followed the outbreak of the coronavirus, two-thirds of students were attending schools with “high or extreme levels of chronic absence,” according to an analysis from Attendance Works, an education nonprofit.”
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a9c9068cf12ed1a9ac8a5464499ea5c668e2aa61274ed6bbdabb5744ca5fd2e8.png
    https://www.attendanceworks.org/rising-tide-of-chronic-absence-challenges-schools/

    https://wapo.st/47WL105

  8. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
    James Wyatt Whitehead

    VDOE’s remedy suggests forming Attendance Committees at each school to examine data and form strategies. What a joke! By the time you find teachers to be on the committee, examine data, and come up with a plan you are half way done with the school year.

    There is a good remedy for chronic absenteeism. Start with a phone call home. Next start knocking on doors. They are home. They will answer. I used to do this with students. Worked like a charm. A few years back in Warren County the high school principal did this every evening and cut his problem in half. King George County had a great solution, this is way back 25 years ago. They had a paid truant officer with a school board van. He would drive to the homes of truant frequent flyers. They had a choice. Get in the van for a ride to school or show up in court and explain it to a judge.

    Come on schools! This is not hard. It does require real daily effort though. Circlefests talking about what to do, not included.

    1. LarrytheG Avatar
      LarrytheG

      I thought that those who were chronically absent did poorly on the k-4 read/write/math basics
      and probably got worse in middle/high and they continued with poor grades and had no real prospects for succeeding… and on their way
      to dropping out.

      wrong?

      Would these kids do any better if there was a Charter school?

    2. LarrytheG Avatar
      LarrytheG

      I thought that those who were chronically absent did poorly on the k-4 read/write/math basics
      and probably got worse in middle/high and they continued with poor grades and had no real prospects for succeeding… and on their way
      to dropping out.

      wrong?

      Would these kids do any better if there was a Charter school?

      1. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
        James Wyatt Whitehead

        If you go and get them and make them come to school a great many problems are resolved.

        1. LarrytheG Avatar
          LarrytheG

          even if they messed up in 3rd grade reading and math?

          1. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
            James Wyatt Whitehead

            Saturday school for that kid. Every Saturday. The Captain deserves a Huzzah! You can tell he put a lot of thought and time into this series.

          2. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            He does, no question but I don’t agree with the very negative directions and condemnations that he associated with partisan politics myself. He sets the problem up perfectly but after that he goes off in not constructive directions IMO.

            A path to a better place would be helpful IMO.

          3. James C. Sherlock Avatar
            James C. Sherlock

            A path to a better place for children is prosecuting parents for the truancy of their kids.

            Sorry, Larry, but the Charlottesville data prove that.

            This column was a very simple story that could not be told without inquiring about motivation for not doing so.

            The motivation is entirely political. That does not mean that the leadership of Charlottesville schools, and the community, don’t believe in the narrative. They do.

            But Black children are demonstrably and sadly living with the consequences.

          4. James C. Sherlock Avatar
            James C. Sherlock

            A path to a better place for children is prosecuting parents for the truancy of their kids.

            Sorry, Larry, but the Charlottesville data prove that.

            This column was a very simple story that could not be told without inquiring about motivation for not doing so.

            The motivation is entirely political. That does not mean that the leadership of Charlottesville schools, and the community, don’t believe in the narrative. They do.

            But Black children are demonstrably and sadly living with the consequences.

          5. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            It’s a nationwide issue, Jim. It varies in degree and Cville is one of the worst but many other
            schools in Va and the nation have similar issues and in my view, you mostly squander your excellent
            research by going sideways politically on the analysis.

          6. James C. Sherlock Avatar
            James C. Sherlock

            I am going to talk about retention in grade in another piece.

            The left considers it racist because of disparate outcomes. I consider it anti-racist, because it cares for every child as an individual.

