Marta Mossburg
Work force training in 4th grade, courtesy of taxpayers
By: Marta Mossburg
Examiner Columnist
March 30, 2009
It may be new economic times, but we're still spending on education experiments -- like $200,000 to teach 4th and 5th graders in Baltimore City about a career in transportation technology.
The money is a grant from the Federal Highway Administration to the Baltimore City Public School System. It will be used to teach 40 students per year for two years “civil, structural and mechanical engineering, physics and environmental sciences.”
Students will also learn about “Maryland’s rich heritage at the forefront of building roads, highways, bridges and tunnels” as part of the Transportation Education and Computer High-Technology (TEACH) program.
Anyone who has driven through Baltimore City’s pot-hole ridden streets might question the meaning of “rich heritage.” But seeing as 4,660 students (8 percent) are in danger of not graduating from Maryland high schools this year because they cannot pass tests measuring basic knowledge of English, biology, algebra and American government, and thousands more are likely being held back to improve those statistics, shouldn’t it be time to focus on the three Rs?
Children at that age change their minds about what they want to do when they grow up almost every day – if they even think about it. Wouldn’t it be better to give them the tools to succeed in any career before fast tracking them into transportation?
Besides, how can the federal and state government and nonprofit Gospel Lightship International Inc. that is administering the program prove a field trip to the Port of Baltimore won’t provide students with the same exposure to transportation technology at a fraction of the cost?
The Baltimore City Public School System builds its afterschool and summer school programs around core subjects. In promoting its summer school programs last year, it highlighted that “students will be engaged in the core subjects of reading, writing and mathematics in addition to experiencing cultural activities that are supported by field trips, guest speakers and hands on learning activities.”
And those that study Maryland’s student performance say money should be focused on improving instruction in those basics. Matthew Joseph, executive director of Baltimore-based Advocates for Children and Youth, said, “effective extended day and year programs are closely articulated with the regular instructional program; they typically have an academic component to help students in areas of need and an enrichment component, which can be the carrot to encourage consistent participation.”
While it may be fun to learn at and about the Port of Baltimore, it’s not clear if TEACH will integrate core subjects into its curriculum or if that is even the point. The Rev. Wilbert McKinley Jr., the creator and director of the program, said the goal is to “address the digital divide,” which has an “adverse economic impact on disadvantaged communities.”
He said the program effectiveness will be measured by assessing students’ knowledge of digital technology and transportation subjects at the beginning and throughout the program. It will also be measured by how many children it places in other transportation related programs in middle and high school and at Morgan State University’s National Transportation Center. Read: Taxpayers will never find out how many children choose transportation-related fields following the course.
While students must be proficient in technology to find a job, computer literacy is secondary to being literate for earning and keeping one – and passing the state tests needed to graduate. And supporting other programs is no reason to fund a new one. What’s scary this program is that it has been in the works for five years according to McKinley and is not a hasty response to find a creative use for the $787 billion stimulus package.
For the $2,500 per pupil this program costs, the Federal Highway Administration could hand out scholarships to students to attend the school of their choice. That would allow them and their parents to pick the school that best prepares them for the rigors of the working world.
What’s clear is that money is being used more for job security for those administering the program than for any workforce development for Baltimore City students.
Examiner columnist Marta H. Mossburg is a senior fellow with the Maryland Public Policy Institute
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