Illegitimacy and Student Performance

I just finished reading Ron Smith’s column in today's The Baltimore Sun (Blacks’ test scores lag and illegitimacy rates rise – that’s no coincidence – Click title above.) While his report is indicative of a major problem, the issues he notes are not “news” to any teacher. The fact that children of all races are making babies and not having a clue as to how to nurture them has been identified for years. Yet, little has been accomplished in changing the obvious, i.e. prevention. The well being of the parents and the newborns are in jeopardy. While "success" stories float around, the correlation is obvious.

Is it any small wonder then, that Baltimore City teachers are very leery of linking a major portion their yearly personnel evaluations to student performance?

As a comparison, should we pay firefighters based upon how much of the burning house is left after the fire is extinguished. Do you think that automatic fire alarm systems would be a factor in determining who gets the higher raise? How about the types, age and condition of construction or the materials inside the home? Will they be factors? Are other things?

We could look at other public servants’ performance in similar ways. Raises for police could be based upon decreases in a community's "kill rate," or EMT raises could be based upon patient survival? Do you think that there might be some aspects of those jobs that cannot be controlled or even quantified? Of course there are! In these kinds of analysis it is ridiculous to think otherwise.