            The left cannot bear to discuss individuals, because it is focused on the oppressed/oppressor “narrative”, which defines your status by your lineage, not your personal hopes, desires and effort.

            That will always fail the best people in every “group”.

  9. Lefty665 Avatar
    Lefty665

    It seems so obvious it does not need stating, there is no hope of teaching anything to a kid who is not in class. Presumably even the UVa school of education and Charlottesville city schools both care about teaching kids. How could they not care enough about having all kids in class to do something about getting them there so it is possible to teach them? It is beyond comprehension.

    For two years I’ve been periodically harping on the idiocy of declaring 86% of C’ville’s students “gifted”. Turns out a lot of those kids were so “gifted” that they didn’t need to even come to school regularly. Amazing, and did I mention beyond comprehension?

  10. James A. Bacon Avatar
    James A. Bacon

    Using the logic of disparate impact — in Charlottesville Black children are disproportionately likely to be absent from school and disproportionately likely to fall short of Standards of Learning — then Charlottesville surely must be one of the most racist school systems in the commonwealth. Accordingly, the philosophy and practice implemented by school officials must be regarded as irredeemably racist as well. Yes, racism is alive and well in Virginia. It just doesn’t have anything to do with white supremacy.

    1. LarrytheG Avatar
      LarrytheG

      is it also “racist” for the blacks that stayed, and passed and graduated or just for the ones that did not?

      Are the other schools in Va that have black kids that are chronically absent also all “racist” even the “Red” counties?

    2. LarrytheG Avatar
      LarrytheG

      is it also “racist” for the blacks that stayed, and passed and graduated or just for the ones that did not?

      Are the other schools in Va that have black kids that are chronically absent also all “racist” even the “Red” counties?

    3. walter smith Avatar
      walter smith

      But don’t all Democrat/Leftist policies result in the “systemic racism” that the enlightened claim they wish to abolish?
      How has defund the police worked out for the black residents of cities?
      Hasn’t removing the statues from (No) Monument Avenue greatly improved the City of Richmond?

      I really can’t believe the good fortune that somehow the City has had the sense to twice vote down the casino. Will the “caring” politicians come back for Round 3?

    4. LarrytheG Avatar
      LarrytheG

      is it also “racist” for the blacks that stayed, and passed and graduated or just for the ones that did not?

      Are the other schools in Va that have black kids that are chronically absent also all “racist” even the “Red” counties?

      1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
        Eric the half a troll

        Really… every county in Virginia must be racist based on JAB’s “logic”… just absurd.

        1. LarrytheG Avatar
          LarrytheG

          and of course if there were Charter schools every single black kid would never be absent and always pass and graduate.. and if not they’ll kick em out!

          1. LesGabriel Avatar
            LesGabriel

            I guess we will never know until Virginia allows a significant number of charter schools.

          2. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            I support Charter schools that specialize in economically disadvantaged kids ONLY and are
            held accountable for their performance, including absenteeism. If they can do a better job,
            I’m all for it but totally in a “Trust but Verify” mode. North Carolina allows Charters but
            those close Charters that don’t perform.

          3. LesGabriel Avatar
            LesGabriel

            I hope you hold public schools and their administrators to the same high standard.

          4. Eric the half a troll Avatar
            Eric the half a troll

            One of the reasons charter schools won’t fix this problem is because they can just kick the truants back to the standard public school thereby cooking their books. Not much different than just the accepting higher truancy rates in the public schools to begin with.

          5. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            Yep. That’s the Charter School “solution”.

            Just don’t keep track at all and boot anyone who is truant.

            That’s the “conservative” solution.. hold the progressive to an almost impossible standard then jettison it altogether once they take over schooling…

          6. James C. Sherlock Avatar
            James C. Sherlock

            Neither of us have any idea of the meaning of what you just wrote.

          7. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            That is a good point. Perhaps we need a Charter School specifically for chronically truant students. It’s charter could be set up so that it is not permitted to simply toss truants back at the conventional public schools. It would need open-minded administrators and educators willing to to come up with effective methods of reducing truancy. These could then be adopted by “regular” schools.

