Achievement gap continues to grow between high- and low-income schools

[Anonymous]

^ they being MCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All evidence to the contrary. Mcps has actually given up on the affluent schools and is focusing resources in red zone and bridging the gap. It's the rich folks that have to fend for themselves.

They're putting money into the red zone schools, but that's not the same as trying to encourage middle class attendance. In some areas it actually works to their advantage to have the middle class families opt out because the schools are too overcrowded and mcps doesnt have the funds to invest in building schools that accommodate all the kids living within those boundaries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:RunRunRunRunRun from the poor people!
Goood God ! FARMS families could be folks making almost $50,000 (about the average U.S. income) or $15,000.00
Some of you ...ughh...I just can't!!

It is running.

And I ran with my two kids.

But as an insider, I can tell you that it's impossible to meet the needs of all kids in a school that's mostly FARMs. Living in poverty is difficult, yes! And not all FARMs kids are underachievers. But a school that's over 50% FARMs has too many challenges. And my kids will not suffer so that I can prove I'm a PC liberal who thinks love will solve all problems.

[Anonymous]

Maybe the solution would be to enforce our federal laws and deport the families. Flame away but the problem will never ever get better. It won't even stay the same. It will only get worse and worse. I get the empathy but the fact remains. Our borders are basically open, the article about Montgomery County, MD being the #2 place to live for illegals is very scary. Our test scores go down, ratios get higher, we can never estimate the # incoming kids with thousands of illegal immigrants coming yearly and the schools are overcrowded. Public services on the school budget (Farms/ESL) take up billions of dollars each year. Money needed to build new schools, recruit better teachers. Money that the county will never get if our path continues this way. Private and Parochial schools have massive wait lists. People are fed up. Schools try to help assimilate and it does not work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:RunRunRunRunRun from the poor people!
Goood God ! FARMS families could be folks making almost $50,000 (about the average U.S. income) or $15,000.00
Some of you ...ughh...I just can't!!

Where do you live, PP? I ask because I find that the people who are most dismissive and contemptuous of the issues facing those of us living in the DCC and the challenges of our schools - especially those who characterize it as racism or elitism - don't even have children in the area or are at an affluent school.

Just because I'm middle class doesn't mean that I don't want and deserve a good education for my kids. I'm not running from poor people (heck, by DCUM standards I am a poor person - HHI < `$100k), I'm running from poor performing schools. When upwards of 60% of the third graders at my local elementary school don't pass the math and reading testing, when upwards of 70% of the 5th graders don't pass these tests, there is cause for worry.

When you blow of concerns about poor performance and paint it as elitism or racism and some of the other accusations on this thread, you not only distort the issues at hand, but you are doing a disservice to poor kids in this area. You don't think moms and dads of FARMS kids want their kids to go to schools where a MAJORITY of the kids pass basic state acheivement tests????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is so depressing. Anecdotally, I can tell by looking around my neighborhood and comparing what I see to the FARMS and ESOL rates at the local elementary school, people of any means are sending their kids elsewhere. While $300k isn't that much for the DC area, that is the minimum for a sfh in the DCC, and that requires a middle class income. It's sad that that doesn't equate to a middle class school. I stress all the time about where to send my kids to school. Take a chance on local high FARMS high ESOL school? Scramble to try to move to at least a better elementary school in the DCC, or out of it altogether? Can't afford private, so maybe send them to a Catholic school? I think that there is a critical mass of professional-class parents that if everyone just decided to send their kids to the local schools, it would diversify the schools and provide the peer group most of us worry about the schools lacking. The problem is no one wants to experiment with their own kids so they try I get out. Hence the "white flight" (really not race-based, actually socioeconomic-based).

It seems that MoCo's solution is to provide meals (FARMS), have ESOL teachers in classrooms, keep class sizes smaller, and in some cases put in community health clinics at schools. I'm sure the thinking is that providing these extras are to bring the kids who need the services up while not impacting the kids who don't need the services. Problem is, how is it not impacting those kids if their peers are so behind and so much in need of basics?

