Underperforming schools, who's to blame?

[Medellon]

5 local schools including the high school I went to years ago have been found to be underperforming which will enable the parents to take their children out of these schools and place them in other schools in or out of the district. The high school I went to was first placed on the underperforming list because of it's dropout rate and then the following year it's student's math scores were too low. If a school is underperforming in any category 2 years in a row a parent may move their child. My question is, Does the school itself or individual students have a greater impact on the success of it's students?

 

[FoBoT]

monopolistic entities have no incentive to perform well, this is well known and documented

a good student can perform well in a crappy school

crappy students will be hard pressed to perform well in a good school

 

[Ameesh]

teachers and students

 

[DXM]

I'd have to say a combination of the teachers, students, parents and district administrators.

 

[Medellon]

The district seems to put more blame on the teachers than the students. If there is a high dropout rate I fail to see how the teachers are more to blame than the students. I also find it hard to belive that all these low performing students are suddenly going to start to do well in a different school. Does anyone have any documented info on this?

 

[KarenMarie]

Education problems have been going on for so long, it is really hard to say what the cause is. We went for a long time where the teachers unions were so strong that no matter how bad they were, they stayed. And money was poured into the school system for years and education levels never rose. So, they stopped giving money to certain schools. And then we went thru a long period of thinking that having our kids feel good about themselves was the most important thing, so no one was ever left back if they coudnt read. Then we blamed everyone for the fact they couldnt read. Now if a school is underpreforming, due to not so smart kids, the parents get to put the kids in a different school hoping it will make the kids smarter. This does not even take into consideration the amount of kids, parents and teachers that just don't care.


Bottom line is that there are smart kids and not so smart kids... there are good teachers and crap teachers. The not so smart kids are never gonna be as smart as the smart kids and the crap teachers arent ever gonna be good teachers. Now, if we can figure out a way to get the system to help the not so smart kids enough to be self sufficent in adulthood, and the give the good teacher the tools they need to do so, without aiding the bad teachers or holding back the smart kids, we are in business.

 

[Chumpman]

the apathetic students

 

[DXM]

Originally posted by: KarenMarie
Education problems have been going on for so long, it is really hard to say what the cause is. We went for a long time where the teachers unions were so strong that no matter how bad they were, they stayed. And money was poured into the school system for years and education levels never rose. So, they stopped giving money to certain schools. And then we went thru a long period of thinking that having our kids feel good about themselves was the most important thing, so no one was ever left back if they coudnt read. Then we blamed everyone for the fact they couldnt read. Now if a school is underpreforming, due to not so smart kids, the parents get to put the kids in a different school hoping it will make the kids smarter. This does not even take into consideration the amount of kids, parents and teachers that just don't care.


Bottom line is that there are smart kids and not so smart kids... there are good teachers and crap teachers. The not so smart kids are never gonna be as smart as the smart kids and the crap teachers arent ever gonna be good teachers. Now, if we can figure out a way to get the system to help the not so smart kids enough to be self sufficent in adulthood, and the give the good teacher the tools they need to do so, without aiding the bad teachers or holding back the smart kids, we are in business.

You should clarify your points a bit more and campaign for education reform. I know Los Angeles Unified needs it big time, the power of the teacher's unions here disguist me. :disgust:

 

[ElFenix]

parents and students. but no one ever got elected to the school board by claiming the parents were dong a bad job.

 

[KarenMarie]

Believe it or not, there are a LOT of ppl in this country who SWEAR the NEA is unconsitutional. And if I remember correctly at one point Regan promised to disband it or something, but backed down due to the Teachers unions.

I am an old lady. Have five siblings and about 30 cousins. We have all been thru the public school system in different areas of this country. We have seen it all at one point or another. As a parent, I have seen sh*t going on in public schools that have made me pull my hair out. There were two separate occasions where we took the school board to task. We won both times changing the school policy in all of TN and finally having another school siwtch class times to benefit the students.

If a parent cares enough, there is no ceiling to what can be accomplished to get their kids educated!!

 

[0roo0roo]

dumbass kids

i did see a study where upper middle class blacks still under performed compared to lower income whites. i somehow doubt the whites were getting better schooling.

 

[Gravity]

It's the bureaucracy for sure. Privatize education and schools will flourish. Also, if you really want your kid to learn, without the illegal drugs and std's, either go private or home school. No one cares more about your child than you!!

 

[Ronstang]

Originally posted by: DXM
I'd have to say a combination of the teachers, students, parents and district administrators.

I pretty much agree that all are to blame but I think the most blame has to lie with the parents for not bringing their children up in a manner that makes them WANT to succeed.

 

[OrganizedChaos]

idiot kids who are allowed to breed bigger idiot children

 

[Tom]

students, period. If students think education is valuable they can accomplish it no matter what the school, teachers, or parents do.

Likewise it doesn't matter how good the schools, teachers, or parents are if the student isn't interested.

 

[ScottyB]

The people sticking the Special Ed. kids in with the normal students, slowing them down to the level of the stupid kids.

 

[kenshorin]

Forums like ATOT are to blame.

 

[DaWhim]

I remember having a bad chinese teacher in my high school. she got fired in 1 term.
then I heard she just relocated to other school

 

[Anubis]

students

 

[jswjimmy]

its the lazy kids (ex. me) in school. im a freshmen in high school. shos wat we lern n0w in skool. lol

 

[vegetation]

It's no single person to blame, that's for sure. But it does start at the top. An administration that is out of touch and doesn't care about the teachers goes a long way to creating poor morale. It doesn't end there, even having poor custodial services at a school that leaves it physically dirty and uninviting doesn't help.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: Ameesh
teachers and students

you left out the parents. the parents are as integral a part of the whole education process as the teachers and students.

 

[Vic]

A combination of increasing federal government involvement, inept and corrupt school district administrations, burned-out teachers, out-of-control unions, excessive litigation against schools which prevents proper student discipline, and a culture that discourages kids from seeking to be smart because it's not "cool".