            One of the goals of the “Truancy Academy” could be to work towards eliminating the need for its own existence.

          8. Eric the half a troll Avatar
            Eric the half a troll

            Or you could just hold the charters to the same standard you hold the rest of the system…

          9. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            Gawd Forbid!

          10. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            totally on board with that.

            glad you see it also.

            It’s clear that public schools do not have “solutions” that some conservatives want so more than willing to give other types of schools a clear shot, hold them accountable also, and if they produce better results, force the public schools to adopt those methods.

            That’s CONSTRUCTIVE approach forward – as opposed to the current blame game – game.

          11. James C. Sherlock Avatar
            James C. Sherlock

            The public schools in Charlottesville can refer students to public alternative school Lugo-McGinness Academy for grades 8-12, or students can self refer.

          12. Eric the half a troll Avatar
            Eric the half a troll

            It only has like 30 students… don’t think that will solve the problem…

          13. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            and is not accountable to the public for it’s performance, so we take Sherlock’s word on it being better, apparently.

          14. Eric the half a troll Avatar
            Eric the half a troll

            Virginia does allow charter schools.

          15. James C. Sherlock Avatar
            James C. Sherlock

            Yes, and it allows pigs to fly. Neither is likely to happen very often.

            The school divisions have to approve charter schools.

            Pigs don’t have wings.

          16. Eric the half a troll Avatar
            Eric the half a troll

            More argument that Allegheny County is secretly a progressive stronghold…?

          17. LesGabriel Avatar
            LesGabriel

            In theory. If it were as easy as in D.C., how many could we have?

            i

            i

          18. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            Lots and lots of RED/conservative counties in Va that have a clear shot at doing…. what’s keeping them back?

          19. LesGabriel Avatar
            LesGabriel

            I have asked the same question before. Haven’t gotten a good answer.

          20. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            Conservatives in Virginia could make significant inroads on the Charter School concept if they would work with “friendly rural school boards to stand some Charter schools up – demonstrating to other Virginians including those in more suburban and rural areas that it can be done as well as how much better they are with minorities and economically disadvantaged.

            I can only speculate as to the reasons why this has not been done but we see way more blame game talk that real Charter School action.

          21. Eric the half a troll Avatar
            Eric the half a troll

            It is as easy as it is in DC. In fact given the number of school boards in Virginia, it is actually easier. All they have to do is vote on it like they did in DC:

            “In 2006, the District of Columbia State Board of Education voted to relinquish its authorizing responsibilities for charter schools…”

            What Sherlock wants to do is take the authority away from all duly elected local school board representatives forcefully. Such a move is wrong, and it would require a constitutional amendment (as it should, thankfully).

        2. James C. Sherlock Avatar
          James C. Sherlock

          I am going to write about other cities and counties compared to Charlottesville. Stay tuned.

  11. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    interesting data:

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/acb146cfabfe19e562585a010e1c38fa556417736d5f5d1bd61486c8bc3a0b0c.png

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/786f68d3b87ba28f8b014c8d013b94e43abddf2e5804f6c4795be7dd0313a279.png

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/959742a92c302e2ac6ba114f1b02f77759a5c6ed0061c1a3c192a07ef36326ef.png

    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15yNTUUNwHzhFjQRCYgY5o7KE5pGoVFtk/edit#gid=1137911798

    1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
      Eric the half a troll

      Those Texas progressives… smh

      1. LarrytheG Avatar
        LarrytheG

        Virginia looks better than many other states.

        Sherlock develops a “theory” then proceeds to “prove” it but as you said, he ignores data that contradicts his “theory”.

        Virginia and some localities like Cville do have their problems but as you observe, many other Red States like Texas makes Virginia look good by comparison.

