Why Philly has so many bad schools? (Philadelphia, York: school districts, move)

[bluewin888]

checking on redfin properties and its school ratings.
why all in 1 or 2 on the scale of 10?

[1ondoner]

Do you know of any major city with GOOD (high test scores) public schools?

Originally Posted by bluewin888

checking on redfin properties and its school ratings.
why all in 1 or 2 on the scale of 10?

[Patmcpsu]

For reference, here are the Niche Grades of a few inner-city school districts:

Philadelphia: C

New York City (there's 31 districts in total, here's a few):
District 1 (Lower East Side of Manhattan): A-
District 2 (Lower West Side of Manhattan + Midtown + Upper East Side): A-
District 3 (Upper West Side): A-
District 12 (Randomly chosen district in The Bronx): C-
District 17 (Randomly chosen district in Brooklyn): C-
District 28 (Randomly chosen district in Queens): B+
District 31 (Staten Island): A-

Washington DC: C+
Baltimore: C-
Chicago: C+
Detroit: C-
St. Louis: C-
Atlanta: C
Dallas: B
Houston: B-
Miami: B
Phoenix: C
San Diego: B+
Los Angeles: C+
San Francisco: B+
Seattle: B+

(Note that 90% of school districts on Niche are a C or above: About Niche's K-12 Rankings)

[Fireshaker]

Education quality tends to follow poverty. The poorer the area, the worse (typically) the schools, and vice versa. Philly not only has a lot of poverty, but also a reputation for bad schools, so even in "better" areas a lot of people opt for private or parochial options. Or they just move out altogether.

[Pine to Vine]

Why Philly has so many bad schools?

Originally Posted by bluewin888

checking on redfin properties and its school ratings.
why all in 1 or 2 on the scale of 10?

Why do I get the feeling your school scored low in grammar?

[Patmcpsu]

I agree with Fireshaker that money plays a major factor, as does the school's past-performance creating momentum for future performance (attracting/deterring not only students, but also teachers and administrators).

There are three other factors that I can think of that put inner-city schools at a disadvantage:

• Parent's situation - If the parents are better-educated, the kid will likely do better in school (having more of a "head start" as young children, better help with homework, casually being exposed to more information throughout childhood, having convenient internet access, general inspiration to be educated/successful).
• English as a second language (and improper english being used culturally) - Half of a student's academic performance is measured in their proficiency in reading/verbal/english skills. If the kid is ESL, they will probably learn basic english, but they're at a disadvantage when it comes to learning the "SAT words" that lots of native speakers don't even know. It is a fact that a disproportionate number of black and hispanic students fail at english proficiency on standardized tests.
• Bad influences - There are "bad kids" everywhere but if you are growing up in a poor inner-city area there's more potential to get caught-up in the wrong crowd and take school less seriously (if at all). This is especially true if you feel the system is rigged against you.

[mslhu]

Also, mismanagement at the highest levels, including the massive bureaucracy that is the school district and the awful oversight from the state, which had taken control of the district in the early 2000s and only recent gave up control back to the city.

Many schools in the city are physically crumbling as well. Can you imagine a Lower Merion parent having to accept that there is no heat in the school in the winter, nor air conditioning when it gets hot? How about no nurses or librarians? Lead paint flaking off the walls? No soap in the bathrooms? That's a reality for city kids, unfortunately.

There are a million factors in play that lead to such poor outcomes.

[AJNEOA]

Good schools and poverty are ALMOST completely linked. Chestnut Hill and Mount Airy are two examples where the schools should be better, but nearly everyone with money sends their children to private school. Jenks should be a top city school.

On the other end, it takes time to change a school once money arrives, assuming people invest in the school. There can be a delay for sure.

[1ondoner]

This does not apply to Asian immigrants. I think it's limited to Hispanics, they have disdain for English which is perplexing given their insistence on immigrating to the US

Originally Posted by Patmcpsu

[*]English as a second language (and improper english being used culturally) - Half of a student's academic performance is measured in their proficiency in reading/verbal/english skills. If the kid is ESL, they will probably learn basic english, but they're at a disadvantage when it comes to learning the "SAT words" that lots of native speakers don't even know. It is a fact that a disproportionate number of black and hispanic students fail at english proficiency on standardized tests.

[MB1562]

Originally Posted by 1ondoner

This does not apply to Asian immigrants. I think it's limited to Hispanics, they have disdain for English which is perplexing given their insistence on immigrating to the US

No, it definitely does apply to Asian immigrant children as well. You're also very wrong about Hispanics and their "disdain for English". I see it every day.