“We’re giving huge amounts of money to people who admit that not only have they failed but they almost destroyed the whole economic system of the world. Then somebody asks me if kids should take violin and do I have evidence?!”
So said Geoffrey Canada, the head of the Harlem Children’s Zone, speaking at a New York City conference hosted by the Teachers College Campaign for Educational Equity. Gotham Schools was there and reports Canada’s remarks on its website.
Canada is concerned that a relentless focus on test scores will “put valuable programs at risk as the economy sours.” A fixation with math and reading performance could make it worse since other subjects could get short shrift when funds are scarce. Per Gotham Schools:
Canada said funders often ask him questions like, “You’ve got that chess program — how are the kids’ grades?” He said he thinks, “That’s what we pay the chess instructor for. When I send my kid to play soccer I don’t expect his reading scores to go up!” And funders often ask for evidence of success that is difficult or impossible to generate, Canada said — evidence that he pointed out isn’t required in other fields.
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