Brown, Tony WNET (Television station : New York, N.Y.)

Description

Episode Number: 54Black Journal goes to Gary, Indiana, to examine performance contracting, an innovational educational system whereby corporations run schools on a money-back guarantee a system which the Office of Economic Opportunity has recently pronounced a failure. Their findings will be revealed in a two-part episode, Readin, Ritin, and Rithmetic, Inc. Black Journal visits the citys Banneker Elementary School, currently run by the Behavioral Research Laboratories. The school has an all-black enrollment of 698 students. Teachers, parents, BRL officials and administrators offer their opinions and criticisms of the controversial new project. According to Garys superintendent of schools, Dr. Gordon L. McAndrew, the project is a success. Dr. McAndrew bases this evaluation in part on a report by the Center for Urban Redevelopment in Education (CURE) and the statistical analysis of the accounting firm Price Waterhouse & Co. His reading of their survey indicates that 72.5% of the Banneker students achieved month-for-month gains in reading, math or both. Based on this figure, which was quoted in a press release issued by Dr. McAndrew, the national press has also reported the BRL system a success. However, Black Journal finds that the CURE reports actually listed the gains as 35% in reading and math and speaks to Gary teachers union leader Sandra Irons who accuses Dr. McAndrew of distorting the facts. She also questions the systems emphasis on math and reading an emphasis which, according to her, may short change the ghetto childs ability to handle social problems. Black Journal also reports that...

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