Innovative Ideas to reduce educational disparity

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

PP you quoted here.
You misunderstood my tone.
When I say "its cultural " I mean that I, as a parent, have a flexible mindset about my children's education. I dont get their report cards in the mail and think "oh they are_______" (smart, not so smart, average). I get the reports and determine where, exactly, they need to study harder or differently. I know and understand that graduation from even the best school in the country means they have met the bare minimum required by law. I know for them to be competitive they will need to do much more.
Teaching that mindset to PARENTS is the key.

I say "cultural " to establish the belief that the mindset is taught by social peers and family and differentiate it from the idea that it's related to genetics or intelligence.

PP, you should know that on DCUM, "it's cultural" means "Asian-Americans are successful because they work hard and value education, white people value friends and sports over education, black people are lazy and only have themselves to blame, and Hispanic people are illiterate and think of schools as free day care".

Maybe so, at some point 1000s of examples of the same thing equals a stereotype, whether you fall into its stereotype or not is up to you.

How you parent and your family's values is based on you and your cultural aspects you choose. Some people just rotely do what they saw their parent(S) role model, some question things and improve, some have a growth mindset all the time.

You pick your culture, then live it. The living it is the important part, not what you say or check in the box. Show me, don't tell me. Show me you are an active parent. Show me you care about educating your child. Show me.

It's not cultural it's almost always SES related and before someone talks about Asians the ones that can actually afford to come here were generally more well off in their home countries.

There are plenty of poor whites and asians who struggle/don't value academics and richer blacks and hispanics who value education

To be fair, some were generally more well off, and some came with work visas equipped with PhDs from their home countries. And it's small wonder that their offspring -- on average -- have high IQs. Asians who move here are self-selected, first and foremost.

FWIW, there are millions of barely literate people in China/India who do not value education, but we just don't see them here. If the entire country of China suddenly up and moved to Montgomery County, Asian school achievement wouldn't be that much different from that of other ethnic groups.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

PP you quoted here.
You misunderstood my tone.
When I say "its cultural " I mean that I, as a parent, have a flexible mindset about my children's education. I dont get their report cards in the mail and think "oh they are_______" (smart, not so smart, average). I get the reports and determine where, exactly, they need to study harder or differently. I know and understand that graduation from even the best school in the country means they have met the bare minimum required by law. I know for them to be competitive they will need to do much more.
Teaching that mindset to PARENTS is the key.

I say "cultural " to establish the belief that the mindset is taught by social peers and family and differentiate it from the idea that it's related to genetics or intelligence.

PP, you should know that on DCUM, "it's cultural" means "Asian-Americans are successful because they work hard and value education, white people value friends and sports over education, black people are lazy and only have themselves to blame, and Hispanic people are illiterate and think of schools as free day care".

Maybe so, at some point 1000s of examples of the same thing equals a stereotype, whether you fall into its stereotype or not is up to you.

How you parent and your family's values is based on you and your cultural aspects you choose. Some people just rotely do what they saw their parent(S) role model, some question things and improve, some have a growth mindset all the time.

You pick your culture, then live it. The living it is the important part, not what you say or check in the box. Show me, don't tell me. Show me you are an active parent. Show me you care about educating your child. Show me.

It's not cultural it's almost always SES related and before someone talks about Asians the ones that can actually afford to come here were generally more well off in their home countries.

There are plenty of poor whites and asians who struggle/don't value academics and richer blacks and hispanics who value education

Where do you get your stats from?

I'm an Asian American immigrant. The ones who came here in the 70's/80's, maybe even 90's were not well off in their home countries, at least not the large circle of Asians I knew. Certainly, my family wasn't. That's why they came here.. to seek better opportunities, kind of like why most of the white people's ancestors came here way back when.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

PP you quoted here.
You misunderstood my tone.
When I say "its cultural " I mean that I, as a parent, have a flexible mindset about my children's education. I dont get their report cards in the mail and think "oh they are_______" (smart, not so smart, average). I get the reports and determine where, exactly, they need to study harder or differently. I know and understand that graduation from even the best school in the country means they have met the bare minimum required by law. I know for them to be competitive they will need to do much more.
Teaching that mindset to PARENTS is the key.

I say "cultural " to establish the belief that the mindset is taught by social peers and family and differentiate it from the idea that it's related to genetics or intelligence.

PP, you should know that on DCUM, "it's cultural" means "Asian-Americans are successful because they work hard and value education, white people value friends and sports over education, black people are lazy and only have themselves to blame, and Hispanic people are illiterate and think of schools as free day care".

Maybe so, at some point 1000s of examples of the same thing equals a stereotype, whether you fall into its stereotype or not is up to you.

How you parent and your family's values is based on you and your cultural aspects you choose. Some people just rotely do what they saw their parent(S) role model, some question things and improve, some have a growth mindset all the time.

You pick your culture, then live it. The living it is the important part, not what you say or check in the box. Show me, don't tell me. Show me you are an active parent. Show me you care about educating your child. Show me.

