Gentrification in the loop has been for long enough one would think it would be reflected through improved schools (Houston: low income, apartments)

[AnonForThis]

But the word on the street is that the schools are 2nd class and that private school or highly selective magnets are the only reasonable option.

It amazes me someone can spend $500-600k on a house and pay $5-6k per year in school tax only to not use it. I'd assume these folks would be screaming for vouchers. But I get the impression these folks have no ties to Texas other than their current job but this is a whole other subject.

Is there any data out there that shows school performance over the years? Some parts that still have bad schools have been gentrifying for what seems like several years, perhaps since 2000... and I'm wondering if the schools have followed suit. Because 13 years = 1 full generation for compulsory schooling.

[testmo]

I live in a formerly nice area (1950s-1970s), hit by the 80s bust, turned ghetto until late 90s and is now fully gentrified minus some apartments and old residents trying to hang on. the elementary and one of the middle schools are much improved. it takes a lot more work and time to improve a high school. for me paying the taxes and not using the schools isnt a big deal. the area and commute is worth it and i have money. it is the same argument for people who dont have kids yet they pay tax as well.

i have ties to houston as i have been here since 1992 and my folks retired here. im definitely not a recent transplant.

you can look down on your community schools and still be up in arms against the voucher idea. it is hard not to see how that'd destroy what public community schools are left in the city. i believe in community schools. i can see them continuing to improve

a lot of other inner loop and near loop public schools have improved as well. some folks have a problem with some poor kids or children of color attending schools thinking that means it's bad. i always get the suspicion that is what people are referring to when they compare suburban schools to HISD. dangerous to do because some HISD schools are the best schools in the Houston area and there are a whole lot of poor folks in the suburbs. ill take my zoned high school over Spring, Humble, or some of the Cypress and Klein schools any day of the week, and I'd never live in any of the far suburbs

google school names and you will find their page and school profile with the TEA rating for the schools over the years and test scores. that is not a perfect tell in how a school is actually doing, but some people care more about this than actually being involved

[War Beagle]

That's just more proof that more money doesn't equal better schools. There are more tax dollars going into the schools now, but the results haven't improved because the gentrifiers send their kids to private schools. In other words, the same kids who were underachieving before the arrival of the gentrification tax dollars are still underachieving after the additional funds appear.

[Tassy001]

I have been in Houston all of my life, I grew up(70's and early 80's) in Glenbrook Valley. I never went to a public school. All 3 of us went to private schools due to the schools we were zoned to.

[marksmu]

The problem is that even though lots of areas have been gentrifying, they are all still HISD. What does HISD do? They see a particular school excelling primarily due to positive demographic changes, and they start funneling some more of the low income kids into that school. If the school has space, anyone from HISD can just transfer into that school. A rising tide floats all boats right? To an extent yes...the problem however is that the lower income parents, primarily due to CULTURAL differences do not put the same emphasis on school as their higher income counterparts. The result is that these kids are a distraction and the school overall fails to improve. Magnet schools tend to do well because you have to apply to get into them. Its a difficult/confusing process so those attending those schools have parents that care.

There is no substitute for parental involvement. I dont care what color, religion, country, etc you are or are from....If parents dont care or push, with few exceptions the child will not care or push to succeed either.

[key2thecity]

Sending your children to better schools is not an option only reserved for the rich. I grew up in the inner city and as much as I adore my old neighborhood, I couldn't afford to move back when I was in the market for a house because it is going through the gentrification process. Anyway, my old neighborhood was rather tough as a kid. I attended my zoned elementary school but my mother "bussed" me to better schools in richer areas for middle and high school. People should not assume that it is only the rich that want better schools for their children (not directed at you OP).

Schools are not successful because of the amount of tax dollars pumped into them. Schools are successful because of the community that they're in. If the community does not want to be involved with the school for various reasons, including but not limited to, all the poor and/or brown people are not out of the community yet, then the school will continue to suffer. Racism and classism is real - people need to realize it and find a way to overcome it (notice I didn't say "eradicate it" because that will never happen). If the same people moving into the community would provide the same support (PTO and otherwise), donations, and effort that they put into their private schools then the schools would succeed.