        And Charter Schools won’t fix it… because they will very likely just boot the chronically absent and will have
        zero accountability for dealing with it.

        That’s not untypical for conservatives approach to these issues. They’ll impugn progressives who are being hed accountable but the conservative “solutions” are either run away or draconian… dealing with real problems that are stubborn and difficult is not their forte.

        As far as I can tell, there are no “conservative” solutions to the chronic absentee problem anywhere in the US other than playing blame games.

        1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
          Eric the half a troll

          I have a theory that post-Covid many more people are just clocking in and out and really don’t care about doing the best they can at their jobs. Many more people than before just want part-time gigs to make ends meet and that is it. It may be that the resources schools had before to chase down and prosecute truancy are just not there anymore. Such a factor (again a theory) would explain why we see truancy spikes across the board (regardless of political affiliations). That would seem an avenue worth exploring, imo.

          1. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            It’s a national issue and it turns out that Virginia is 8th best nationally on chronic absenteeism.

            Cville’s rates are actually better than many Red states rates.

          2. James C. Sherlock Avatar
            James C. Sherlock

            This is a blog about Virginia, Larry.

            The is a series about Black kids getting cheated out of their educations in the shadow of UVa and its “elite” school of education.

            You will notice that nearly all of my work in education is centered on the deprivation of Black children. It is especially sad in Charlottesville. Thus this series.

            Surely you think a 63% Black chronic absenteeism rate in the Buford 8th grade is worthy of reporting and assessment.

            And we note that Buford is not even Charlottesville’s alternative school, which also has an 8th grade.

          3. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            Does this mean “whataboutism” is okay as long as it is you using it to argue against a conservative’s opinions?

          4. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            as long as it is directly related and relevant and some foolish off the wall stuff that
            has nothing to do with the issue, yes.

          5. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            THAT would be a worthy effort and something BR would have taken a much less partisan
            look at back in the days before BR became infected with culture war offal.

          6. James C. Sherlock Avatar
            James C. Sherlock

            It is.

        2. James C. Sherlock Avatar
          James C. Sherlock

          “Conservative” solutions are enforcing the truancy laws.

          1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
            Eric the half a troll

            Except apparently “conservatives” aren’t doing that…

          2. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            if they are, must not be working in other states…like Texas, eh?

        3. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
          James Wyatt Whitehead

          A quarter of a million kids practicing chronic absenteeism doesn’t look good unless you are comparing to California which is bulging at near two million.

          1. James C. Sherlock Avatar
            James C. Sherlock

            He does not get the point, Jim.

            The chronic absenteeism seen nationwide today represents a disgraceful failure to provide for the futures of children.

            It represents a national security problem going forward.

            This is a Virginia blog, and we address what is in front of us. The house is burning.

          2. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            Virginia actually seems to rank much better than most other states on this issue.

            It’s pretty important when making a case to do so in context and to compare and contrast with others as opposed to focusing in so close that you lose all perspective and appear to be engaging in a selective or targeted look that is not fair much less really objective.

            I DO “get it” BTW>

            I’ve asked James and communicated with him on this issue and as a veteran teacher I highly value his thoughts on it including the fact that he does not make it about race or politics per se as others seem want to do.

          3. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
            James Wyatt Whitehead

            I think the Captain is right. The will to pivot from failed existing policies towards commonsense solutions is totally absent. The failed policies were contrived in school board rooms, education bureaucrats’ towers of power, and the politicians in Richmond. Both sides of the aisle have let us all down. The only immediate solution is to get your kid out of the public school. A full generation of youth are going to be consumed before the slow turning wheels of reform bring about much needed change.

          4. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            I don’t think Charters will do it though. Most Charters “solve” the problem by booting the kid not
            doing what the public schools have to do…i.e. NOT boot the kid!
            This is a National issue, not a Cville issue and not a political or racial issue except for those who can’t
            seem to help themselves to really want to understand IMO.