I don't know what the solution is, but it seems the county has to do something to address this. They can't just throw more resources to address the issues surrounding poverty. They will have to reassure the middle class families that the schools can meet their kids' academic needs as well.

Relate to everything you've said here, PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:RunRunRunRunRun from the poor people!
Goood God ! FARMS families could be folks making almost $50,000 (about the average U.S. income) or $15,000.00
Some of you ...ughh...I just can't!!

It is running.

And I ran with my two kids.

But as an insider, I can tell you that it's impossible to meet the needs of all kids in a school that's mostly FARMs. Living in poverty is difficult, yes! And not all FARMs kids are underachievers. But a school that's over 50% FARMs has too many challenges. And my kids will not suffer so that I can prove I'm a PC liberal who thinks love will solve all problems.

Me too and I'm not ashamed to say it. It was a very sensible thing to do and I can't believe we waited as long as we did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe the solution would be to enforce our federal laws and deport the families. Flame away but the problem will never ever get better. It won't even stay the same. It will only get worse and worse. I get the empathy but the fact remains. Our borders are basically open, the article about Montgomery County, MD being the #2 place to live for illegals is very scary. Our test scores go down, ratios get higher, we can never estimate the # incoming kids with thousands of illegal immigrants coming yearly and the schools are overcrowded. Public services on the school budget (Farms/ESL) take up billions of dollars each year. Money needed to build new schools, recruit better teachers. Money that the county will never get if our path continues this way. Private and Parochial schools have massive wait lists. People are fed up. Schools try to help assimilate and it does not work.

Including the American born sons and daughters? Does that make sense in the long-run when those young people are U.S. citizens who can legally return at age 18 to work here anyway? I'd think it's best to educate them so that they will be productive members of our society in 10 to 15 years.

[Anonymous]

18:11- Stop making sense. You are ruining the PPs desire to deport the "illegals" when many, many ESOL students are actually U.S. citizens. I teach ESOL students and if we are going to deport anyone, let's start with everyone on welfare. There are plenty of native born people who don't work because they'd rather just get handouts from the gov't. None of the parents of my ESOL students sit collecting free handouts around instead of working.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe the solution would be to enforce our federal laws and deport the families. Flame away but the problem will never ever get better. It won't even stay the same. It will only get worse and worse. I get the empathy but the fact remains. Our borders are basically open, the article about Montgomery County, MD being the #2 place to live for illegals is very scary. Our test scores go down, ratios get higher, we can never estimate the # incoming kids with thousands of illegal immigrants coming yearly and the schools are overcrowded. Public services on the school budget (Farms/ESL) take up billions of dollars each year. Money needed to build new schools, recruit better teachers. Money that the county will never get if our path continues this way. Private and Parochial schools have massive wait lists. People are fed up. Schools try to help assimilate and it does not work.

Including the American born sons and daughters? Does that make sense in the long-run when those young people are U.S. citizens who can legally return at age 18 to work here anyway? I'd think it's best to educate them so that they will be productive members of our society in 10 to 15 years.

But the cycle will forever continue and our budget is not going towards educating legal law abiding citizens. Too much money is placed from a school budget to help them just make it they the day. They work measly jobs under the table so our wealthy can get richer. We can not continue to be an open refugee. Will there ever not be a line in the sand? We've gone too far. It is too expensive. Our country is in trillions of dollars in debt. Rich don't pay taxes, lower class don't pay taxes. Middle class is dying because of it. Shrinking each year. We can't continue to take on the burden of millions of poor people who want a better life. It is sad but there is a legal process to follow and it is embarrassing that our country does not follow it and expects the middle class to pay for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe the solution would be to enforce our federal laws and deport the families. Flame away but the problem will never ever get better. It won't even stay the same. It will only get worse and worse. I get the empathy but the fact remains. Our borders are basically open, the article about Montgomery County, MD being the #2 place to live for illegals is very scary. Our test scores go down, ratios get higher, we can never estimate the # incoming kids with thousands of illegal immigrants coming yearly and the schools are overcrowded. Public services on the school budget (Farms/ESL) take up billions of dollars each year. Money needed to build new schools, recruit better teachers. Money that the county will never get if our path continues this way. Private and Parochial schools have massive wait lists. People are fed up. Schools try to help assimilate and it does not work.

