Why is it that inner city schools perform poorly?

[green_mariner]

Minorities in this nation have not contributed anything or very little? I say the history books about American history should be including everyone who has contributed to the things in American history, and believe it or not, Asians, African-Americans, and Hispanics have contributed to this nation, whether it was through force(slavery), or through seeking their fortunes and creating more things. Part of the reason I liked having Black History Month is because it gives me, an African-American, a sense of myself.

And if you think the everyone chanting "Obama" is annoying where you are, get this: I live in the South(suburbs of Atlanta). After President Obama won the election, there were fights in a few metro Atlanta schools, much of it on racial lines.

I don't know what goes on in Burger King, but this is what I notice. Alot of people who can speak proper English or at the least, have a decent education, often don't work at fast food places unless absolutely necessary. The way I see it, if that woman at the Burger King wasn't speaking proper English or sounded uneducated, it might have to do with

A) The person not being able to do much better.
B) Persons who achieved a decent education don't want to work there. I'm in college and I don't want to work at Burger King, even on a temporary basis. If push came to shove, I would put up with it, but it's the last place I would want to be.

And affirmative action, well, why was it implemented?
Another thing to note is that White women are the largest group of people to benefit from affirmative action. And I understand you live in Michigan, so I am going to mention this. The University of Michigan gives preferential admission to students who live in the Upper Peninsula. Demographically, it's mostly White people living up there, with the exception of a few African-Americans in Sault Ste. Marie and some Native Americans. People were fighting against affirmative action, but not against the preferential treatment for applicants from the Upper Peninsula.

So minorities haven't contributed to this nation? Chinese migrants were building the railroads. African-American slaves built The White House, not to mention they were the reason the South got so wealthy(and never benefited from that wealth).

[nana053]

Dear Inkster,

The history that *you* were taught was not the *truth.* While certainly, white males were the founders, many minorities contributed to building this country.

You might want to read Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen

Amazon.com: Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong (9780684818863): James W. Loewen: Books

Lies My Teacher Told Me

Christopher Columbus did not discover America, for example. There were at least 15 different explorers who *discovered, explored and settled* America before Columbus.

For a hundred years after our Revolution, Americans credited Native Americans as a source of their democratic institutions... When colonists took action to oppose unjust authority, as in the Boston Tea Party.. they chose to dress as Indians, not to blame Indians for the demonstrations but to appropriate a symbol identified with liberty

For our first seventy years as a nation.. slavery made our foreign policy more sympathetic with imperialism than with self-determination

All serious historians agree that the Confederates, not the Union, burned Richmond and many other Southern cities as they abandoned them.

You may also want to read his second book:

Lies Across America: What Our Historic Sites Get Wrong

[rac6]

Originally Posted by nana053

Dear Inkster,

The history that *you* were taught was not the *truth.* While certainly, white males were the founders, many minorities contributed to building this country.

You might want to read Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen

Amazon.com: Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong (9780684818863): James W. Loewen: Books

Lies My Teacher Told Me


All serious historians agree that the Confederates, not the Union, burned Richmond and many other Southern cities as they abandoned them.

You may also want to read his second book:

Lies Across America: What Our Historic Sites Get Wrong

The politically correct history that *you* were taught was not the *truth.*

I understand even the bible has to change to keep up with new discoveries, just like history books, but just because that specific author says it's true, doesn't make it so. I also understand that even if a fragment of what the author states is true with proof, readers would continue believing it all.

Truthfully, the only deep concern I have with history that far back is that countless people have died to give us something of our own, like every other country in the world was (now only a few, and the damage to the others is quite visible). The Bill of Rights was written to not allow the same mistakes to be made, which our government is going against anyway.


Forced diversity and Multiculturalism has failed in every country throughout history.You can't force someone or something to like another, but they are trying. White people are the only ones being forced to endure and accept others' culture on our own land (please don't get into the lies about stealing it from mexico or anything about barbarous indians), without assimilation, and they are even changing the rules=morals.

My entire point is, I am trying to get my family out of a house that I have been in since 40 years, which has had the racial makeup completely inverted, and obviously, so has the crime. There isn't even a white person in the city council to represent us. Lack of money is not a reason for these criminals as they have expensive cars, clothes, $150 shoes, loud sound systems. They not only allow their fatherless kids to run around starting trouble, they promote it. (guy next door had his 2 year old kids throw rocks at my truck).

40 years.... Can't say I didn't try.

[rac6]

Originally Posted by John23

I wonder, how it's even possible that only 12% of students are proficient in history.

-Now, if students were in school for 3 months. Or, if it was only students from military families. And those students moved to 6 different schools in 12 years, then maybe that's a legit explanation. Or, if there was very serious family trauma (mom or dad battling cancer). Maybe.

But these are suppose to be regular students who study. How can you spend so long in school, and learn so little?

-I don't think it's a coincidence that they started eliminating, or curtailing the studying of history, right before 2000 and the shenanigans of the 2000's decade. Bank bailout? CEO bailouts? Corruption, fraud on Wall St? TARP. Socialism for the rich. Privatizing profits and socializing losses?

Pretty easy to get all that through with no objections when 88% of highschool seniors don't know their history.

History nothing, kids around here graduate without knowing how to read and write... but they can play basketball!

