Urban Education Approaches That Work PDF Download

A hearing was held before the Subcommittee on Empowerment of the House Committee on Small Business to build a record of a lot of things that are working in urban education in high risk zones. In his opening remarks, Representative Souder (Indiana) noted that there is no question but that the best way to combat unemployment and the problems that flow from it is to provide people with the best possible training. For most of the work force, training begins in school. Strengthening basic skills is not exclusively an urban problem, but it is one that is of particular concern in the cities. The purpose of this hearing was not why so many schools are failing, but why some succeed. Five educators who run successful urban schools appeared at the hearing to explain why their schools work. Thaddeus S. Lott, Sr., principal of a charter school district in Houston (Texas), described the experiences of a successful elementary school that used an intensive reading program beginning in kindergarten and direct instruction to raise academic achievement. Vera White, principal of a junior high school in the District of Columbia, achieved academic success with a program that focused on student learning and high expectations and that was supported in a partnership with COMSAT. Comments by hearing participants follow these statements. In the second panel discussion of the hearing, Oscar J. Underwood, headmaster of a Christian college preparatory school (Indiana), spoke about the importance of the educational environment and teacher attitudes. Leah White, administrator of an urban Christian school (Maryland), noted the importance of promoting parent participation and the importance of an atmosphere focused on learning. William Elliott, headmaster of a Christian academy in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), emphasized the importance of good relationships between teachers and students and the importance of accountability and high standards. Comments from panelists completed the hearing. An appendix contains the prepared statements of the panelists and a letter from Governor George Bush (Texas) about Dr. Lott's Houston school. (SLD)