Sad state of inner city schools.

[JellyBaby]

It's not as if there aren't answers to many of the problems. We need passionate people who actually care about educating our young calling the shots. We need more competition, we need to put kids ahead of administrators and force schools to simply teach instead of providing transportion, medical & social services, etc.

But the simple fact the federal government is involved has, I think, doomed American public education over the long haul. It's really botched it up and you'll never get rid of it (when has the federal government ever actually stopped a failed program?).

Vouchers look good but they won't solve anything over the long term.

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: Carbonyl
Inmates running the assylum its a shame. Kids especially boys need disipline or else we'll live in a world of crime and prisons when they grow up. Our HS football coach/gym teacher got fired cause he grabbed one student by the ear who grabbed some girls ass. Fine man but this punk and his lawyer father got him fired. Today 15 years later it's a different world in the schools. At a elemetary school dance kids are dirty dancing, FU is part of thier regular vocabulary, and they arn't really learing anything. Mine go to private school but it's getting worse there too. Seems there is no "old school" values tought anymore in schools. I don't know sometimes I think we are evolving by treating our kids as our friends and other times I think we arn't prepoaring them for the "cold hard world" and facts of life out there.

That sums it up.

 

[manly]

Originally posted by: charrison

These failing schools are an excellent example of why vouchers should be available. The parents can that give a damn can easily move thier kids out of these hell holes and then these hell holes will rapidly collapse.

But of course the teachers unions are against such things and the left thinks vouchers would only be good for the rich.

Yes, poor up to middle class families can choose from a lot of prep schools with $2K vouchers. They can easily make up any difference with the elimination of the individual dividends tax.

 

[classy]

Hmmmm............ I am not going to say some it ain't true but a lot of that article sounds like a bunch of made up bs. Inner city schools are worse than others by far. But finances play a huge part in it. I find some of that article kinda like baloney. And when I look at some of the other articles on the website, I think this website has got some arterior motives. And if half that story was true, I find it highly unlikey that it wouldn't make some national news spots. You can't believe everything you read.

 

[ScottyB]

Originally posted by: Carbonyl
Inmates running the assylum its a shame. Kids especially boys need disipline or else we'll live in a world of crime and prisons when they grow up. Our HS football coach/gym teacher got fired cause he grabbed one student by the ear who grabbed some girls ass. Fine man but this punk and his lawyer father got him fired. Today 15 years later it's a different world in the schools. At a elemetary school dance kids are dirty dancing, FU is part of thier regular vocabulary, and they arn't really learing anything. Mine go to private school but it's getting worse there too. Seems there is no "old school" values tought anymore in schools. I don't know sometimes I think we are evolving by treating our kids as our friends and other times I think we arn't prepoaring them for the "cold hard world" and facts of life out there.

We don't have crap like that at my hometown school system and it's public.

 

[spaceman]

Originally posted by: datalink7
wow... unbelieveable.

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: classy
Hmmmm............ I am not going to say some it ain't true but a lot of that article sounds like a bunch of made up bs. Inner city schools are worse than others by far. But finances play a huge part in it. I find some of that article kinda like baloney. And when I look at some of the other articles on the website, I think this website has got some arterior motives. And if half that story was true, I find it highly unlikey that it wouldn't make some national news spots. You can't believe everything you read.

Money has nothing to do with how kids are doing in school. Home schoolers spend roughly $400 per semester on supplies and continually top the nation in SAT scores. My boys go to a school which costs $2100ea. a yr with no public funding (far cry from 10K) and continually have the highest scores and college entrance compared to public schools in the area. It's all about disapline and the three R's. The teachers cant disapline and the parents don't or won't. We need someone like Bill Duke to come in and crack some skulls

 

[Dudd]

Sounds dead on. I tutor in an inner city school once a week for two different classes. One class is filled with pretty good kids. They aren't the brightest, they can't read or write very well, but they are well behaved and they at least let you try and help them. That's really all you can ask for. But, the second class is out of control. It's not so much physical violence as in this article but mostly simply goofing off and not paying any attention. They simply don't seem to care, half of them don't even make an attempt to do any work, choosing instead to talk with their friends sitting next to them while giggling constantly. Then, because the state tests have to be read silently, they read silently. Only problem is that half the time, a minute into it, they glance up at their friend next to them, and die laughing. Then when you ask them how far they've gotten, they've only read a sentence or two. And the half of the class that wants to learn is always being distracted by the ones laughing or yelling jokes across the room. It's sad, but you know why these kids are going to be flipping burgers once they leave school. They can't read or comprehend to save their lives, and they show no signs of wanting to get better, so what can you do? And this is only from a limited, one hour a week glimpse. I think I'd go insane if I had to do it day in, day out for a whole year.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: notfred
Fvcking ghetto dumbsh!ts and thier kids.

Normally I would find some offense in that, but after reading the article I find I may be inclined to agree with you.

 

[classy]

Originally posted by: Carbonyl

Originally posted by: classy
Hmmmm............ I am not going to say some it ain't true but a lot of that article sounds like a bunch of made up bs. Inner city schools are worse than others by far. But finances play a huge part in it. I find some of that article kinda like baloney. And when I look at some of the other articles on the website, I think this website has got some arterior motives. And if half that story was true, I find it highly unlikey that it wouldn't make some national news spots. You can't believe everything you read.

