New TA here: please don’t send your kids to high poverty schools if you can avoid it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The issue is we need better teachers and school staff. We go where there is affordable housing that is not a stretch...

They need better kids and parents in the schools. That’s the biggest issue. Who wants to work in a crazy school full of disruptive kids with parents that don’t care. Every good teacher wants to leave that loony town

Eh, kind of disagree. Teachers will work at schools with disruptive students and parents who are asleep at the wheel if, and only if, they have a supportive administration. Principals who discourage discipline referrals or don't take teachers' concerns seriously are a big part of the problem. That's when you start seeing a lot of staff burnout and staff turnover.

I've been in the situation of having my kids in a high poverty school with a good principal and having them in a low poverty school with a terrible principal. I'd take the school with the good principal any day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, not everyone wants to be house poor. Home ownership is much more pleasant for most than being a perpetual renter.

I’d rather live in a small house or commute longer than send my kid to a bad school.

Your decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, not everyone wants to be house poor. Home ownership is much more pleasant for most than being a perpetual renter.

I’d rather live in a small house or commute longer than send my kid to a bad school.

Your decision.

Yep and your decision is to throw your kids’ academics out the window. To each their own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your parents are well educated and connected, and supplement at home and pay attention to what the school is providing, the kids will probably be fine.

It's all the parents who send their kids to school and don't care who are the problem. And, yes, there are LMC and MC parents who don't pay that much attention or care, because they don't think school is important.

I respectfully disagree, as an elementary teacher. You are willfully exposing your child to near toxic levels of stress that NO child should experience. But children who have not had stable homes nor witnessed healthy relationships bring those traumas through the school door every day. Your child will hear language, see behaviors, and possibly receive physical aggression that is confusing and harmful. I would maybe be more okay with it in later high school when they have some ability to understand it. But no way in hell would I put my child into this environment before then. And let me be clear that it’s not okay for ANY child, not just those whose parents can afford better schools/neighborhoods.

Wealthy families have trauma, neglect, drug abuse and sex abuse too... its just more hidden.

I am the PP to whom you are responding and I couldn’t agree more. In some of the schools we’re talking about though, 90% of the students have these traumas and the coping resources are overwhelmed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, not everyone wants to be house poor. Home ownership is much more pleasant for most than being a perpetual renter.

I’d rather live in a small house or commute longer than send my kid to a bad school.

Your decision.

Yep and your decision is to throw your kids’ academics out the window. To each their own.

Your decision to squander your retirement and ability to send your kid on enrichment. To each their own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, not everyone wants to be house poor. Home ownership is much more pleasant for most than being a perpetual renter.

I’d rather live in a small house or commute longer than send my kid to a bad school.

Your decision.

Yep and your decision is to throw your kids’ academics out the window. To each their own.

[Anonymous]

These days, it’s your kids’ safety and emotional well-being, too.

[Anonymous]

OP, I’m guessing you mean that nobody should send their kids to school. I hope you realize that housing and space in the “good” schools, including tiny rentals, is really, really scarce.

[Anonymous]

The high school I attended is now 91% economically disadvantaged (from looking at the most recent edition of USWNR). It’s just not a good environment. It’s in a state with town school districts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your parents are well educated and connected, and supplement at home and pay attention to what the school is providing, the kids will probably be fine.

It's all the parents who send their kids to school and don't care who are the problem. And, yes, there are LMC and MC parents who don't pay that much attention or care, because they don't think school is important.

But why would you send your child to a place where they sit on a Chromebook all day playing mindless games, and then school them at night?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your parents are well educated and connected, and supplement at home and pay attention to what the school is providing, the kids will probably be fine.

It's all the parents who send their kids to school and don't care who are the problem. And, yes, there are LMC and MC parents who don't pay that much attention or care, because they don't think school is important.

But why would you send your child to a place where they sit on a Chromebook all day playing mindless games, and then school them at night?

A million reasons (not that I do). A belief in integration and urban public schools, as well as not being able to afford housing elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

I worked at two high poverty schools. I agree with the OP overall. So much time and energy from the teacher has to be spent on managing and addressing behaviors. It is exhausting. I had lots of good kids in those classes too. But many students who were so disruptive, disrespectful, and really interrupted learning.

I am in a different school now and Teaching is so much easier without those same behaviors. It is not necessarily a high income school, more mid range, but mostly Asian. Those disruptive behaviors are not there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes this is what limousine liberals don’t get and why they seem out of touch. Most families in these schools would love school choice.

We’ve got plenty of underperforming charters, too. No “voucher” will ever allow your child to go to Sidwell. I hope you realize that.

Lots of great parochial schools that actually teach kids grammar, writing and math.

And myths, legends, and lies.

Like the notion that girls sometimes have xy chromosomes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What qualifies as a high poverty school? My kid is at a 40 per cent farms school, and we haven’t had the level of issues discussed here. Some disruption, sure, but overall my kid is pretty happy and seems to be learning a lot. I quite like the teachers we’ve had so far and have been pretty impressed with how well they seem to know the kids and how much they care about them. We are early elementary and here in close in DMV. This thread has me worried that I’m missing something….

NP I don't think they should let the number go above 30. And poverty rates aren't all the same and won't affect the school the same. Some kids have wonderful family support but don't speak English and the kid doesn't speak English, whereas other students could be homeless.

Poverty is increasing and school boards can’t always control concentration

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What qualifies as a high poverty school? My kid is at a 40 per cent farms school, and we haven’t had the level of issues discussed here. Some disruption, sure, but overall my kid is pretty happy and seems to be learning a lot. I quite like the teachers we’ve had so far and have been pretty impressed with how well they seem to know the kids and how much they care about them. We are early elementary and here in close in DMV. This thread has me worried that I’m missing something….

When FCPS did their study they found that 20% and 40% where the two tipping points. Of course they followed it up with zero action.

That tipping point study should have gotten a lot more attention.

The county is already over the tipping point.