Reply to Dumb WaPoo Article on Public Schools

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[quote=Anonymous]I don't think anyone's out to "bash poor people" or deny them educational opportunities.  I'd bet every person posting here truly wants a better life for all kids, especially those born is difficult circumstances.  The problem is that raising the academics of low-SES kids (the "H/PBH" referenced in the report) is just really hard to do.  People have spent billions and billions of dollars over several decades, and the progress often feels pretty small.  It's frustrating.

That frustration reaches a boiling point though when the school districts adopt the approach of spreading all the H/PBH students around among the better performing schools, in the name of "equity."  As the report discusses, those H/PBH students often make it hard for other kids around them to learn, because they are more likely to be disruptive.  So spreading them around means that the children who are actually learning will be asked to carry a  heavier burden.

Speaking for myself, if I actually had confidence that spreading the H/PBH students around among the better performing schools would spur those H/PBH students to improve, and we could meaningfully shrink the education gap as a result, then I'd be willing to accept that extra burden for my kids.  But based on the sad lack of success at other prior efforts, and the fact that these efforts often seem aimed at simply creating a facade of equity so political leaders can claim fake progress, I'm reluctant to support the approach.

I'm sure there's some solution to the difficult problems surrounding income and race effects with students, but there's not likely any easy answer, and it will take a long time an lots of sacrifice.  But, again speaking personally, I want the sacrifice I make to mean something, and lead to results.  I'm wary of sacrifices that just serve as political window dressing.[/quote]

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