          5. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            Virginia actually seems to rank much better than most other states on this issue.

            So what?

            Other states suck at running their public schools so it’s okay if we continue to suck at it as well, so long as we don’t suck at is as much they do?

            What the heck kind of striving for excellence is that?

          6. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            Virginia actually seems to rank much better than most other states on this issue.

            So what?

            Other states suck at running their public schools so it’s okay if we continue to suck at it as well, so long as we don’t suck at is as much they do?

            What the heck kind of striving for excellence is that?

          7. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            It says it’s not an easy problem to solve and Virginia is doing better at what they are doing than other states.

          8. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
            James Wyatt Whitehead

            Please explain the practices in place by Virginia that demonstrate the exceptional results you claim. You are right about charter schools not working in Virginia. There are only 7. I don’t see any more being added in my lifetime. Why are you so worried about charter schools? Never going to happen. You will never have to worry about public schools losing precious dollars to charter schools. Why are you so consumed with a nonissue?

          9. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            Where did I claim “exceptional” results? I said it was a stubborn and difficult problem that so far, there seems to be no silver bullet “solution” conservative or otherwise!

            Charter Schools in general and I support them if they are specifically targeted to the kids
            who are “failing” as opposed to psuedo subsidized “academies” for those who are not failing.

            I’m NOT “consumed” with it .. I’m RESPONDING to the promotion of the idea as a “solution”
            with no obvious data to support the claim…

            I DO THINK that public schools ARE failing to educate some (not all) minorities and economically
            disadvantaged. It’s a fair and accurate assessment. And I DO SUPPORT alternative schools to “compete” with different approaches in hopes of finding and doing things that public schools
            seem to not be able to do. I support it as long as it IS targeted to the specific kids that Charter proponents claim is why they support charters AND the Charters are held to the same standards and accountability as public schools are.

            Why am I “consumed”? Because the current failures are untenable if we are serious about
            dealing with generational poverty and illiteracy and taxes to pay for their entitlements!

            I just think we need to go forward not look back and assign blame…. and advocate for bogus
            concepts like Charter Academies not to serve the kids who need help.

          10. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
            James Wyatt Whitehead

            But you don’t have to respond Mr. Larry. The blue team has Park Place and the Boardwalk with hotels on it. Charter schools will never expand from 7 to even 8 in Virginia. We all know that. It would have been done by now if it was a solution. It is not. I accept that. The 7 we have are pimples you can’t even see. Now that we have that settled. What is your idea to fix the mess? What bright ideas can you or your blue friends offer?

          11. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            You don’t think Charters COULD be a solution? I’d like to see “charters” that are dedicated ONLY to kids that are not achieving passing SOLs similar to how Sucess Academies work but without being
            able to dump the students who do not measure up like Success apparently does.

            I support Saturday schools as you indicated. I like the Fork Union “one” idea…

            but I do not believe Public Schools themselves have shown much, enough commitment to do it themselves and I’d favor SOL minimum pass rates for EACH sub-group. In other words, all minorities, all economically disadvantaged, would have to meet that threshold or else the
            school would be sanctioned and subject to ompetition” but competition that is targeted to the at risk/failing kids ONLY and is fully accountable for their performance with sanctions and closures if they do not succeed. If the so-called “Lab” school can be directed to do that – I’m for it.

            You’ve also indicated that the “good” or “bad” of a given school depends a lot on the leader
            which strikes me as more happenstance than a a real position description that they are judged
            and held to account for THEIR performance. I DO KNOW of at least 2 principals that were
            effectively removed… they did not get fired… they got transferred back to the classroom.

            I’m not at all a blind supporter of public schools per se. We DO need to recognize that even
            in these schools were minorities “fail” – there are also quite a few kids that actually excel and
            that is the reason the whole school meets the SOL threshold. The high scoring kids scores
            offset the low scoring kids scores.

