KIPP-notized as in selling out your principles in the hope of a paying job, you mean.

When my daughter was in 7th grade, 3 years ago, I took her to visit a local KIPP school (KIPP San Francisco Bay Academy), and she asked me to enroll her so she could lead an uprising of the oppressed masses.

As a member of the group visiting KIPP these two weeks, I can attest to the mind-blowing success that that foundation is having with urban students.

From the outside, KIPP Diamond Academy Memphis does not impress its viewers or cause them to visualize majestic halls of learning or even students happily engaged in their work. The inside, even with freshly painted walls, would not give those impressions either, were it not for the smiling children who fill the halls and rooms with their excitement to be in a place of such greatness.

I’ll admit, as would anyone else who visits KIPP on the first day, that it is not easy to stand and help perfect behavior that is already perfect by typical urban school standards. However, I will also admit like most others who spend more than a few days in a KIPP school that it quickly becomes obvious that behavior is not being corrected for behavior’s sake. Every single individual over the age of 20 in that building is there not to manage behavior, but to create an environment where it is possible for EVERY SINGLE STUDENT to achieve to his or her greatest potential. How often in the public education system does there arise an institution that you can make this claim for? Answer that question for yourself, if you will…

I will not make this too lengthy – I just want to make sure that readers understand the intentions behind expectations that could be easily interpreted as oppressive if not scrutinized. The passionate, driven educators at KIPP DIAMOND Academy are doing for the children in that building what no one else has been able to do yet – they fostering LEARNING in their lives. And we all know what true learning leads to… Who doesn’t deserve that?

What day is it? THEIR day.

Interesting postings but I still have a reservation or two. I taught in an inner city urban environment for several years and I can appreciate the benefits of compliance training for allowing teaching and learning to take place.

My concern is, however, the long-term results of this kind of conditioning. While it certainly assists in the traditional model of education and its desired outcomes, what happens when these students are actually in the “real world” as you named it?

When politicians or corporations do unthinkable things (think worldwide economic disaster, rendition, torture, in other words, today’s government/corporate culture) what will these compliant children do in reaction?

Will there years of KIPP training prevent them from activities such as protesting, acting up, and otherwise making the public square dangerous for corporations and governments? Will they stay in line, not speak out, and follow orders at all times?

What will be the effect on our democracy in the not-perfect real world where independence, free thought, individualism, and non-conformity used to be seen as essential ingredients of making America what it is and achieving the promise of what it could become?

I’m impressed with how the KIPP program has achieved its goals and how they ensure those goals are maintained at all costs. I’m just not sure that those goals are good for America or good for these students in the long run. Did we decide that making urban children into middle class behavioral experts who are more likely to comply with the status quo was the goal of public education?

Dear Janessa,

I’m a big fan of THE ONION (as you will soon see), so I hope you and the other KIPP-STERS have a good sense of humor.

I did a little parody of some of your post, with changes here and there, while retaining most of your wording.

(Being from San Francisco, I think Caroline will get the joke better than you):

- – - – - – - – - -

“Dear Caroline (and Congressman Leo Ryan):

“Honestly, before my observation here (and even during my first few days of observation), I would have said that I would never work at FEINBERTOWN, Guyana. Long hours, militaristic classroom management, the weeding-out process of disciples, yada yada yada. After having been at FEINBERTOWN, Guyana this whole week, I would say that my negativity towards REVEREND MIKE FEINBERG, REVEREND DAVID LEVIN, and FEINBERTOWN has completely changed.

“As I said in my post, FEINBERTOWN focuses on structure, consistency, and community. I admit that in many ways I thought that the FEINBERTOWN model fundamentally contradicted my own personal constructivist secular humanist philosophy. It seemed that FEINBERTOWN disciples were being indoctrinated by the values and standards put forth by the FEINBERGTOWN leaders.

“However…

“Everything REVEREND’s FEINBERG and LEVIN do is linked to teaching disciples and would-be disciples how to survive in the sinful, secular humannist world outside FEINBERTOWN.

“In FEINBERTOWN, new, would-be disciples sit on the floor for the first days so they can earn sitting in a chair or a desk. This seems harsh, but would-be disciples at FEINBERTOWN learn that they have to work in order to be right in the eyes of God. Chairs are a privilege reserved only for true disciples. At FEINBERTOWN, a desk is a privilege. True disciples of REVEREND FEINGBERG and REVEREND LEVIN demonstrate their ability to engage in class without desks, then when they finally receive desks later on in their life at FEINBERTOWN, these newly-saved disciples appreciate them much more than if they were given desks on the first day.

