Upper West Siders appalled at the idea of diversity in their children’s schools (New York: real estate, 2015)
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Plan calls for setting aside 25% of the school spots to be filled by underperforming students.
Unless it is shown that the underperforming students become significantly better after being in these particular schools, then this is just another bad idea that fails to address the actual problem. But if that were the issue, then the strategy should be to increase funding for the underperforming schools and import the teaching methods and structure from the better schools so that a greater number of poor kids would become top students rather than the tiny number who would fill the 1/4 of seats at an elite UWS school.
This is an ultimately useless, purely symbolic move that does nothing for underprivileged kids and fail to address and fix the real issues behind academic underperformance in certain communities. Issues that are predominately about nuances of parenting and culture.
Suppose same could be said of "affordable housing schemes", which forces developers to set aside spaces for low to moderate income households. If such persons had done better in life they wouldn't need subsidies for housing, but there you are then.
Having learned from their mistakes in past the new word in liberal/democratic circles is "inclusion". Current mayor and city council have devoted themselves entirely to that subject; pushing, forcing, proposing or whatever it takes to get low or moderate income (usually but not always code for minorities) into places they otherwise would not have access.
This comes in response to past civil rights actions where areas were forced to accept minorities or whatever. Whites and or anyone else with money or sense packed up and moved; thus what had been a "high achieving" or some such area in a decade or so became just another ghetto or slum.
So now you've got these low quotas (affordable housing, public schools, etc...) that aren't enough to tip an area or place totally one way; but enough representation to say the "disadvantaged" are getting their taste.
It's a bit shocking that there aren't more kids of color in those schools. Walking on the UWS, you see plenty of black and brown people along the main avenues, and they can't all be hired help. You confirmed in another thread that UWS has a lot of homeless shelters. Surely some of the homeless are kids too. Then there are the affordable housing buildings.
Brandeis HS was a historically bad UWS school, I don't know the demographics though. bluedog may know.
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"The man who sleeps on the floor, can never fall out of bed." -Martin Lawrence
This comes in response to past civil rights actions where areas were forced to accept minorities or whatever. Whites and or anyone else with money or sense packed up and moved; thus what had been a "high achieving" or some such area in a decade or so became just another ghetto or slum.
Manhattan is block by block in terms of what is ghetto and what is wealthy area. If you look at school district zoning lines it becomes very obvious that projects kids have been excluded and isolated to schools that are kept separate from the rest of the community. What is going on in the UWS is for the project kids in Amsterdam to be spread across the local neighborhood schools.
I went to JHS and HS on the UWS, I avoided walking by Brandeis. UWS was still a little hood in some parts in the 1990s. Broadway, Riverside and CPW were good, Columbus and Amsterdam a lil sketchy in parts.
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"The man who sleeps on the floor, can never fall out of bed." -Martin Lawrence
I went to JHS and HS on the UWS, I avoided walking by Brandeis. UWS was still a little hood in some parts in the 1990s. Broadway, Riverside and CPW were good, Columbus and Amsterdam a lil sketchy in parts.
I went to JHS and HS on the UWS, I avoided walking by Brandeis. UWS was still a little hood in some parts in the 1990s. Broadway, Riverside and CPW were good, Columbus and Amsterdam a lil sketchy in parts.
But that is the UWS all over; and one reason why those on UES have always felt superior.
Everything on UWS is a block by block thing. You can have a few good streets or even buildings then find you are right up against "the hood".
Quite frankly feel much of Chelsea is same, especially from 8th to 11th avenues from 14th north to 34th.
Yes, those lovely brownstone and old blocks are nice; but you've got far too many sketchy and or suspect persons around there day and night for my comfort.
Just last night was hanging out with friends and we decided to walk from 9th and 18th up to 33rd street for the Q train back to UES. This was at 11:30PM and couldn't believe what was out on 8th avenue; especially as you pass 23rd street going towards FIT/across from Penn South.
But that is the UWS all over; and one reason why those on UES have always felt superior.
Everything on UWS is a block by block thing. You can have a few good streets or even buildings then find you are right up against "the hood".
Quite frankly feel much of Chelsea is same, especially from 8th to 11th avenues from 14th north to 34th.
Yes, those lovely brownstone and old blocks are nice; but you've got far too many sketchy and or suspect persons around there day and night for my comfort.
Just last night was hanging out with friends and we decided to walk from 9th and 18th up to 33rd street for the Q train back to UES. This was at 11:30PM and couldn't believe what was out on 8th avenue; especially as you pass 23rd street going towards FIT/across from Penn South.
Eighth Avenue sucks from 42nd Street to 14th. If I ever feel like experiencing "Ye Olde Manhattan" I'll go to 34th Street.
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"The man who sleeps on the floor, can never fall out of bed." -Martin Lawrence
aka White Neo-Liberals aka Hillary Clinton donors.
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