            Tell me where I’m wrong… seriously…

          12. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
            James Wyatt Whitehead

            Oh no Mr. Larry. We can’t have charters. Remember? They suck the life blood, the very bone marrow out of public education. I am done with subgroups and this and that and the other. One thing I learned and forgot and now remember again. One kid at a time. One individual at a time. Yes, you can make a difference.

          13. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            well… Lab Schools then…..

          14. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
            James Wyatt Whitehead

            I know you think public schools are failing to educate. WE all think that. I am done with studying all of the gaps between this group and that group. We have been talking about it for generations. I think I have figured it out too.
            A concept designed to keep us busy chasing our tails with no finish line. Alternative schools? You know what that really is? A de facto charter school woefully understaffed and underfunded with no measurable goals to show for itself.

          15. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            You don’t have to convince me that the current approach in toto is not working for the
            economically disadvantaged kids even though they ARE working for the kids whose parents
            are educated and have decent jobs. Even in Cville schools, there are high scoring kids.

          16. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            re: ” Even in Cville schools, there are high scoring kids.” :

            from VDOE build-a-table
            2022-2023 Charlottesville City

            English:Reading White , not economically disadvantaged:

            Grade 3 91.82

            so does this mean that Cville does a helluva good job teaching SOME kids?

          17. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
            James Wyatt Whitehead

            Chase your tail all night and all day studying those subgroups. You have fallen for their game. We have all been had. But I have wised up. The kid. That is the key. One at a time. Forget the subgroups.

          18. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            geeze, without the subgroups, Sherlock would not have near as much fodder to write about!

          19. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            speaking of subgroups.. here’s the SOL reading scores at Cville for students that
            are NOT economically disadvantaged, no sweat hogs there!

            Grade 3 SOL 91.82
            Grade 4 SOL 92.96
            Grade 5 SOL 92.45
            Grade 6 SOL 93.24
            Grade 7 SOL 98.91
            Grade 8 SOL 96.15

          20. CJBova Avatar
            CJBova

            Larry. I suggest you drop the continuing carping about charter schools. You have added no new ideas on them in the last, what—50 comments? It’s your go-to on Jim Sherlock ed columns. We all got it that you don’t understand how they work. You won’t believe they are held to the same standards as any public school, and you never run out of negative reasons why they can’t offer a viable alternative to some of our failing public schools. Please do share new insights, but in the future, the same old tropes are going to be deleted as off topic unless the column is specifically about charter schools. Quantity of comments does not make up for lack of content.

          21. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            Carol – you know when you say “failing schools” , it’s really a trope also. If you look at
            even the Charlottesville schools and look at scores for all students that are NOT economically
            disadvantaged, the scores are in the nineties. For whatever reasons they fail at educating
            the economically disadvantaged, they seem to do quite well with the ones that are
            not economically disadvantaged. Hard to call that a “failure”. No?

          22. CJBova Avatar
            CJBova

            No. In SW Va, the CIP schools had some of the highest school scores with a heavily ED population. Plus, you overlook the fact that as well as school classes, some children have the natural ability to learn to read from their environment, whether that is from books at home, parents or tv ads.

          23. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            I’ve done data pulls from VDOE build-a-table for SW Va. I could pull them and put them here. They’re
            different in some important ways and not all of them do that well. Generally, they are smaller
            school districts that have fewer schools that serve county-wide instead of on a neighborhood basis
            where income demographics vary. I can pull that data and put here if you wish.

            “some children” – they do but the ones with parents involved with them do better and even
            home schooled kids – NEED some level of direct instruction to get them to advance through the
            grade levels… There are some that don’t need that but most of them do.

          24. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            You know, in a prior thread I had brought up CIP and was asking what it was they did
            that made them so effective… and I think you told me it was “off-topic” to talk about
            CIP without Matt Hurt involved or some such or did I just remember it wrong. Can
            I talk more about CIP and how it might work for Cville schools?

