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The sad fact of the matter is that NCLB has pitted communities against each other. There is a disappearing middle ground. NCLB has done more to create a two-tier educational system than any other educational initiative.
Just browse through any one of the states, cities on this forum and you will find numerous questions like, "Where can one live in _________ with great schools and safe neighborhoods?"
Realtors know this and often point to the state website for test scores. Not surprisingly there is a strong positive correlation between those communities with high test scores and high property values.
The middle-level community is the biggest loser. Since it contains a wider variety of income levels it is at greatest risk of losing federal funding as its test scores generally sit close to the mean. Prospective buyers of homes in that community who are concerned about education will look at the scores. Often these communities have negative trends as more people from lower income levels move in as compared to those from upper income levels naturally bringing down the average. This often leads to risks of losing federal and state funds resulting in a greater local property tax burden on the residents to fill the gap. The combination of these factors result in the upper-income residents leaving the middle-tier community for a better-performing one. They do this for a multitude of reasons such as avoid the risk of property value depreciation, perceived better educational opportunities for their children, safety, or a combination of these factors.
The urban areas have a multitude of problems associated with a large population of people with low income or no income other than welfare assistance. Gang violence, weapons, safety, apathy, drug use, teenage pregnancy, high drop out rates, etc., are all symptoms of a problem beyond education and educational opportunities. The fact of the matter is that we, as a country, are not willing to honestly discuss our societal/cultural problems. We give our tacit approval of perpetuating the problems as a society when we celebrate the gangster lifestyle in videos, on television, in music, etc. We are unwilling to discuss the problems of an illegitimate birth rate in excess of 70% in some communities and the multitude of life-long problems that places on the child. It is more than a financial situation, it is a huge hole in the child's life often due to the lack of a father or a father who is a poor role model.
The educational problems will not go away until the societal/cultural problems are addressed in an honest and meaningful manner.
Last edited by Lincolnian; 03-20-2010 at 05:52 AM..
\Just browse through any one of the states, cities on this forum and you will find numerous questions like, "Where can one live in _________ with great schools and safe neighborhoods?"
However this isn't anything new - white flight and middle income flight has occurred since at least the 1950s.
In some states there is more influence wielded by test scores due to NCLB.
However this isn't anything new - white flight and middle income flight has occurred since at least the 1950s.
In some states there is more influence wielded by test scores due to NCLB.
These school closures in the KCMO district are a GOOD thing and long needed. It may be the only way to save the district.
You'd have to understand that the KCMO school disctirct has been suffering for more than 30 years. Most of the problems were of its own making but a $2 Billion federal judgement for desegregaton only hastened the demise of the KCMO district.
The sad fact of the matter is that NCLB has pitted communities against each other. There is a disappearing middle ground. NCLB has done more to create a two-tier educational system than any other educational initiative.
Just browse through any one of the states, cities on this forum and you will find numerous questions like, "Where can one live in _________ with great schools and safe neighborhoods?"
Realtors know this and often point to the state website for test scores. Not surprisingly there is a strong positive correlation between those communities with high test scores and high property values.
The middle-level community is the biggest loser. Since it contains a wider variety of income levels it is at greatest risk of losing federal funding as its test scores generally sit close to the mean. Prospective buyers of homes in that community who are concerned about education will look at the scores. Often these communities have negative trends as more people from lower income levels move in as compared to those from upper income levels naturally bringing down the average. This often leads to risks of losing federal and state funds resulting in a greater local property tax burden on the residents to fill the gap. The combination of these factors result in the upper-income residents leaving the middle-tier community for a better-performing one. They do this for a multitude of reasons such as avoid the risk of property value depreciation, perceived better educational opportunities for their children, safety, or a combination of these factors.
The urban areas have a multitude of problems associated with a large population of people with low income or no income other than welfare assistance. Gang violence, weapons, safety, apathy, drug use, teenage pregnancy, high drop out rates, etc., are all symptoms of a problem beyond education and educational opportunities. The fact of the matter is that we, as a country, are not willing to honestly discuss our societal/cultural problems. We give our tacit approval of perpetuating the problems as a society when we celebrate the gangster lifestyle in videos, on television, in music, etc. We are unwilling to discuss the problems of an illegitimate birth rate in excess of 70% in some communities and the multitude of life-long problems that places on the child. It is more than a financial situation, it is a huge hole in the child's life often due to the lack of a father or a father who is a poor role model.
The educational problems will not go away until the societal/cultural problems are addressed in an honest and meaningful manner.
Yep -- if your community's not Lake Wobegon, expect to hear about it from your state as per the terms of NCLB.
Hey, there has to be some reason for demand in the economy of suburban sprawl, no matter how inane.
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