The education miracle in Finland

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hunh. Two days ago some were arguing that the schools problem in DC has absolutely nothing to do with race. Now it's a self-actualized victimhood suffered ony by AAs.

I read "time to move on" and get a flashback to people stranded on their rooftops in New Orleans.

Good inside perspective at the link below from a (white) former Ward 3 resident who left his profitable tutoring business and moved to Anacostia to be closer to kids with higher needs If you make it past the story about the girl at the top of her class living in a homeless shelter, you might catch all of his various references to evidence that "the system" has indeed moved on. In fact, every institution that would be rushing to help in other parts of the city, has moved right on to "don't give a shit" in Anacostia. He's not whining, or shouting, or stamping a righteous foot. Just talking matter-of-factly about the general lack of concern for daily dire circumstances right here in this city.

http://innercityvisions.blogspot.com

For those interested in the way federal housing policy from less than 100 years ago (1930s) still impacts quality of life factors like education and health disparities today, check out This American Life episode 512: "House Rules" at http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/512/house-rules

Or read the transcript: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/512/transcript

Thanks for these articles and your perspective. The following comments echo the "I don't give a ****" attitude that the blog refers to. It's very disheartening that people can be so selfish. It's not my problem - unless it affects me (or my kids) directly. Even then, it's "how can we separate." Regardless of the circumstance, their is a deep rooted "entitlement" that prevents folks from seeing how ****ed up this is.

How exactly do you mean "entitlement"? That the middle class feels "entitled"? When we pay taxes, we expect something in return. That's not "entitlement", that's expecting accountability for your money's worth. Anyone who would call that "entitlement" has no business in public policy. Entitlement is expecting something when you've done little or nothing for it - which is not the case for most of us.

[Anonymous]

Wow. ANYONE who wants a better life for their children has to let go of the past and press forward. That doesn't mean you have to FORGET -- it means you have to keep your eyes on the future. If your eyes are not on the prize, what do you expect to achieve?

So, let's drop the arguments over history, self-destruction, and inadequacies, and start thinking about what we are actually CAPABLE of doing. Then, let's DO something!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. ANYONE who wants a better life for their children has to let go of the past and press forward. That doesn't mean you have to FORGET -- it means you have to keep your eyes on the future. If your eyes are not on the prize, what do you expect to achieve?

So, let's drop the arguments over history, self-destruction, and inadequacies, and start thinking about what we are actually CAPABLE of doing. Then, let's DO something!

Yep

[Anonymous]

Wow these conversations are extremely interesting. I'm a third generation African-American educator from the Midwest. I also have a degree in History.

Couple of things people need to check out:
the idea of voluntary vs. involuntary immigrants.
http://faculty.washington.edu/rsoder/EDUC310/OgbuSimonsvoluntaryinvoluntary.pdf

Eugene Robinson's "Dis-integration" which does an excellent job of describing how many AAs have fared over the last few decades and why, though from his experiences and studies, not necessarily through the use of data.

The differences in Asian subcultures in the US (no they are not all the same)
http://www.searac.org/sites/default/files/SEARAC%20Education%20State%20Fact%20Sheet%20-%20CA%20-%20FINAL.pdf

Generational success of immigrants
First vs Second http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/02/07/second-generation-americans/
and http://nbclatino.com/2012/09/11/study-first-generation-immigrant-children-do-better-in-school-than-us-born-kids/
and on African immigrants
http://www2.bgsu.edu/offices/mc/news/2008/news48744.html

I also want people to remind themselves that while slavery ended 150 years ago, peonage was legal for another 50. Legal segregation, almost another 100. Denial of voting rights, another 100. Interracial marriage was illegal until 1967. I started school in the 70's after a lot of legal fights led to busing. Whites fled the schools. I finished high school in the early 90's. We still had white counselors telling us and our parents we weren't going to college. The school where my mom taught had numerous race riots. This wasn't that long ago. The laws have changed, but the mindsets of many (as evidenced by the comments here) haven't.

I've read about Finland's system. Largely homogenous, socialized and tracked (some allowed the college track, others vocational). Also noticed that Finland sends books to the families of newborns...If we're lucky here in the US, we get a congratulatory note from the President. Their population is also about twice that of the city of Chicago, though smaller than its metro area. Its certainly an apples and oranges argument.

[Anonymous]

From the Washington Post today:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/author-n-va-native-helen-wan-on-the-bamboo-ceiling/2014/02/12/89cc0b76-5151-11e3-9e2c-e1d01116fd98_story.html?hpid=z1


"With a median income of $66,000, Asian Americans earn $16,200 more than the U.S. average, though Pew points out that that figure doesn’t acknowledge the diversity of experience within the demographic. (Korean Americans, Vietnamese Americans and Chinese Americans have higher than average rates of poverty, while Indian Americans, Japanese Americans and Filipino Americans have lower rates.)"

[Anonymous]

http://www.edutopia.org/education-everywhere-international-finland-video