Including the American born sons and daughters? Does that make sense in the long-run when those young people are U.S. citizens who can legally return at age 18 to work here anyway? I'd think it's best to educate them so that they will be productive members of our society in 10 to 15 years.

Exactly. Everyone benefits from an educated society. Touting your success while trying to keep others shut out just exacerbates the situation.

I think they should redraw boundaries. Why should my kids be denied a good, diverse school for the sake of property values in Potomac or wherever? Do you really think people living in the wealthy parts of the county who currently send their kids to public school would flee the school system if their kids had to go to school with kids zoned for the DCC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:18:11- Stop making sense. You are ruining the PPs desire to deport the "illegals" when many, many ESOL students are actually U.S. citizens. I teach ESOL students and if we are going to deport anyone, let's start with everyone on welfare. There are plenty of native born people who don't work because they'd rather just get handouts from the gov't. None of the parents of my ESOL students sit collecting free handouts around instead of working.

People are on welfare because illegals took their jobs working for less money so the rich get richer. And many many illegals are on government assistance. Don't be fooled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe the solution would be to enforce our federal laws and deport the families. Flame away but the problem will never ever get better. It won't even stay the same. It will only get worse and worse. I get the empathy but the fact remains. Our borders are basically open, the article about Montgomery County, MD being the #2 place to live for illegals is very scary. Our test scores go down, ratios get higher, we can never estimate the # incoming kids with thousands of illegal immigrants coming yearly and the schools are overcrowded. Public services on the school budget (Farms/ESL) take up billions of dollars each year. Money needed to build new schools, recruit better teachers. Money that the county will never get if our path continues this way. Private and Parochial schools have massive wait lists. People are fed up. Schools try to help assimilate and it does not work.

Including the American born sons and daughters? Does that make sense in the long-run when those young people are U.S. citizens who can legally return at age 18 to work here anyway? I'd think it's best to educate them so that they will be productive members of our society in 10 to 15 years.

Exactly. Everyone benefits from an educated society. Touting your success while trying to keep others shut out just exacerbates the situation.

I think they should redraw boundaries. Why should my kids be denied a good, diverse school for the sake of property values in Potomac or wherever? Do you really think people living in the wealthy parts of the county who currently send their kids to public school would flee the school system if their kids had to go to school with kids zoned for the DCC?

Yes they would.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:18:11- Stop making sense. You are ruining the PPs desire to deport the "illegals" when many, many ESOL students are actually U.S. citizens. I teach ESOL students and if we are going to deport anyone, let's start with everyone on welfare. There are plenty of native born people who don't work because they'd rather just get handouts from the gov't. None of the parents of my ESOL students sit collecting free handouts around instead of working.

People are on welfare because illegals took their jobs working for less money so the rich get richer. And many many illegals are on government assistance. Don't be fooled.

Nope. There is no way these families would work the types of jobs these parents have. Cleaning, construction, landscaping, etc. No way. Why work your fingers to the bone for minimum wage when you can collect welfare?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:18:11- Stop making sense. You are ruining the PPs desire to deport the "illegals" when many, many ESOL students are actually U.S. citizens. I teach ESOL students and if we are going to deport anyone, let's start with everyone on welfare. There are plenty of native born people who don't work because they'd rather just get handouts from the gov't. None of the parents of my ESOL students sit collecting free handouts around instead of working.

People are on welfare because illegals took their jobs working for less money so the rich get richer. And many many illegals are on government assistance. Don't be fooled.

This was exactly the type of hate mongerring ignorance that led to hate crimes against asylum seeking Turks in Germany in the 90s. Blame unemployment on people who occupy jobs that the local population rejects as beneath them. Ass backwards and meant to prey on people's fears and prejudices.