Tie-in with Classroom Learning
Obviously, the natural tie-in with classroom learning is that, if Klein is right in his analysis, teachers (and school administrators) often expect less from poor students in underprivileged communities and that those expectations are self-fulfilling. The apparent success of the no-excuse model of public education suggests that many of the techniques that have been applied with positive results in those educational environments would be equally useful in public schools in poor communities. Instead of viewing poor academic achievement as inevitable or as understandable among poor students, teachers should realize that they are handicapping their students even further by failing to expect as much of them as of their more fortunate counterparts simply by virtue of their being underprivileged.
Integrating Information into Teaching
At the most fundamental...
In principle, it requires public schools to enforce basic rules (such as attendance and on-campus conduct) strictly and to challenge both teachers and students more than is usually the case, especially in poor communities. Specifically, teachers should be responsible for the failure of their students to learn and students should be made responsible for making their best genuine effort. Ultimately, Klein's approach means that public schools must no longer be able to blame their failure to achieve results on the economic situation of the communities they serve.
Reference
Klein, J. "Public Schools and the Excuse Culture" U.S. News & World Report May 9,
2009: 88-89. Retrieved May 26, 2010 from:
http://www.edequality.org/page/-/U.S.%20News%20World%20Report_04282009.pdf
