Turnaround for South Chicagoland (private school, lawsuits, move to)

[Chicagoland60426]

Originally Posted by deechee

*Sigh* Guess I better start the search for a new home. I wonder where I'd be welcome?

If you like CCH, then stay. The majority of the people in the Chicagoland forums live on the Northside, North suburbs, or West suburbs.

[Opkl]

Originally Posted by deechee

*Sigh* Guess I better start the search for a new home. I wonder where I'd be welcome?

Didn't you just move out their?

[deechee]

Originally Posted by Opkl

Didn't you just move out their?

Yeah, recently. I just got through planting my garden. I meant my statement more in sarcasm than anything. I like my house too much right now, lol.

I live in the westernmost part of CCH, so the crime hasn't made its way here. I hope it never does

I am planning on staying right here until I decide I want something else. Which is not likely to happen anytime soon.

[Opkl]

Originally Posted by deechee

Yeah, recently. I just got through planting my garden. I meant my statement more in sarcasm than anything. I like my house too much right now, lol.

I live in the westernmost part of CCH, so the crime hasn't made its way here. I hope it never does

I am planning on staying right here until I decide I want something else. Which is not likely to happen anytime soon.

Thats good. I like west CCH. I wonder if they will build new homes in that section of CCH that is west of I-57 where that forest is?

[deechee]

Originally Posted by Opkl

Thats good. I like west CCH. I wonder if they will build new homes in that section of CCH that is west of I-57 where that forest is?

I don't think so. That is also a walking trail. I don't think that will go anywhere anytime soon

LOL at least I hope not

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Chuckity

No.

You want to better a community, raise property values, make it a desirable area to live in & raise a family in?

Improve the schools.

Chicken v. egg: which came first? Does improving the schools improve the character and culture of the city, or does improving the character and culture of the city improve the schools? You can have the best facilities and the brightest, most enthusiastic teachers and the finest curriculum, but none of that will matter if the kids are little sociopaths. That said, I don't know if that's the case in CCH or what the condition of the schools are there.

[deechee]

Originally Posted by Drover

Chicken v. egg: which came first? Does improving the schools improve the character and culture of the city, or does improving the character and culture of the city improve the schools? You can have the best facilities and the brightest, most enthusiastic teachers and the finest curriculum, but none of that will matter if the kids are little sociopaths. That said, I don't know if that's the case in CCH or what the condition of the schools are there.

Ah that's the spirit! Finally someone gets it. People always blame things on teachers when sometimes the fault lies entirely with the "student."

Ahh I cannot wait until I am a certified teacher. I wonder what awaits me

[Drover]

Oh, don't worry, the failures of many school systems are so systemic that teachers get some of the blame too. It's a silly proposition that the social and political dysfunctions that elect politically motivated school boards who in turn oversee lumbering, unresponsive education bureaucracies, who in turn oversee schools packed with apathetic kids raised by apathetic parents (the ones who elected the school board in the first place) can still manage to produce and select only earnest, talented, hard-working teachers. The earnest, talented, hard-working teachers don't want anything to do with train-wreck school districts so they go elsewhere the first chance they get, as evidenced for instance by CPS's ridiculous teacher turnover rate.

I'm sure that by the time you got to high school, you could tell which teachers were actually interested in their profession and which ones were phoning it in and biding their time until they got to collect their pension. I suspect there are more of the latter than the teaching profession would care to admit.

[SJaye]

deechee,

Have you ever read "The Death and Life of Great American Cities"? It is an old book (ca 1960) by Jane Jacobs about what causes certain neighborhoods/ towns to deteriorate, improve, etc. It mostly focuses on cities rather than suburbs but I believe many of the principles apply. According to this book, when areas experience a turn around, it starts with a few people making something of their lives and not moving out of the neighborhood, rather, they chose to stay and invest in the area. This process takes some time as the reputation of the area needs to gradually recover, but as more good people stay, they create a better place by taking care of their kids properly, not tolerating corruption, etc.

[deechee]

Originally Posted by Drover

Oh, don't worry, the failures of many school systems are so systemic that teachers get some of the blame too. It's a silly proposition that the social and political dysfunctions that elect politically motivated school boards who in turn oversee lumbering, unresponsive education bureaucracies, who in turn oversee schools packed with apathetic kids raised by apathetic parents (the ones who elected the school board in the first place) can still manage to produce and select only earnest, talented, hard-working teachers. The earnest, talented, hard-working teachers don't want anything to do with train-wreck school districts so they go elsewhere the first chance they get, as evidenced for instance by CPS's ridiculous teacher turnover rate.

I'm sure that by the time you got to high school, you could tell which teachers were actually interested in their profession and which ones were phoning it in and biding their time until they got to collect their pension. I suspect there are more of the latter than the teaching profession would care to admit.

I am not sure if I am able to work for CPS because I don't live in the city, but I think I'm a bit worried for the future, the kids in the schools, and my job's reputation if this is really what is going on...

Originally Posted by SJaye

deechee,

Have you ever read "The Death and Life of Great American Cities"? It is an old book (ca 1960) by Jane Jacobs about what causes certain neighborhoods/ towns to deteriorate, improve, etc. It mostly focuses on cities rather than suburbs but I believe many of the principles apply. According to this book, when areas experience a turn around, it starts with a few people making something of their lives and not moving out of the neighborhood, rather, they chose to stay and invest in the area. This process takes some time as the reputation of the area needs to gradually recover, but as more good people stay, they create a better place by taking care of their kids properly, not tolerating corruption, etc.

I have read it. Everyone should read that book. I do believe that if people stick together, things like that can happen. I just don't think I understand how to apply that to the suburbs... People in the suburbs sometimes move out here to get away, not to join together, and that can create a problem, when they are indifferent or uncooperative. Some people take offense when people say things about their town (Yes, sometimes that applies to me too )