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Pawtucket is a lower income urban community and its school system reflects the challenges of being such a place in today's society. It is not much different than other urban areas.
"“We need to ask ourselves ‘Why are our schools unsafe?’“Having kids packed into an underfunded school leads to tensions that leads to beefs that lead to escalation,” continued the activist.
This struck me as true. When I first went to Tolman after the incidents took place, I encountered students who were plainly nervous about the violence that that had occurred. They felt that the violence would continue, and continue to escalate. According to these students, the tensions surrounding the arrests, subsequent protests and further arrests had lead to tensions growing between various gangs in Pawtucket and nearby cities. The police, always to be avoided, were seen as extra nervous and vigilant."
Again, you are speaking from what experience with Pawtucket schools?
Quote:
Originally Posted by massnative71
Considering that you have zero experience with Pawtucket high schools, you need not worry about my experience. Your little calculus story, exposed your naivety regarding inner city schools.
That's a bit harsh, massnative, but I don't disagree. The challenges associated with attending a public high school in a low income urban area are being overlooked.
Considering that you have zero experience with Pawtucket high schools, you need not worry about my experience. Your little calculus story, exposed your naivety regarding inner city schools.
I think the current experiences of my own children and children of friends and neighbors is far more relevant than my own experiences decades ago would be.
"“We need to ask ourselves ‘Why are our schools unsafe?’“Having kids packed into an underfunded school leads to tensions that leads to beefs that lead to escalation,” continued the activist.
This struck me as true. When I first went to Tolman after the incidents took place, I encountered students who were plainly nervous about the violence that that had occurred. They felt that the violence would continue, and continue to escalate. According to these students, the tensions surrounding the arrests, subsequent protests and further arrests had lead to tensions growing between various gangs in Pawtucket and nearby cities. The police, always to be avoided, were seen as extra nervous and vigilant."
The website is down, so I can't read the whole article. From the snippet you posted, I'm guessing it's about the SRO who took down a student a few years ago. It says "they felt the violence would continue, and continue to escalate." Has it? Not from what I have seen, heard, or read, but the presence of SROs can definitely lead to increased tension, especially if they walk in with the preconceived notion that all students of color and gang members or criminals. From what I understand, the mayor made sure there were some changes after that incident. My son will be at Tolman next year, though, so I'll get back to you .
This thread has gone completely off the rails from the original topic with some choosing to instead make it into a bashing of the Pawtucket school system. Pawtucket is a lower income urban community and its school system reflects the challenges of being such a place in today's society. It is not much different than other urban areas.
I will however share my own personal experience as my family has both attended and worked in this system. Myself and all of my siblings and some of their children actually graduated from Tolman High School from 1971-2019. The youngest member is currently working on a bachelors. All nine other family members attended a four year college and all but one minimally got a bachelors degree. Combined we have degrees from Syracuse University, Columbia University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, URI, RIC, and Emmanuel College. We all did fine by Pawtucket schools, even those that attended in the last decade.
Sorry, I didn't intend to make this about Pawtucket specifically; I just wanted to take massnative's original point about the relationship of socioeconomic diversity to school averages and rankings a step further. I appreciate your sharing your own experiences with Pawtucket schools.
The website is down, so I can't read the whole article.
I found a cached copy, and I was correct, it was about the incident with the SRO. It was 2015. The "violence" in the title, which the students were afraid was going to continue and escalate, was police violence against students. As I said, the mayor has since taken corrective action.
That's a bit harsh, massnative, but I don't disagree. The challenges associated with attending a public high school in a low income urban area are being overlooked.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mp775
Sorry, I didn't intend to make this about Pawtucket specifically; I just wanted to take massnative's original point about the relationship of socioeconomic diversity to school averages and rankings a step further. I appreciate your sharing your own experiences with Pawtucket schools.
And I'm trying to put a lid on some very irresponsible statements being plastered all over this site. I understand the need to be a "homer", but masking reality is unneeded here. The fact is that Pawtucket schools have a gang problem and severe dysfunction to be expected in an urban system. Along with Providence, Central Falls and Woonsocket, they are the worst performing in the state.
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