          25. CJBova Avatar
            CJBova

            CIP is not a one-size fits all situation. Like charter schools, staff work together to create learning environments that work and share what works between schools or districts as the case may be. Massive problems, as in Cville, will not be fixed with one approach.

          26. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            I’m not even sure exactly how CIP works but my impression is that it establishes some basic
            teaching standards that are especially true for newbie teachers which I think is a good thing
            especially for the harder-to-teach economically disadvantaged.

            But again, Cville is bad, no question, but the absentee issue is very widespread and varies only
            in degree with Cville being among the worst.

            I’m not even sure CIP , beyond teaching standards has anything to do with chronic absenteeism… it may not at all and that’s why I support looking at the schools that ARE having success in reducing absenteeism to see what they are doing that shows some success.

          27. CJBova Avatar
            CJBova

            Are you aware of any districts that have reduced absenteeism? References to those would be helpful!

          28. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            I have not per se… on a multi county comparative basis which I would AGREE would add good insight to the discussion.

            As far as I can tell, the school quality tool does not let one specify multiple districts like build-a-table does for SOLs.

            I’ve looked at a couple of the CIP counties and they look better. If you look at the nationwide state level chart , you will also see that as bad as Cville is – it’s better than a number of states aggregate numbers.

            Charlottesville – school district number is 21% … when you break it down by race – blacks are 31% which seems to be the same for economically disadvantaged.

            https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/divisions/charlottesville-city-public-schools#desktopTabs-6

            Sherlock drilled down further to get the worst numbers but when they get folded in with the other numbers it shows 21% for the entire school.

            Which is better than many other states that are showing statewide levels of 40% and if you drill down on those states, almost surely would find far worse

            It’s a significant issue both statewide and nationwide and as far as I can tell, it has little to do with politics as both Red and Blue localities are dealing with it.

            But if we DID KNOW of schools that had better numbers.. it would IMO add context and knowledge to the discussion.

          29. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            Actually, I given support for Success Academies charter schools and I have been specific about
            how they are different and why they are better IMO.

            I actually have supported Charters in Virginia if they are done like the Success Academies are done
            which is to focus on kids that are economically disadvantaged as opposed to Charters that do
            not really target the kids that really do need help.

            No tropes at all.. don’t know how you go that. Perhaps you can say.

            I try to follow the rules on the masthead and hope that any moderation is done fairly and objectively such that each person is held to the same standards and rules are not made up as it appears they are at times.

          30. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            Okay, so without talking about Charters , just about the idea that Charlottesville schools are “failing”, what they are failing at is teaching the economically disadvantaged not the ones that are not economically disadvantaged which scores highly in the eighties and nineties… ( I had said only nineties before but it’s eighties also ).

            So Cville schools must be doing something right if a lot of their kids score quite well on the SOLs.
            https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8700277e8ce7ff18304b112487c95150f160b7e372dfa86f376c99c996044683.png

            Cville does particularily badly on the economically disadvantaged which includes many minorities
            but clearly it’s the economically disadvantaged regardless of race that do poorly.

            If we select ONLY the economically disadvantaged (without regard to race) – we see
            this:

            https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d44f76689e0c0149012ba7af2b054b22fd21c3385d6df6814bb06cf8c737be3e.png

            So Cville basically does a pretty good job if the kids are not economically disadvantaged but not so good if they are.

            Cville is not alone on this, it’s something that is true in many schools in Va.

            Cville just happens to be the worst and particular bad at it.

        4. WayneS Avatar
          WayneS

          That is all well and good, but please explain why Charlottesville schools stopped enforcing their truancy polices, and the truancy laws of the Commonwealth.

          Whatever Allegheny or any other school system is or is not doing, Charlottesville could have maintained their record of [relatively] vigorously enforcing our truancy laws. They did not, and it has apparently led to an increase in chronic truancy. Do you know why they stopped making the issue a priority?

