Seriously is THIS the way it is here? (middle-class, apartments)

[Moth]

We need to create a basic culture shift if we want to improve DC education, and for that, we need to target more adults. (BTW, I volunteer tutor for low income students, and I can promise you that the parents of these kids care VERY DEEPLY about their children’s futures, but even they sometimes say that they are in the minority.)

A tall order to say the least. Culture, by its nature, is not static and thus can change, whether for the better or the worse. But it takes time and I am not sure it can come from without. You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink.

[Wantingtostartover]

In my opinion I'd say take a self defense class to make sure you are able to defend yourself if you are feeling a little uneasy.......i've been to DC plenty of times and luckily I haven't had one bad experience there yet.......I hear a lot of good things about surrounding areas of DC like Silver Spring, Burtonsville, Columbia which are nicer areas where there maybe less crime or more of a safer environment vs NE DC but I really can't say I blame you for being paranoid....That's probably normal...........Good luck in your new neighborhood.........I hope it gets better for you......Just be on your guard at all times

[EasternMkt]

Originally Posted by Moth

You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink.

True, but you can make him thirsty, thereby increasing the odds that he'll want a drink. Consider this: corporations have used advertising to create demand for their products (do we really need a $200 pair of sneakers?); perhaps governments should look at co-opting these tactics for civil uses. Of course, parents may want to see DCPS has made a concerted effort to get its house in order BEFORE they sign on to an "education is good" campaign. Fixing DCPS may require a multi-prong approach.

[newtodc0408]

I cant catch a break guys!

We are out walking the dog, and we get approached the friendliest couple I have encountered since being here. The guy bent down to pet my dog, and he said he needed to do this after the day he had, he procedes to show us (me and my boyfriend) a newly newly cut 5 inch gash on his head from a brick that was hit there today in broad daylight! The guy came up behind him and hit him in the head and robbed him of his money, and food he was bringing home for his fiance and also her heart medication, two women found and the doctoer told him he woulda surely bled out if they didnt.... he told us the metro cops told him to stay away from the municpal building by union station..... and that crime in the hill has gotten worse again and two other women have been hit by the same guy. And that seeing my dog brightened up his day. That almost made me cry......

WTF!!!!!!???? WHY?

And most people tell me to move, screw that, I shouldnt have to move! I was building up confidence here to only get shot down again. I need to go to union station everyday, this crap is rediculous. Im sorry but it is. This city has done nothing but reinforce my fear of it.

I am pissed, I am tired of people making excuses for robberies. Its a load of utter crap. Government keeping people down and all that garbage. Its garbage I'll say it again GARBAGE! I should never have to fear where I dwell. Nobody should EVER. And as far as metro cops go.... they are doing their best. But you see they are OUTNUMBERED! There are more criminals then there are police. They are doing their job!!!!!! They are doing the best they can. And people who dump on the police remember this..... when its YOUR FAMILY, or YOU.......who are you gonna trust to help you?????

Ive had enough....

[Moth]

Originally Posted by EasternMkt

True, but you can make him thirsty, thereby increasing the odds that he'll want a drink. Consider this: corporations have used advertising to create demand for their products (do we really need a $200 pair of sneakers?); perhaps governments should look at co-opting these tactics for civil uses. Of course, parents may want to see DCPS has made a concerted effort to get its house in order BEFORE they sign on to an "education is good" campaign. Fixing DCPS may require a multi-prong approach.

Regrettably, I am unable to agree. My experience in the DCPS taught me otherwise. These folks live in a dystopia- shattered families, reckless finances and a complete and utter disdain for education which prohibits intellectual development as well as the obtainment of job skills.

The schools are not doing it to them and are thus not responsible. They are doing it to themselves. The schools did not make them this way. They made the schools that way. They, and only they, can stop it.

[vanyali]

Originally Posted by newtodc0408

And most people tell me to move, screw that, I shouldnt have to move! I was building up confidence here to only get shot down again. I need to go to union station everyday, this crap is rediculous. Im sorry but it is. This city has done nothing but reinforce my fear of it.

Live in Baghdad, risk getting your head cut off. Live in the wrong part of DC, risk getting mugged. That's just how it is. It shouldn't be like that, but what can you do other than put up with it or move?

