School System

[SlickTraw91]

What are the opinions of the school system as it relates to under-privileged children?

[annettefayeroach]

The one where I live SUCKS for everyone.

[msmoneybags48]

I just completed going through the school system with my 5 year-old grandson.  He completed with an award for having the highest score in Reading for his class and a Kindergarten diploma.  The next school year, he will be in Georgia with my daughter and they go by districts, so I have heard.  So he will have to adjust. 

[Timberlan127]

School systems do their best but they also tend to listen only when they are forced to hear because they are so over whelmed most of the time. I feel the under privileged would do fine if they have someone who is willing to go in and fight if they are not getting the services they need. But unfortunately if no one will do that they could get lost in the system. Even a good teacher can not always get them to listen if a parent is not willing to go right to the top to get what they want. 

[ben50]

I think that poor people don't have opportunity as much and yes they are left to die in schools without storm shelters, a school shouldn't even be called a school or allowed to be open without a storm shelter do we or do we not require handi cap access in restrooms, then why don't we require storm shelters in schools

[lvstephanie]

I think that sometimes the schools give the kids the short end of the stick... Although the teachers may be good, it is sometimes the administration that sucks out too much money out of the system. Principals and superintendents that get paid 6-figure incomes without much results to show for it, and receive "golden parachutes" when they decide to leave for a different district that will pay them more. Unions basing salaries not on how good a person is in their job, but rather based on years they've been working. We had a shop teacher get reprimanded because he wanted to do a project of having his class build shelving units for different classrooms around the school. The reason why he was reprimanded? Building shelves was not in his job description; he was taking work away from the maintenance staff (even though teachers had been making these requests for years which never got completed by the maintenance staff). Basically the unions got in the way of a perfectly good teachable moment, which hurt the students in lieu of the union and their members.

[ajann1983]

I think that sometimes the schools give the kids the short end of the stick... Although the teachers may be good, it is sometimes the administration that sucks out too much money out of the system. Principals and superintendents that get paid 6-figure incomes without much results to show for it, and receive "golden parachutes" when they decide to leave for a different district that will pay them more. Unions basing salaries not on how good a person is in their job, but rather based on years they've been working. We had a shop teacher get reprimanded because he wanted to do a project of having his class build shelving units for different classrooms around the school. The reason why he was reprimanded? Building shelves was not in his job description; he was taking work away from the maintenance staff (even though teachers had been making these requests for years which never got completed by the maintenance staff). Basically the unions got in the way of a perfectly good teachable moment, which hurt the students in lieu of the union and their members.

Wow. Now that is ridiculous. Taking work away from maintenance staff? More like doing them a favor. A few years ago I remember watching a school makeover show and there were many teachers that needed new supplies for their classrooms like overhead screens, whiteboards, pull down map, etc. They had been asking for these things for awhile but never received them. When the host confronted the administrator about this, they inspected the supply room and it was full of brand new supplies that these teachers needed. I know the maintenance department can be bogged down with lots of requests, especially if it is a large district, so I would have thought your shop teacher should have been allowed that chance to help out the school. A school is a place to learn and that is what he was trying to give his students a chance to do. Put their skills to the test and also to help others in need.

[sliebshner]

I dealt with schools a lot in my old job.  The biggest problem I saw with underprivileged children was the parents.  A lot of them were too wrapped up in their own dramas or had substance abuse problems.  Many underprivileged children got enrolled in online schools so their parents didn't have to deal with the school districts and attendance issues anymore.  So nobody physically ever saw these kids like they would at a regular school to see if they were struggling.  Very sad.

[ajann1983]

I dealt with schools a lot in my old job.  The biggest problem I saw with underprivileged children was the parents.  A lot of them were too wrapped up in their own dramas or had substance abuse problems.  Many underprivileged children got enrolled in online schools so their parents didn't have to deal with the school districts and attendance issues anymore.  So nobody physically ever saw these kids like they would at a regular school to see if they were struggling.  Very sad.

yeah you have parents that think it is solely the schools job to turn their child into responsible, productive citizens. they fail to realize that a child's learning first starts in the home.

[Phx0808]

In regular public schools, you teach to the middle of the class. Only about 50% will benefit from the class. The higher level students are so bored, you can't do much to challenge them, and the one struggling, you used to be able to offer tutoring for them after school but even that has been farmed out to people looking to make a fast buck off of the government.

I am glad to see programs like Running Start available to higher level students. It is program that allow high school students to complete the requirement for their A.A. degree when they graduate high school.
Running Starts one Graduates HS at 18, has a Bachelors at 20, a Masters at 22 and a PhD at 24-29.

Now if can get a program to increase our graduation rate, which is currently at 69%. Of those who do graduate, only 62 percent of graduates can read and write English at grade level. As a nation, our school system is broken. We need more people to fix the problem, instead of politicians who do what looks good during re-election years.

It also means we have to look at the children, outside of school life and be proactive to help them.
It is not possible given our current school systems.  The parents do have to be involved as previously mentioned. However there are many kids who do not live with their parents. Instead they live in group homes, foster care or other state institutions.

[alice44]

I'm afraid the opinion and reality of the schools can be two different things.  Schools are so strapped for money, they can only do so much.  It's not fare - especially for those who get left behind.

[BlackSheepNY]

What are the opinions of the school system as it relates to under-privileged children?

Under privileged how?  EVERY child, no matter what background they come from, has the POTENTIAL to LEARN.  As human beings, we learn on a daily basis.  If a child is in school and puts his or her head into their work (which IS a child's first job in life), he or she WILL SUCCEED, whether they are under privileged or not.

[inertia4]

I think the school system stinks. Underprivileged children don't have a chance. I think there should be a major revamp of the entire school system.

[daphyishere]

I will say though the school system here is fine for a lot of children.... I felt they were letting my son slide through the system and not expecting anything of him. He literally was allowed to sit and stare off into space, and turn in blank pages for half the year, three years in a row.  I was worried that one day his grades and quality of learning would suffer greatly.  So we are now homeschoolers.  Next year will be 4 years since we made this choice, and I have to say we love it.  I know my son is learning, and flourishing from this change and he has grown so much since making this transition. I can see where this is not a viable choice for everyone, but it works for us.