It's not cultural it's almost always SES related and before someone talks about Asians the ones that can actually afford to come here were generally more well off in their home countries.

There are plenty of poor whites and asians who struggle/don't value academics and richer blacks and hispanics who value education

To be fair, some were generally more well off, and some came with work visas equipped with PhDs from their home countries. And it's small wonder that their offspring -- on average -- have high IQs. Asians who move here are self-selected, first and foremost.

FWIW, there are millions of barely literate people in China/India who do not value education, but we just don't see them here. If the entire country of China suddenly up and moved to Montgomery County, Asian school achievement wouldn't be that much different from that of other ethnic groups.

I think you people live in a bubble. You only see the well educated Asians here. You don't see the poor ones who come and struggle here, of which there are many.

-signed an Asian American immigrant who didn't grow up surrounded by PhD Asian immigrants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Where do you get your stats from?

I'm an Asian American immigrant. The ones who came here in the 70's/80's, maybe even 90's were not well off in their home countries, at least not the large circle of Asians I knew. Certainly, my family wasn't. That's why they came here.. to seek better opportunities, kind of like why most of the white people's ancestors came here way back when.

DP. It depends on who, where, and when - as you say. Overall, Asian-Americans do better on measures of economic well-being and education than the American population as a whole, but that masks differences among subgroups.

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/09/08/key-facts-about-asian-americans/

[Anonymous]

Where do you get your stats from?

I'm an Asian American immigrant. The ones who came here in the 70's/80's, maybe even 90's were not well off in their home countries, at least not the large circle of Asians I knew. Certainly, my family wasn't. That's why they came here.. to seek better opportunities, kind of like why most of the white people's ancestors came here way back when.

With the exception of refugees, and even many refugees (given the difficulty inherent in navigating the process), ANY documented immigrant is by definition going to possess some skills/education/wherewithal that the poorest of the poor in their home countries don't have. You may not have felt well off, but think about the resources inherent in the immigration process. Basic literacy to navigate the process. Money to pay for appointments at the Embassy. Money to pay for health checks and any other forms required. Airfare to the United States, likely a community when your parents arrived.

That's not nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

DP

Watch your own racist views. There are plenty of poor Asians who come to this country.

You do not have to be wealthy to value education.

I'm going to start asking every poster on DCUM who talks about "valuing education" to explain what, specifically, they mean by that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Where do you get your stats from?

I'm an Asian American immigrant. The ones who came here in the 70's/80's, maybe even 90's were not well off in their home countries, at least not the large circle of Asians I knew. Certainly, my family wasn't. That's why they came here.. to seek better opportunities, kind of like why most of the white people's ancestors came here way back when.

With the exception of refugees, and even many refugees (given the difficulty inherent in navigating the process), ANY documented immigrant is by definition going to possess some skills/education/wherewithal that the poorest of the poor in their home countries don't have. You may not have felt well off, but think about the resources inherent in the immigration process. Basic literacy to navigate the process. Money to pay for appointments at the Embassy. Money to pay for health checks and any other forms required. Airfare to the United States, likely a community when your parents arrived.

That's not nothing.

My parents had an ES education. At one point, we were on food stamps here, so no, we were not well off by any measure compared to the rest of the US. It was incredibly difficult for them. No community to speak of here back in the 70s. No school communication in their language. My parents had help from one family member here who was not well off himself.

The story of many Asian immigrants is the same story as most of white people immigrants 100 years ago. Many such immigrants struggle, and that is why many value education and want their children to get a good education to have a better life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
My parents had an ES education. At one point, we were on food stamps here, so no, we were not well off by any measure compared to the rest of the US. It was incredibly difficult for them. No community to speak of here back in the 70s. No school communication in their language. My parents had help from one family member here who was not well off himself.

The story of many Asian immigrants is the same story as most of white people immigrants 100 years ago. Many such immigrants struggle, and that is why many value education and want their children to get a good education to have a better life.

That goes for most immigrants, doesn't it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Where do you get your stats from?

I'm an Asian American immigrant. The ones who came here in the 70's/80's, maybe even 90's were not well off in their home countries, at least not the large circle of Asians I knew. Certainly, my family wasn't. That's why they came here.. to seek better opportunities, kind of like why most of the white people's ancestors came here way back when.

DP. It depends on who, where, and when - as you say. Overall, Asian-Americans do better on measures of economic well-being and education than the American population as a whole, but that masks differences among subgroups.

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/09/08/key-facts-about-asian-americans/

I think that's the point. People here live in a bubble. They see only the educated Asian immigrants. They don't see the many who aren't educated even in their home countries, yet when they come here, and struggle, they want their children to live a better life and they see education as the means to get there.

Certainly there are subgroups that aren't like this.. Hmong group is a perfect example. But, even that is slowly changing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My parents had an ES education. At one point, we were on food stamps here, so no, we were not well off by any measure compared to the rest of the US. It was incredibly difficult for them. No community to speak of here back in the 70s. No school communication in their language. My parents had help from one family member here who was not well off himself.

