Well, there is a reason why a lot of black parents want their kids in more integrated schools. Actually, there are several reasons.
I have qualms with the way education in general is going in this country, but it's well known that the better teachers don't want to teach in the poorer school districts. I don't blame the teachers so much -- the facilities are run down, bad part of town, and usually the administration has either given up or just doesn't care to enforce any sort of order (truants go unfollowed up on, kids are allowed to slip, all of that). It's a mess. Part of it has to do with the entire system, top to bottom, just accepting this is how it has to be. I worked with the teenagers, and to be honest, by the time those kids are that age there's just a huge difference to be made up, on all levels. It isn't that those kids are all dumb; they aren't (some very far from it). They are however very jaded, so are the adults at home, and so is everybody else -- because it isn't a feel good situation by that point. I think too much money gets thrown into feel better, glitzy programs/projects for those schools and nobody attends to the nitty gritty, tough work -- and that's a failing scenario, but it was always ever so. It's a self fulfilling prophecy scenario all the way around.
Well, there is a reason why a lot of black parents want their kids in more integrated schools. Actually, there are several reasons.
ReplyDeleteI have qualms with the way education in general is going in this country, but it's well known that the better teachers don't want to teach in the poorer school districts.
I don't blame the teachers so much -- the facilities are run down, bad part of town, and usually the administration has either given up or just doesn't care to enforce any sort of order (truants go unfollowed up on, kids are allowed to slip, all of that). It's a mess.
Part of it has to do with the entire system, top to bottom, just accepting this is how it has to be.
I worked with the teenagers, and to be honest, by the time those kids are that age there's just a huge difference to be made up, on all levels. It isn't that those kids are all dumb; they aren't (some very far from it). They are however very jaded, so are the adults at home, and so is everybody else -- because it isn't a feel good situation by that point.
I think too much money gets thrown into feel better, glitzy programs/projects for those schools and nobody attends to the nitty gritty, tough work -- and that's a failing scenario, but it was always ever so. It's a self fulfilling prophecy scenario all the way around.
PW