Agreed, shrink the government and maybe our kids' kids' will have a chance at life.

We only live twice, somehow I'm on my third. Love and protect your family, there's a lot of people that would hurt you because of your values.

[Lola03]

As a student my parents help me out, of course i want to try and do things on my own im learning so when it comes to school some counselors are just out of hand treading kids rudely and we cant really do anything without getting in trouble. They should be building us up not putting us down. Honestly we get discouraged we need a group of more caring teachers and counselors who truly care and don't shout at us when we ask questions or seek help even if its for stupid things. Well that just my opinion on my experience as a lower income student. Don't you think since were lower income our escape is either school or the streets and when we don't have caring parents or parents that aren't involve as they should we look for something to do. So if school isn't going well, counselors are out of hand and teachers aren't as caring and all we hear is a no no no we have less incentives to finish i mean why finish school and get a job you don't like and end up like these prude teachers and counselors. Last option, in which we escape, is ignoring everything and rebelling. That is just my opinion on why some kids drop out or don't do as well as they should in shool. Partly from experience i feel as if im fighting for my ****ty education against prude people who don't like their job were just high school students were not the enemy. Were forced to have respect for them if there not showing us respect that's flat out wrong you want a better society help me accomplish it don't be another barrier i have to brake down. School and parent go hand in hand in some places and when the parent isn't there school is our last option, the school should have realized that, they have statistics, there school where i should be getting an education. Help me be better myself for the future generations. We have no hope without the support of the older generation if its school staff, parents or just another adult.

[rhawkins74]

Originally Posted by Jay100

You're the ignorant one and you've attacked for no reason. What do you mean people like me? Who am I? Where did I go to school? What year did I graduate? You must know all of those things since you're so "outraged." I'll just chalk it up to that fact that you have low self esteem.

Sorry, but way off base on the self esteem, and it was spelled out simply in my post as to what I meant as people like you. People that believe stereotypes that may apply to some, actually apply to the masses. I am not outraged at all, but I do believe that until people stop believing hype, there will be no way to start addressing many of the real problems.

You claimed that the reason that these schools perform so poorly is because of stereotype that you believe to be reality.

[green_mariner]

Reason inner city schools do poorly? It starts at home. If there are children who perform poorly, then it is because the parents often don't make sure the child is doing his or her job. It is also school issues as well. If a child is going through school without learning, then there is an issue at school. The teachers need to be making sure that the students are being taught what they need to know.

I heard somewhere that schools that perform poorly often get the most money, but something tells me that the money doesn't go to help the students in general. Something tells me that money gets wasted somewhere.

It isn't just parents. It isn't just teachers. It isn't just the schools. It isn't just the environment. It is all of these things. The parents, well, I don't think there is much one can do about whose parents they are born to. However, the easier solutions would be to get rid of the teachers who are not doing their job, to put money into fixing the school infrastructure to give the students what they need and to enforce safety in school. If a student has to worry about getting jumped in school, how will said student be able to learn without difficulty.

[nana053]

Originally Posted by rac6

The politically correct history that *you* were taught was not the *truth.*

I understand even the bible has to change to keep up with new discoveries, just like history books, but just because that specific author says it's true, doesn't make it so. I also understand that even if a fragment of what the author states is true with proof, readers would continue believing it all.

Truthfully, the only deep concern I have with history that far back is that countless people have died to give us something of our own, like every other country in the world was (now only a few, and the damage to the others is quite visible). The Bill of Rights was written to not allow the same mistakes to be made, which our government is going against anyway.


Forced diversity and Multiculturalism has failed in every country throughout history.You can't force someone or something to like another, but they are trying. White people are the only ones being forced to endure and accept others' culture on our own land (please don't get into the lies about stealing it from mexico or anything about barbarous indians), without assimilation, and they are even changing the rules=morals.

My entire point is, I am trying to get my family out of a house that I have been in since 40 years, which has had the racial makeup completely inverted, and obviously, so has the crime. There isn't even a white person in the city council to represent us. Lack of money is not a reason for these criminals as they have expensive cars, clothes, $150 shoes, loud sound systems. They not only allow their fatherless kids to run around starting trouble, they promote it. (guy next door had his 2 year old kids throw rocks at my truck).

40 years.... Can't say I didn't try.

I am 66 years old. I grew up before *multiculturalism* was even a word. My small town was about 1/4 Italian Catholic, 1/4 Irish Catholic, 1/3 Jewish with a smattering of blacks, no asians and no hispanics. Edited to add - I was brought up Roman Catholic and married a Russian Jew.

I was not forced to accept anything. I have friends of all ages, races, religions, etc. My dil is Hindu Indian. My former sil was a Bahai.

The Bill of Rights was written to protect those who were NOT in the majority.

Btw, my dad was discriminated against because he was an Italian. He was not considered *white* by a lot of ignorant folks. He never learned to speak Italian or to honor his heritage because back then it was not ok - schools beat kids who spoke other languages.

No one is trying to force you to *like* anyone. They are only trying to make sure that everyone has the same opportunities. Giving up your privilege is hard for you, but you did not earn that simply by being white.

[jasper12]

It is in the one I worked in...and I doubt things have changed much. Maybe Chicago is more progressive than the south.

[toobusytoday]

Closed for mod review.