Possible solution to PG County schools: Segregate schools based on income (low income, apartment complexes)

[EdwardA]

I'm not sure of the legality of such an action. I don't think there is a specific federal prohibition against discriminating by income, maybe there are state and local laws against it.

I don't think this would be necessary at the elementary school level since the schools are smaller and more neighborhood based anyway. I would implement this at the middle school level first and then high schools.

It's clear that the problems at PG schools start around middle school when the geographic boundaries of the schools expand. One comment from my brother's guidance counselor really struck me. She said she doesn't understand why the school is the way it is because the houses in the surrounding neighborhood seem nice. Which got me thinking the kids in the neighborhood seem well behaved so I looked online and sure enough the school is zoned for kids not just from the neighborhood but includes those who live in low income apartment complexes. According to the stats 60% qualify for free or reduced lunches.

I think those who qualify for reduced lunches should be put in a school by themselves. I don't think it's fair that many middle class parents do not have viable options for middle schools in PG becuae these low income kids come to school without the tools to succeed.

If PG was smart they would have dedicated schools for middle class and above to help staunch some of the exodus of middle class families. We have to come to the realization that every kid can't be saved and by mixing these kids up the whole system is collapsing.

[adelphi_sky]

Originally Posted by EdwardA

I'm not sure of the legality of such an action. I don't think there is a specific federal prohibition against discriminating by income, maybe there are state and local laws against it.

I don't think this would be necessary at the elementary school level since the schools are smaller and more neighborhood based anyway. I would implement this at the middle school level first and then high schools.

It's clear that the problems at PG schools start around middle school when the geographic boundaries of the schools expand. One comment from my brother's guidance counselor really struck me. She said she doesn't understand why the school is the way it is because the houses in the surrounding neighborhood seem nice. Which got me thinking the kids in the neighborhood seem well behaved so I looked online and sure enough the school is zoned for kids not just from the neighborhood but includes those who live in low income apartment complexes. According to the stats 60% qualify for free or reduced lunches.

I think those who qualify for reduced lunches should be put in a school by themselves. I don't think it's fair that many middle class parents do not have viable options for middle schools in PG becuae these low income kids come to school without the tools to succeed.

If PG was smart they would have dedicated schools for middle class and above to help staunch some of the exodus of middle class families. We have to come to the realization that every kid can't be saved and by mixing these kids up the whole system is collapsing.

There's already a thread that discusses a study that tried to reveal why kids belonging to affluent families in an upper middle class community still performed poorly in school.

It's not how much money you have. If education is not the top priority in your home, it won't be a top priority for your kids either.

Here's a solution. 1. We need to kill the TV, it dumbs down the population. I swear Americans are entertained at the most silliest things. 2. Use game consoles as a reward system not as a babysitter. The hours kids spend playing video games, they can either be outside getting exercise, or doing something creative or something that challenges the mind. Chess? Puzzles? 3. Travel. Kids need to see other cultures and do activities that they can't do at home. Their range of experience needs to be stretched beyond I-495. What kids wouldn't love snorkeling, hiking, the grand canyon, canoeing, etc.

[Tiger Beer]

It'll never fly.

Pretty much our entire system is designed to 'flatten the playing field', and allude to that dream of 'anyone can become President'.

Segregating by income has the added implication that the poor will 100% remain poor by education and throughout life. It also means the rich will be well-educated by public means, i.e. more advantages, and don't even need to pay private schools for it. Plus there are plenty of poor students who really do want a good education. It's not uniform that they do not.

----

My personal opinion is school shouldn't be absolutely required. If a person is completely uninterested and unwilling to learn in school, maybe they should be given the right to try out working at McDonalds a few years earlier, to see if that's the right career for them.

Education works best when people WANT that Education. The best students at universities are always the ones who took a few years in the working world, and realized how great school actually was comparitively.