Case in point, a few years ago I lived in a neighborhood that many would frown upon, but hey, it's what I could afford at the time. My daughter entered Kindergarten and even I was a little snotty about the area, school, and possible classmates that she would be attending with. I was working poor but still a bit stuck up regarding my community. However, her school was rated Exemplary and I soon found out why. The principal, teachers, and community worked very hard to make that school successful. The PTO was large and strong. It was hard to volunteer for anything because they would have too many volunteers. They had more field trips and community activities at that school than they do in her Exemplary suburban school. The other nearby elementary schools were no where near this school's level. The middle school and the high school were rated poorly. However, that one school glowed in that neighborhood like no other because the community was involved.

No matter how much money may seem to be available in an area, someone - the principal, teachers, parents, kids, the entire community - needs to care. Well-to-do people moving to these areas do not care. They moved for convenience. They're tired of commuting. They want to be IN the city. The list goes on. But rarely on that list do they move to build up the community, let alone the schools. Obviously the people already there have given up on said school or it wouldn't be in the condition that it's in. But just think of what could be accomplished when educated, successful people come in to organize and turnaround the school. However, most won't do that because of classism, racism, and a overall lack of caring.

[key2thecity]

Originally Posted by marksmu

A rising tide floats all boats right? To an extent yes...the problem however is that the lower income parents, primarily due to CULTURAL differences do not put the same emphasis on school as their higher income counterparts.

I have to ask... what CULTURE does not put emphasis on school? What difference does income make? I find that argument dumb every time I hear it. Money does not equal intelligence but it does pay for opportunity. And I know of no culture, especially in a metropolitan city like Houston, that does not consider education important.

[Tassy001]

Originally Posted by key2thecity

I have to ask... what CULTURE does not put emphasis on school? What difference does income make? I find that argument dumb every time I hear it. Money does not equal intelligence but it does pay for opportunity. And I know of no culture, especially in a metropolitan city like Houston, that does not consider education important.

What rock are you living under? A culture full of drug abuse and gangs will NOT put an emphasis on schools. There are ALOT of communities in Houston that are over-ridden with drugs and gangs.

[War Beagle]

Originally Posted by key2thecity

I have to ask... what CULTURE does not put emphasis on school? What difference does income make? I find that argument dumb every time I hear it. Money does not equal intelligence but it does pay for opportunity. And I know of no culture, especially in a metropolitan city like Houston, that does not consider education important.

Being smart and having money are not always interchangeable, but let's be honest here: smart people are likely to make more money and less intelligent people are more likely to be poor. Also, intelligent people are also more likely to marry and procreate with other bright people whereas the same is true for dumb people.

We live in a knowledge-based economy. That being the case, a lack of intellectual capability is going to make it much more difficult to earn a high income.

[txdemo]

Originally Posted by marksmu

The problem is that even though lots of areas have been gentrifying, they are all still HISD. What does HISD do? They see a particular school excelling primarily due to positive demographic changes, and they start funneling some more of the low income kids into that school. If the school has space, anyone from HISD can just transfer into that school. A rising tide floats all boats right? To an extent yes...the problem however is that the lower income parents, primarily due to CULTURAL differences do not put the same emphasis on school as their higher income counterparts. The result is that these kids are a distraction and the school overall fails to improve. Magnet schools tend to do well because you have to apply to get into them. Its a difficult/confusing process so those attending those schools have parents that care.

There is no substitute for parental involvement. I dont care what color, religion, country, etc you are or are from....If parents dont care or push, with few exceptions the child will not care or push to succeed either.

Everyone knows that low income kids are a distraction. That's why none of them ever become teachers, doctors, lawyers or President of the United States. It's really the rich kids (and especially their incredible focused parents) that make America great. Poor kids really need to stick to cleaning up after the rich kids.