The story of many Asian immigrants is the same story as most of white people immigrants 100 years ago. Many such immigrants struggle, and that is why many value education and want their children to get a good education to have a better life.

That goes for most immigrants, doesn't it?

I would think so. So, it's a mistake to think that most Asian immigrants are educated and therefore, it's no surprise their kids have a high IQ or do well in school. That is not the reason why so many Asian American students do well in school. That was my point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My parents had an ES education. At one point, we were on food stamps here, so no, we were not well off by any measure compared to the rest of the US. It was incredibly difficult for them. No community to speak of here back in the 70s. No school communication in their language. My parents had help from one family member here who was not well off himself.

The story of many Asian immigrants is the same story as most of white people immigrants 100 years ago. Many such immigrants struggle, and that is why many value education and want their children to get a good education to have a better life.

That goes for most immigrants, doesn't it?

I would think so. So, it's a mistake to think that most Asian immigrants are educated and therefore, it's no surprise their kids have a high IQ or do well in school. That is not the reason why so many Asian American students do well in school. That was my point.

Most are, these days. That's a matter of fact, not opinion. Obviously most is not all, and generalizing as if there were such a thing as a universal Asian-American experience is foolish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Where do you get your stats from?

I'm an Asian American immigrant. The ones who came here in the 70's/80's, maybe even 90's were not well off in their home countries, at least not the large circle of Asians I knew. Certainly, my family wasn't. That's why they came here.. to seek better opportunities, kind of like why most of the white people's ancestors came here way back when.

DP. It depends on who, where, and when - as you say. Overall, Asian-Americans do better on measures of economic well-being and education than the American population as a whole, but that masks differences among subgroups.

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/09/08/key-facts-about-asian-americans/

I think that's the point. People here live in a bubble. They see only the educated Asian immigrants. They don't see the many who aren't educated even in their home countries, yet when they come here, and struggle, they want their children to live a better life and they see education as the means to get there.

Certainly there are subgroups that aren't like this.. Hmong group is a perfect example. But, even that is slowly changing.

...Hmong-Americans don't want their children to live a better life?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to send my kids to tutoring until I realized how much free, guided, enrichment is available online.
This isnt about money, its cultural.

I was a SAH mom. I volunteered in schools. I provided all the types of enrichment that have been described in this thread I am about as far from apathetic as a parent can be. I was shocked and appalled at how much instruction I had to provide because of MCPS deficiencies. I had the benefit of a strong education in a public school. It had some weaknesses, but it was so much stronger on the fundamentals, which meant that I could identify and address problems as they came up. When we bought our house, school quality was a primary concern. I assumed I would have to occasionally answer a homework question or quiz my child on spelling words. I never envisioned that I would have to become a reading/grammar/math/science/social studies teacher.

The purpose of public schools is to offer a free education to all children, regardless of their parents capabilities and/or interest in educating their children. If you felt it necessary to provide a tutor or online tutor equivalent for your children, then I think it has failed in that purpose. Thank goodness you understood your childrens' needs and had the knowledge required to get them the necessary help.

I am a first-generation immigrant, SAH mom (not an Asian, if that matters), and I couldn't have envisioned in my worst nightmare that I would have to become a reading/grammar/spelling/math teacher for my child, in my non-native language, no less, but here we are. And DC goes to a "good" W-cluster elementary school.

[Anonymous]

I read that by age 2, there are already huge disparities between children. So maybe you need to look at daycares and home life before school.

Some kids are getting museums on the weekends, an hour a day of being read to, healthy food and loving, married parents. I'm not sure how you can overcome it for the kids that don't get that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to send my kids to tutoring until I realized how much free, guided, enrichment is available online.
This isnt about money, its cultural.

I was a SAH mom. I volunteered in schools. I provided all the types of enrichment that have been described in this thread I am about as far from apathetic as a parent can be. I was shocked and appalled at how much instruction I had to provide because of MCPS deficiencies. I had the benefit of a strong education in a public school. It had some weaknesses, but it was so much stronger on the fundamentals, which meant that I could identify and address problems as they came up. When we bought our house, school quality was a primary concern. I assumed I would have to occasionally answer a homework question or quiz my child on spelling words. I never envisioned that I would have to become a reading/grammar/math/science/social studies teacher.

The purpose of public schools is to offer a free education to all children, regardless of their parents capabilities and/or interest in educating their children. If you felt it necessary to provide a tutor or online tutor equivalent for your children, then I think it has failed in that purpose. Thank goodness you understood your childrens' needs and had the knowledge required to get them the necessary help.

I am a first-generation immigrant, SAH mom (not an Asian, if that matters), and I couldn't have envisioned in my worst nightmare that I would have to become a reading/grammar/spelling/math teacher for my child, in my non-native language, no less, but here we are. And DC goes to a "good" W-cluster elementary school.

That might be why - at least to go from DCUM. Lots and lots of complaints about the "good" W-cluster elementary schools, generally higher satisfaction from posters at non-W-cluster schools.