          And by the way, this conservative’s “solution” is for all school systems to enforce the truancy laws of the Commonwealth. But that should not have to be a “solution” – it should be SOP.

          With that said, if we are consistently enforcing the existing law, and we still have a chronic truancy problem, then we need to look for other solutions.

          1. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            I don’t know the answer but Cville is by far not alone in the issue not in Va or nationally. In fact, Cville seems to be better than many other states.

            I totally agree with your last statement: ” With that said, if we are consistently enforcing the existing law, and we still have a chronic truancy problem, then we need to look for other solutions.”

            with the caveat that if the existing law is not working, then yes, find solutions.

            Easy to say – but with it being a very widespread problem across the country – no silver bullet
            has been found so far including in many Red states.

          2. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            I think the main reason Mr. Sherlock is “picking on” Charlottesville schools is that there is a huge amount assistance provided to that school system by UVA. Neither entity is shy about mentioning what a great relationship they have, either.

            Given that relationship, and all the expertise, knowledge and brain-power on offer to them from the estimable UVA School of Education and Human Development, one might be forgiven for thinking that the city of Charlottesville should have one of the best, if not the best, public school systems in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

            However, the City of Charlottesville does not have one of the best, if not the best, public school systems in the Commonwealth of Virginia. They are not even close.

            That being the case, one might also be forgiven for wanting to know why.

            EDIT: Error correction and ‘tweaks’- 12/01 1407

          3. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            I think the main reason Mr. Sherlock is “picking on” Charlottesville schools is that there is a huge amount assistance provided to that school system by UVA. Neither entity is shy about mentioning what a great relationship they have, either.

            Given that relationship, and all the expertise, knowledge and brain-power on offer to them from the estimable UVA School of Education and Human Development, one might be forgiven for thinking that the city of Charlottesville should have one of the best, if not the best, public school systems in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

            However, the City of Charlottesville does not have one of the best, if not the best, public school systems in the Commonwealth of Virginia. They are not even close.

            That being the case, one might also be forgiven for wanting to know why.

            EDIT: Error correction and ‘tweaks’- 12/01 1407

          4. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            I suspect the main reason Mr. Sherlock is “picking on” Charlottesville schools is that there is a huge amount of assistance provided to that school system by UVA. Neither entity is shy about mentioning what a great relationship they have, either.

            Given that relationship, and all the expertise, knowledge and brain-power on offer to them from the estimable UVA School of Education and Human Development, one might be forgiven for thinking that the city of Charlottesville should have one of the best, if not the best, public school systems in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

            However, the City of Charlottesville does not have one of the best, if not the best, public school systems in the Commonwealth of Virginia. They are not really even close.

            That being the case, one might also be forgiven for wanting to know why.

            EDIT: Error correction and ‘tweaks’- 12/01 1407

          5. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            I don’t know how much UVA “helps” or not… other than some speculation… here…

            They’re on par with Richmond Schools and others in that realm.. not good.

            They are not alone in the state… even counties like Henrico have some terrible schools.

          6. Eric the half a troll Avatar
            Eric the half a troll

            “…but please explain why Charlottesville schools stopped enforcing their truancy polices, and the truancy laws of the Commonwealth.”

            Oh! A good question. Perhaps someone who is writing a several article series on the topic reached out to them to ask that question. Not likely, I know…

          7. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            A point with some validity. I have not called them, of course. But then again I did not write the article.

          8. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            It’s a good question and a good reason to compare with other Va schools and other states. Who is enforcing it and who is not.. and does it make a difference in the rates?

            Way better than just asserting without any facts that it does…..

            Have Truancy laws changed much to keep up with societal and technology changes?

  12. Eric the half a troll Avatar
    Eric the half a troll

    “But for Charlottesville Schools, questions must be answered.”

    What was their response to your inquiries?

    1. LarrytheG Avatar
      LarrytheG

      look at Texas? 😉

Leave a Reply

Read More