American Education Isn't Mediocre, It's Deeply Unequal (county, public schools, teachers)

[tpk-nyc]

A fascinating artile from The Atlantic.

American Education Isn't Mediocre, It's Deeply Unequal - Julia Ryan - The Atlantic Cities

[zombocom]

Yep, and it's even more specific than the article mentions. Down to specific school districts (and even schools within districts).

[Cheektowaga_Chester]

One of the advantages of living in a free country is if you don't like your school/district/county/state you are free to move to one you do like.

[nana053]

Originally Posted by Cheektowaga_Chester

One of the advantages of living in a free country is if you don't like your school/district/county/state you are free to move to one you do like.

Unless you are poor, uneducated and not able to get a job elsewhere.

[lhpartridge]

And just tough luck for the child who has no parents or ones who simply don't care.

[jtab4994]

I think the article is saying that, in general, you are better off being rich than being poor.

Still, it's not all about the Benjamins, is it? Plenty of rich kids are bums and plenty of poor kids are successful later in life.

[HappyTexan]

In most cases it's not the teachers in the schools they are running away from or to..it's the other students in the school.

Behavior problems, drugs, crime, gangs.....all student centered and can make or break a school.

[AtlJan]

Yes, it is more difficult to get a good education if you are poor, but it does happen: Dr. Ben Carson, exhibit A. You can rise above your circumstances. We have public libraries, public schools. The bad schools have some good teachers. The success of the kids depends 100% on the moral character of the parents. The End. Look at some of the new Asian and Caribbean immigrants who come here with nothing--and their children thrive.

Yes, we can do more. Yes, we need more school choice, and to help each other. But the culture is broken more than the schools, if you ask me. The breakdown of the family is what has happened that has sunk our student achievement.

It boils my blood when leftist journalists critique America--and seem to give horrible, totalitarian nations a free pass.

[nybbler]

Well, many believe that equal distribution of misery is better than unequal distribution of wealth.

Personally I doubt anyone can get a good education _from_ the worst schools in America, though they might get a good education _in spite of_ attending such schools.

[dazzleman]

Originally Posted by AtlJan

Yes, it is more difficult to get a good education if you are poor, but it does happen: Dr. Ben Carson, exhibit A. You can rise above your circumstances. We have public libraries, public schools. The bad schools have some good teachers. The success of the kids depends 100% on the moral character of the parents. The End. Look at some of the new Asian and Caribbean immigrants who come here with nothing--and their children thrive.

Yes, we can do more. Yes, we need more school choice, and to help each other. But the culture is broken more than the schools, if you ask me. The breakdown of the family is what has happened that has sunk our student achievement.

It boils my blood when leftist journalists critique America--and seem to give horrible, totalitarian nations a free pass.

I agree with you. Bad schools are a reflection of a broken culture and bad parenting in most cases.

It's not within our power to superimpose good schools on broken and dysfunctional communities. The best we can do is offer students and parents who are interested in education an alternative.