“Reverend Feinberg’s process of earning privileges then links with FEINBERGTOWN’s fundamental philosophy of ‘Work hard. Get SAVED.’ Reverend Levin and the other FEINBERTOWN leaders teach their disciples that ‘being saved’ really has nothing to do with ‘being.’ Rather, learning in FEINBERTOWN is contingent upon consistent hard work. Therefore, would-be disciples who want to be saved can only become saved and filled with the knowledge of Godly life that Reverend Levin and Reverend Feinberg impart and through the hard work they out our God demands of us.

“What could be better to teach low performing, low income, would-be disciples that ‘being saved’ from the evils of sin and secular humanism is actually based on working hard, rather than in-born characteristics? In one activity this Thursday, would-be disciples wrote about times in the sinful, secular humanist life when they felt that they were dumb and how some non-believer in Reverend Feinberg’s system led them to believe this.

“Prior to life in FEINBERTOWN, would-be disciples felt that they were dumb because of something a secular humanist teacher had told them, or because of a riddle that they heard on secular humanist TV that they couldn’t figure out.

“These would-be disciples shared that because they felt that they weren’t yet saved at the time, they didn’t ever believe that they could be right in the eyes of God. The teachings and practices of REVEREND’s MIKE FEINBERG and DAVID LEVIN break new, would-be disciples of this paradigm that intellectual ability and spirituality are based on in-born characteristics. Instead, disciples of Reverend’s Feinberg and Levin are compelled to work hard because they want to ‘get saved and be right with God.’

“Furthermore, the structure that FEINBERTOWN boosts is for the purpose of giving disciples constraints through which they can use their freedom well.

“Although disciples in FEINBERTOWN are required to SLANT during class, they are also given leadership roles and taught to value the FEINBERTOWN community over self. In the 6th grade Bible study class, when students answer questions, they address the class as ‘Team and FEINBERTOWN Family’ before answering questions, help their ‘FEINBERTOWN family’ out if someone loses a pencil, and assist ‘FEINBERTOWN family’ members who get a wrong answer.

“FEINBERTOWN is structured, rigorous, and communal. REVEREND’s FEINBERG and LEVIN require students give their all to their FEINBERTOWN community. However, as a previous FEINBERTOWN-skeptic myself, I was blown away by how much godly worship and discipling took place this week during the day in FEINBERTOWN. Reverend Feinberg and Reverend Levin’s disciples that come to FEINBERTOWN need the structure, rigor, and community because they likely are not getting any of those values in their god-less home, or in the alternative schools in the sinful, secular humanist world outside FEINBERTOWN.

“FEINBERTOWN family members’ Godly learning and spiritual well-being is not jeopardized by defiance, incompetent instructors, or unsafe learning environments — conditions that are present in many inner city schools in the sinful world outside FEINBERTOWN.

“Yes, FEINBERTOWN is hard. But life in the sinful, secular humanist world outside JONESTOWN is hard, too. If the non-believers in the ways and practices of FEINBERTOWN—those in secular humanist society—truly want to help would-be disciples thrive in this sinful world and achieve their dreams, they need to actually provide learning environments just like the one in FEINBERTOWN, Guyana for potenial disciples to do so. I believe FEINBERTOWN has many positive values and I’m eager to hear how they help the disicples here achieve in the future and lead a godly life.

“Caroline (and Congressman Ryan), I’d love to hear your thoughts about what specifically your daughter didn’t like about the FEINBERTOWN discipling system.

“I’ll tell you that disciples are not being oppressed here at FEINBERTOWN. Those are just lies told by disgruntled fall-away disicples from FEINBERGTOWN Fresno(and also FEINBERGTOWN Atlanta). These bitter, failed disciples at FEINBERGTOWN Fresno simply could not cut it. Because of the lukewarm, lazy, and rebellious natures that they brought with them from the secular world outside FEINBERGTOWN — and refused to repent of and abandon — they were asked to leave FEINBERGTOWN Fresno. Then, rather than face their own failings, these bitter fallaways chose instead to make up lies and slander about FEINBERGTOWN Fresno’s REVEREND CHI TSCHANG, one of our greatest and wondrous leaders. This led to a campaign of relentless and insidious persecution from both the media and the Fresno Unified School Board against REVEREND TSCHANG, leading both he and FEINBERGTOWN to flee Fresno… but I digress.

“Anyway, no abuse of any kind occurs here at FEINBERTOWN Guyana. Would-be disciples of Reverend’s Feinberg and Levin apply, interview, and choose to go FEINBERTOWN , leaving the door open to leave at any time. These would-be disciples of Reverend’s Feinberg and Levin know what they’re getting themselves into and benefit from the structure and rigor that REVEREND FEINBERB, REVERNEND LEVIN, and JONESTOWN provide.”

“Love,

“Janessa Jordan”