That was a truly horrible story, and I feel very sorry for that guy. He should move too, and probably will.

I was looking at a map of property crimes, or maybe it was just burglaries, published on the Washington Post website the other day, and I'll be damned if there didn't seem to be more burglaries on the map around Mt Pleasant in NW than in any particular neighborhood in SE. I almost moved there. Who would have thought? DC is definitely an odd place where anything can happen.

On the other hand, stuff just happens no matter where you are. My mother in law was driving through the Virginia suburbs a while ago (long while ago now that I think about it) on her way to DC (going to give a presentation to a class I was taking at AU) and someone out of the blue, for no apparent reason whatsoever, threw a brick through the window of her car. Luckily it landed in the back. If it had gone through her window, it could have killed her. Bam. Dead. But what can you do?

Here's a link to that map from the Washington Post:

Mapping Property Crimes - washingtonpost.com

[vanyali]

Originally Posted by Moth

Regrettably, I am unable to agree. My experience in the DCPS taught me otherwise. These folks live in a dystopia- shattered families, reckless finances and a complete and utter disdain for education which prohibits intellectual development as well as the obtainment of job skills.

The schools are not doing it to them and are thus not responsible. They are doing it to themselves. The schools did not make them this way. They made the schools that way. They, and only they, can stop it.

The way the suburban schools deal with this sort of thing is through "tracking" -- basically separating the "teachable" kids from the "unteachable" ones, and creating whole separate classes for the two (or more) groups that they separate the kids into. Doesn't do much for the kids at the bottom, but it keeps the parents of the rest of the kids happy enough to maintain the status quo.

I got low-tracked in math in middle-school one year, and it was horrible. We did nothing, we learned nothing, we were all painfully bored, and then the teacher quit after some girl punched her in the hallway. Luckily, I managed to test into the highest-tracked math class the next year and get into Jefferson for High School, so getting low-tracked didn't "ruin" me or anything. As long as the kids are given opportunities to pull themselves out of the bad tracks if they can and want to, it's better than just giving up on all the kids in the school, or all the kids in the city.

[Moth]

Originally Posted by vanyali

The way the suburban schools deal with this sort of thing is through "tracking" -- basically separating the "teachable" kids from the "unteachable" ones, and creating whole separate classes for the two (or more) groups that they separate the kids into. Doesn't do much for the kids at the bottom, but it keeps the parents of the rest of the kids happy enough to maintain the status quo.

I got low-tracked in math in middle-school one year, and it was horrible. We did nothing, we learned nothing, we were all painfully bored, and then the teacher quit after some girl punched her in the hallway. Luckily, I managed to test into the highest-tracked math class the next year and get into Jefferson for High School, so getting low-tracked didn't "ruin" me or anything. As long as the kids are given opportunities to pull themselves out of the bad tracks if they can and want to, it's better than just giving up on all the kids in the school, or all the kids in the city.

Pat Moynihan said it and George Will paraphrases today in his column. Schools cannot compensate for the disintegration of familes and hence communities. Schools are a function of the communities they serve, not how much money is spent. There is no way around that. These kids are not victims. They are their own worst enemies. They are self-destruction personified.

You speak of giving them opportunities. What exactly do you think a public school system is? It is the opportunity to receive a (nominally) free education.

Did you attend DC Public?

[vanyali]

No, I attended suburban schools in NOVA, which is why I can provide insight into how suburban schools handle kids of different abilities. I lived down Rt 1, back when Rt 1 was full of trailer parks, cheap apartments and SRO's. Now Rt 1 is full of overpriced town houses, cheap apartments and a big WalMart.

[Moth]

Originally Posted by vanyali

No, I attended suburban schools in NOVA, which is why I can provide insight into how suburban schools handle kids of different abilities. I lived down Rt 1, back when Rt 1 was full of trailer parks, cheap apartments and SRO's. Now Rt 1 is full of overpriced town houses, cheap apartments and a big WalMart.

Then, and with all due respect, I doubt you would have much first-hand knowledge of what I am talking about. I suppose we must agree to disagree. I will simply leave you with one thought. Were it all about money and resources, the problem would have been fixed and we would not be having this discussion. Its not. Its culture, outlook and attitude.