What Is Chicago Missing? What Would You Do To Improve it? (Addison: ski resort, 2014)

[NealIRC]

To fix the Chicago Public Schools?

1 solution is to increase up the intelligence of the teachers. Is that what it is?

Or is this any, what can we do to help the Black students from keep up with the White students, kind of thing?

You can't have a world where everybody has a PhD. Sorry, Emanuel. You can't have a world where everybody has a Master's degree.

So I think fixing the public schools is also a moral issue. Why must it be the government's job to offer the best education possible?

Dumb people stay dumb and there's not much that can be done about it.

[JTW2013]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

How would you change this though?

Luckily the OP didn't ask "how" because the "how" is the hard part.

If the goal is keeping middle class families in the city then there need to be more selective enrollment schools on the North and Northwest sides. Build more gifted and classical schools on the North Side. Many middle class families would stay in the City if they had assurance that they would have access to a school like Decatur for their children.

However, I know that's not politically feasible because our leaders could never admit that they were giving more opportunities to middle class (and white, let's admit it) children. Even though the entire district would benefit from more middle class children in the mix.

ETA, I want to be clear that I didn't advocate "fixing" the schools but instead making CPS and the City a more attractive option for middle class families because IMHO middle class families are what the city needs. Every other kid in the district would benefit from more middle class kids being in the district even if the money is not directly flowing into their schools.

[NealIRC]

By the way, dumb students have dumb parents.

Asian parents can take their kids to the public schools, mixed with the other races, and if the Asian students perform better than everyone else, it's really not due to the schools and teachers, but the parents.

Think about it.

If Jewish parents had their kids raised in the Chicago Public Schools (which certainly saves them some $$), those Jewish kids will still turn out smarter than everyone else.

Dumb kids are caused by dumb parents.

[steeps]

Originally Posted by NealIRC

By the way, dumb students have dumb parents.

Asian parents can take their kids to the public schools, mixed with the other races, and if the Asian students perform better than everyone else, it's really not due to the schools and teachers, but the parents.

Think about it.

If Jewish parents had their kids raised in the Chicago Public Schools (which certainly saves them some $$), those Jewish kids will still turn out smarter than everyone else.

Dumb kids are caused by dumb parents.

WOW. Guess dumb parents could never have a genius offspring? Or a mentally challenged parent have one without them? You posted in another post saying others were trolling in another thread? But your post here..some might see it as such here? Don't know??? Just sayin ..

But for my comment on topic? I will say I'd give it the best public schools as my wish for it.

[NealIRC]

Originally Posted by steeps

WOW. Guess dumb parents could never have a genius offspring? Or a mentally challenged parent have one without them? You posted in another post saying others were trolling in another thread? But your post here..some might see it as such here? Don't know??? Just sayin ..

But for my comment on topic? I will say I'd give it the best public schools as my wish for it.

But that's the problem in your post, the "could never" interpretation.

But that's just how some minds interpret it.

[pvande55]

Originally Posted by MassVt

Chicago has plenty of sports/cultural diversions, so nothing there..

Maybe a connector between the Blue Line and the Red Line, or more publicizing of the bus line that connects them; otherwise, you have to go all the way downtown, and then reverse course..

How about a Circle line? Tie in with Belmont junction on the red/brown, out to Western, tie in with stations on Metra BNSF and Milwaukee, east to McCormick Place.

Schools: allow them to split up. The school district is huge and unwieldy. Perhaps some city school districts would be as good as highly rated suburban schools. Sure, some would be bottom of the barrel, but they wouldn't drag down the rest.

[Bluefox]

I'd love it if Chicago had more European-style plazas. But I don't know how that would happen.

[UnderTheLiveOaks]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

Do you think money will "fix" schools?

Nope. Never said it would.

[steeps]

Originally Posted by NealIRC

But that's the problem in your post, the "could never" interpretation.

But that's just how some minds interpret it.

I was not agreeing with you sorry. In part only? Bad parents surely do not help nor bad gene mix? But there is more to success then the best start and best parents?? There is ones own drive, attitude and desire for success. Education still is a key roll? That has successful people come from even the worst homes and circumstances when young?

[Wendy013]

My fix would be to reform the financial health of the city. Fully fund pensions and convert to 401K plus social security going forward. (We're dreaming, right?) Balance the budget(s) long term. Build up a rainy day fund.

As for the discussion about schools, we need to open a lot more more small and medium "high schools of choice." We especially need them to accept all students, not just the best of the best (selective enrollment) or average and above (magnet). Get to the point where everybody has a choice, and we can start phasing out the neighborhood schools that nobody wants to go to.