Quote From: amberlyn1What the Oprah show failed to mention was the case of the Kansas City, MO district, which sunk billions of dollars into an inner-city school district - building a school to rival that of the 'burbs, complete with the Olympic-sized swimming pools, atriums, kids taxking taxis to school so they wouldn't have to be bused, etc.
Want to know what happened? The inner-city kids lost use of the pool because students tried to drown each other. The expensive computers and AV equipment was stolen or vadalized by students.
These kids didn't have the respect for their school that some children are taught at home. Teaching begins in infancy and doesn't stop - unfortunately there is no way to compensate for uninvolved or outright bad parenting. Did you notice that the mother on that show was surprised at the state of her daughter's high school? Hello?!? Why wasn't the natural follow-up question to her, "WHY have you never set foot into your daughter's school, that this should all come as a shock to you now?" Socio-economics was not the problem - uninvolved parents and students who, overall, didn't care enough about their environment to not vandalize it were the problem.
Money isn't the answer, and neither is expensive schools outfitted with the latest and greatest. Teaching begins in the home. Many parents just exercise their LEGAL right to continue providing that education at home.
Teaching begins in infancy and doesn't stop - unfortunately there is no way to compensate for uninvolved or outright bad parenting. Did you notice that the mother on that show was surprised at the state of her daughter's high school? Hello?!? Why wasn't the natural follow-up question to her, "WHY have you never set foot into your daughter's school, that this should all come as a shock to you now?"
Okay, so why is it that when I write something like that, I get criticized?? This is exactly the point I have been trying to make, and I get pooh-poohed by people who simply want to blame schools and teachers for every social ill!
Socio-economics was not the problem - uninvolved parents and students who, overall, didn't care enough about their environment to not vandalize it were the problem.
Actually, there is a strong correlation between socio-economic class and student achievement. It is a complex and pervasive problem. For deeper insight read A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby (I can't remember her last name!).