Also make it so that a GED/H.S. Diploma isnt necessary for jobs that it shouldn't be necessary. It's somewhat ridiculous that as a society, we 'baby'/'coddle' young adults into graduating from H.S. to get that paper, when they don't deserve, nor did they learn or study, to get that paper.

[adelphi_sky]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

It'll never fly.

Pretty much our entire system is designed to 'flatten the playing field', and allude to that dream of 'anyone can become President'.

Segregating by income has the added implication that the poor will 100% remain poor by education and throughout life. It also means the rich will be well-educated by public means, i.e. more advantages, and don't even need to pay private schools for it. Plus there are plenty of poor students who really do want a good education. It's not uniform that they do not.

----

My personal opinion is school shouldn't be absolutely required. If a person is completely uninterested and unwilling to learn in school, maybe they should be given the right to try out working at McDonalds a few years earlier, to see if that's the right career for them.

Education works best when people WANT that Education. The best students at universities are always the ones who took a few years in the working world, and realized how great school actually was comparitively.

That's a logistical nightmare for police. Montgomery County is already struggling on what to do with kids who just want to hang out on the street all hours of the night. Just think if they don't have to go to school either. You'll have gangs of kids hanging out on the street 24/7.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by adelphi_sky

That's a logistical nightmare for police. Montgomery County is already struggling on what to do with kids who just want to hang out on the street all hours of the night. Just think if they don't have to go to school either. You'll have gangs of kids hanging out on the street 24/7.

At least the teachers don't have to spend time disciplining them in a learning environment.

If you have one class with just a few bad students, usually no one learns. Teacher just devotes total time trying to keep things from getting out of control/out of hand.

[adelphi_sky]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

At least the teachers don't have to spend time disciplining them in a learning environment.

So they end up being disciplined by the oh so gentle PG county police?

[boreatwork]

The school situation in Prince George's County isn't the best, but its not that serious. I went to college too! The same kids from EVERYWHERE ELSE, USA are no better than the kids from PG. They have the same dumbfounded look as everyone else when the professor asks a question. My white college professor from Tennessee said its funny how the PG kids sit together. The only reason he noticed that is because he was only getting dialogue from the PG kids. Life goes on

[EdwardA]

Originally Posted by boreatwork

The school situation in Prince George's County isn't the best, but its not that serious. I went to college too! The same kids from EVERYWHERE ELSE, USA are no better than the kids from PG. They have the same dumbfounded look as everyone else when the professor asks a question. My white college professor from Tennessee said its funny how the PG kids sit together. The only reason he noticed that is because he was only getting dialogue from the PG kids. Life goes on

It's very serious. Maybe you went to a better PG school but what I saw yesterday it seems like many of the schools are simply farm systems for prisons.

[EdwardA]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

It'll never fly.

Pretty much our entire system is designed to 'flatten the playing field', and allude to that dream of 'anyone can become President'.

Segregating by income has the added implication that the poor will 100% remain poor by education and throughout life. It also means the rich will be well-educated by public means, i.e. more advantages, and don't even need to pay private schools for it. Plus there are plenty of poor students who really do want a good education. It's not uniform that they do not.

----

My personal opinion is school shouldn't be absolutely required. If a person is completely uninterested and unwilling to learn in school, maybe they should be given the right to try out working at McDonalds a few years earlier, to see if that's the right career for them.

Education works best when people WANT that Education. The best students at universities are always the ones who took a few years in the working world, and realized how great school actually was comparitively.

Also make it so that a GED/H.S. Diploma isnt necessary for jobs that it shouldn't be necessary. It's somewhat ridiculous that as a society, we 'baby'/'coddle' young adults into graduating from H.S. to get that paper, when they don't deserve, nor did they learn or study, to get that paper.

This is what Gingrich was getting at but as usual the liberal media went beserk. We need to stop the pretensions reserve schools whose families that value education and find other tracks for the rest. Why should these kids bring down the whole ship? It's madness.

[adelphi_sky]

Originally Posted by EdwardA

...reserve schools whose families that value education and find other tracks for the rest.

It's called private school.