Money has nothing to do with how kids are doing in school. Home schoolers spend roughly $400 per semester on supplies and continually top the nation in SAT scores. My boys go to a school which costs $2100ea. a yr with no public funding (far cry from 10K) and continually have the highest scores and college entrance compared to public schools in the area. It's all about disapline and the three R's. The teachers cant disapline and the parents don't or won't. We need someone like Bill Duke to come in and crack some skulls

Dude I live in a state with two of the poorest cities in the country, Camden City and Newark NJ. And they are also some of the roughest cities for violence in the country as well. As a matter of fact a few years back Camden had one of the highest murder rates in the country. You ever heard of Atlantic City NJ? I think the 3rd largest gambling city in the country. I know a bit about inner city life. How about Philly? And I also know several teachers who are white who teach in these school districts. And yes its tough. But all that bs in that article is exaggerated. As a matter of fact one of my close friends brothers teaches in Camden. He said the toughest thing to do was just to get the kids to come to school and focus on school work. Nothing about him being beaten up and all the hyped up jazz from that article. I've never heard him ever say any parent come to school and give him crap like that in the article. And trust me Camden is seriously rough, very rough. And this is in a city whose population is about 85% or better black. I think that article is a bit whacked. And money when it comes to public school learning means everything. And something else too, a lot of the folks in these inner cities really want their children to do well in school, get an education, and live better lives. I am not saying the whole article is a lie, but I do believe some of it is a bit dramatized.

 

[Maetryx]

I have a good friend that taught at a highschool in Bakersfield, California. From his stories, I find the article resonates with authenticity, albeit with a higher amplitude. He lamented the problems he experienced with a few rotten eggs spoiling the omelette, and that he got little support from the administrators.

The teachers were actually told to increase their standards and the pass rate at the same time. Teachers that pointed out that the two were inversely related were simply ignored. It took my friend a couple of months to get a kid kicked out of his class that was ruining it for everyone.

 

[wiin]

This is why public school fail, why Johnny can't read.

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

What you have to ask yourself is how much of the problems that guy encountered were in part due to his admittedly inadequate training. I KNOW that inner city schools have unique and seemingly unsolvable problems (like how do you teach a kid who moves between schools because his mom is on crack), BUT that article is the reflection of the authors frustration as much as it is of the state of inner city schools.

I do research in Milwaukee School. Not as bad as the Washington Area or others, but two of my schools are within walking distance where that man was beat to death by that gang of kids. Money IS a factor. Having QUALIFIED TEACHERS is another factor. Having motivated parents and students is another factor. There are countless factors and schools only have the resources to deal with a 1 or 2 of them.

 

[no0b]

lol just wait till a white jew takes that sensitivity training

I bet all the black guys would be upset because his race has suffered more.

 

[classy]

Originally posted by: yamahaXS
What you have to ask yourself is how much of the problems that guy encountered were in part due to his admittedly inadequate training. I KNOW that inner city schools have unique and seemingly unsolvable problems (like how do you teach a kid who moves between schools because his mom is on crack), BUT that article is the reflection of the authors frustration as much as it is of the state of inner city schools.

I do research in Milwaukee School. Not as bad as the Washington Area or others, but two of my schools are within walking distance where that man was beat to death by that gang of kids. Money IS a factor. Having QUALIFIED TEACHERS is another factor. Having motivated parents and students is another factor. There are countless factors and schools only have the resources to deal with a 1 or 2 of them.

Agreed. I feel that article is more of an indictment of his own personal view of things, than the actual situation. And we all stretch the truth a bit when we become emotionaly involved in a situation as this teacher did.

 

[KMurphy]

Ha! What was he thinking?

 

[Viperoni]

third-graders hitting their instructors with rulers.

Screw the charges, I'd smack that kid across the face so hard he'd have marks till he got out of highschool.


Problem with kids these days is that they KNOW they can get away with stupid stuff like this...

 

[Mursilis]

Originally posted by: classy

Originally posted by: yamahaXS
What you have to ask yourself is how much of the problems that guy encountered were in part due to his admittedly inadequate training. I KNOW that inner city schools have unique and seemingly unsolvable problems (like how do you teach a kid who moves between schools because his mom is on crack), BUT that article is the reflection of the authors frustration as much as it is of the state of inner city schools.

I do research in Milwaukee School. Not as bad as the Washington Area or others, but two of my schools are within walking distance where that man was beat to death by that gang of kids. Money IS a factor. Having QUALIFIED TEACHERS is another factor. Having motivated parents and students is another factor. There are countless factors and schools only have the resources to deal with a 1 or 2 of them.

Agreed. I feel that article is more of an indictment of his own personal view of things, than the actual situation. And we all stretch the truth a bit when we become emotionaly involved in a situation as this teacher did.

I don't doubt a word of that article. The DC public schools are the worst.

Average SAT score in DC - 799
Average SAT score nationally - 1020
Link

Is it any wonder all those rich liberal supporters of public education (the Kennedys, the Clintons, the Gores) sent their own kids to private schools? No self-respecting parent would put their kid in those schools. Heck, I can't find the link, but I remember an article in the Post which found that something like 40+% of the public school teachers sent their own kids to private schools. If even the teachers don't believe in the schools, why would anybody?

 

[dquan97]

I agree with corporal punishment being used in classrooms. I grew up that way overseas and everyone in my classes had the fear of God and respect for teachers.

 

[Deslok]

Classy,
I know what Collingswood is like. I also know what Newark is like, where I taught for one school year
and I can tell you there is more truth is this article than you would believe.
Unless you have been in that environment, you really would not understand.

 

[everman]

These kids are being taught that if they do something wrong they will merely be told it was wrong and nothing else, no punishment at all.
Another terrible thing is that they're promoted to the next grade and given grades they didn't deserve.

The problem is that in real life, you're not getting that job, promotion, or into that college because you don't deserve it! And these kids are taught just the opposite :disgust: