Reply to MoCo is diverse, for sure, but MCPS schools are not

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Reply to "MoCo is diverse, for sure, but MCPS schools are not"

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[quote=Anonymous]I'm pro-busing since I think it's much more doable than long term tinkering with housing policy.

1. What are you pro-busing folks actually hoping to accomplish? 
 - Lessening the concentration of poverty in any 1 given school to make it easier to deal with the needs of those kids by "diluting the neediness" so to speak. FARMs rate for the county on avg is 40%. That means 60% of the school would be non-poor which leaves a good chunk of critical mass re: peer groups, pressure for high achievement, PTA support.

2. Is the goal diversity in schools as an end to itself? 
 - no. it's because spreading out the SES diversity to a greater extent would go a long way to helping address the problems in the schools that currently have an over concentration of low SES kids. SES diversity is a much bigger deal than racial diversity.

3. So you think LES kids will get a better education if mixed in with wealthier kids? 
 - I'm not sure what LES means. I'm guessing it's Low Economic Status? If so, then yes I do.

4. Do you think wealthier kids need the "reality check" of a more diverse -- economically and racially -- school? 
- It is not essential but could be helpful for them. This is not the primary reason busing should be considered though.

5. Does it just bother you on some gut level that there is a disparity of income in MoCo? 
 - No. There will always be income disparities - but government services should not hinge on income levels. Should the trash be picked up daily in CC and only every other week in Wheaton? Should the firehouses ensure they can make it to fires in 5 minutes in Bethesda but only in 20 minutes in Aspen Hill? Government services normally aim at being delivered in equitable ways, regardless of income level - that's the ideal at least. When it's clearly doable to improve towards this goal with respect to schools I think it's wrong to disregard the most realistic path to get there (busing) simply so that kids in schools with less than 10% FARMs rates can preserve that while others are at schools with 80%+ rates. [/quote]

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