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I moved out of the city of Chicago because of the horrific public schools - some of the worst in the nation. With high failure rates, gangs, shootings, etc., many inner city schools are in a state of emergency. I recently read a proposal for the creation of Chicago public boarding schools:
I'm starting to think a network of publicly-funded city boarding schools may be a good idea. It would have high upfront/construction costs but in the long run could improve the educational level of future generations, improve the job force/industry, reduce gang/crime costs, reduce welfare costs, etc.
Many inner city kids think school is the safest place to be and would be happy to stay there longer (even live there). Many struggling city parents (who may be single, homeless, unemployed, with multiple kids, etc.) would welcome the idea of their child attending a boarding school that can offer them better safety and education.
I was wondering what other cities have tried this and what was the outcome? Do you support paying for city boarding schools? Why or why not?
Hmmm...interesting idea. I think you'd have an entirely different set of problems with boarding schools, especially if they were in the inner cities.
What specific types of problems? In the long run, I think there would be fewer problems if these struggling kids were moved into the safer, more educational environment of a boarding school. BTW, I think the schools would have to be single-sex (or at least the dorms would have to be).
I know this type of "institutionalizing" of kids sounds extreme, but I think these are desperate times for our failing city schools and we need an extreme measure.
Might not be a bad idea, if it is affordable (for the State). I used to think I was raising the children in my classroom, in addition to having the responsibility of teaching them. How much easier if they had positive influences 24/7. Being in a public boarding school, if done right, may even give the students a sense of pride in the school being 'theirs.'
I think the education systems across the US will need to be 'creative' if they are to make a difference in the lives of children, and educate them.
Thanks for sharing the article. Interesting indeed.
Well, frankly, I would tend to think that other people's bratty, troubled, or poorly raised kids would benefit from it, but I would never send my kid to a boarding school run by the government in a million years. Which I guess makes me sound like a Liberal...I think it's great for YOUR kid, but not good enough for MY kid.
Well, frankly, I would tend to think that other people's bratty, troubled, or poorly raised kids would benefit from it, but I would never send my kid to a boarding school run by the government in a million years. Which I guess makes me sound like a Liberal...I think it's great for YOUR kid, but not good enough for MY kid.
I wouldn't send my kids there either. I think govt. boarding schools should be for poor, troubled, inner city kids only. I also thought that made me sound like a Liberal (maybe I'm a "Liberal" in education matters only).
There are already plenty of expensive private boarding schools that meet the needs of upperclass families (I would never send my kids there either).
Well...having been a "victim" of boarding school, I have to say they have all the same problems as regular schools do, and on top of it all the kids are cooped up together 24/7 which adds to the frustration. And, are you going to let them go home on the weekends, or keep them at school? If they're kept at school, what are you going to do to keep them busy during non-school hours? Many other issues too, but boarding school really wouldn't solve much.
Well...having been a "victim" of boarding school, I have to say they have all the same problems as regular schools do, and on top of it all the kids are cooped up together 24/7 which adds to the frustration. And, are you going to let them go home on the weekends, or keep them at school? If they're kept at school, what are you going to do to keep them busy during non-school hours? Many other issues too, but boarding school really wouldn't solve much.
I have friends from very wealthy families that attended boarding schools and feel as you do. But I'm talking about a boarding school for the poor. A school for the lowest classes that are currently living in Chicago housing projects. The kids are getting shot at every day (check current news stories on the many recent shootings/deaths of Chicago school students.) These are the kids that would benefit from the boarding school - the kids that are currently living in a war zone and have little chance of escape from violence, drugs, gangs, prostitution, illiteracy, jail, early death, etc... I feel that removing them from this violent environment to a safe, boarding school would be a huge benefit for the kids and for society as a whole.
I don't have all the answers to your questions. That's why I posted this thread and want to hear ideas. I'm sure sports, clubs, homework, chores, etc. would keep kids busy after school. I bet if it were run more like a military academy there would be less problems. I have seen many troubled youth join the military and make a complete turn around. I know this sounds extreme but there are just too many neglected, abused kids out there that need the protection, academics and parenting that a boarding school could provide.
Take it from somebody who grew up in the inner-city.
The school, of course, would need high security and monitoring systems/personnel, high regulation, highly trained staff, and a smaller student:teacher ratio. Again, I would like more specifics as to why this would be such a bad idea. (I also grew up in a high-crime city area but I was still able to somehow get a good education - I think times have drastically changed)
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