SA most segregated city by income in US (San Antonio, Converse: middle-class, section 8)

[sapphire]

Originally Posted by Merovee

Obviously just telling them isn't working and it is hurting us all. Any other bright ideas or is Houston all out of em too?

Dallas, but thanks for playing.

[Torpedos]

Originally Posted by elmariachi

Having grown up dirt poor in the west side of SA I have mixed feelings about this. For one, I do not want to expose my son to the type of people who overwhelmingly reside in the poorer parts of town because of the ignorance and lack of respect they display. However, I do not want him to grow up as a privileged snob with ignorance of the type of place he came from and the importance that having grown up in such a place has played in my life. We are by no means rich, we are however, both college educated with multiple degrees and live very comfortably.

well said mariachi. The poor areas of town are filthy, it is their own fault it is filthy. The crime in higher in that area. I also was very poor but worked smart and go out of that lifestyle.

[mojosalsa]

Moderator cut: orphaned

I am one of those that was lucky enough to make good. I've made it to "middle class" by San Antonio standards. I make more than my tight group of friends, and am not in debt. But I am by no means "safe". If something should happen to my job, or my health, or my loved ones health, the floor would start to crumble quick. (And I consider myself financially responsible, but you can only do so much with what you have.)

Yes, everyone is a result of the choices they've made. I was pushed by my parents to do well in school. My cousins were not. I was pushed by my parents to realize my self worth, and not be like my cousins and equate it to having a cute boyfriend and being out all night. With that foundation I pushed to get a scholarship to college, and ended up with two degrees and common sense enough to not end up broke and pregnant and "that Mexican girl".

But if fate sees to have something happen to the hospital I work for, things won't be so shiny and happy for me. Entiendes Mendez? Sometimes it doesn't matter how hard you push, how hard you work. Life happens.

And I still have much love for the southeast and south sides. My family is there. The food's better too

[elmariachi]

Unfortunately, no amount of money will ever change a school or district with horrible parental involvement into a good place. I too am of the opinion that parental involvement is the primary reason a student does not do well. Sure, there may be a student here or there that can achieve without the involvement of his or her parents, however, these children are very exceptional. For the average student, parental involvement is paramount to their success, especially in the poorer parts of town.

[Montirob]

The biggest problem (as I see it), is that it appears that any kind of diversity is becoming a rarity. For example, when I went to Marshall High "back in the day" of the 1980's, it was incredibly diverse. We had poor kids, we had rich kids, we had middle class kids - a mixed income community. We had kids who had just moved to SA from other states and we had kids with the same last names as their streets (Tezel, Poss, etc.). City kids went to school with kids living on ranches in Bandera and Medina counties. Now, it appears that schools are losing any sort of that diversity - the rich kids go here, the poor kids go there, and the middle class kids go... I don't know where because their ranks are getting smaller.

Yes, there were poor and rich schools back then, but they seemed to be fewer as a percentage. Most of the schools in SA could be considered "middle class", including Jay, Holmes, McCollum, Southwest, Highlands, etc. There wasn't the huge difference between schools that I see today - each school drew from multiple income brackets. Maybe this diversity has just moved outward to Schertz and Medina Valley, I don't know. My point is that the percentage of "middle class", mixed income schools seem to have decreased.

It's not just a "poor vs. rich" argument - the middle class also loses.

[Montirob]

Originally Posted by elmariachi

Unfortunately, no amount of money will ever change a school or district with horrible parental involvement into a good place. I too am of the opinion that parental involvement is the primary reason a student does not do well. Sure, there may be a student here or there that can achieve without the involvement of his or her parents, however, these children are very exceptional. For the average student, parental involvement is paramount to their success, especially in the poorer parts of town.

I'll agree, but exposure (to a better environment, to better habits, to different ideas) is also necessary.

I'm not saying "give a poor family a house in the Dominion", but intentionally concentrating the poor in one area (through subsidized apartments) doesn't work either. I'll admit that 15 years ago I didn't think this way.

Yes, parental involvement is THE key, but we also HAVE to get rid of a few of the dysfunctional school boards in SA. If these school boards really cared about their students rather than enriching themselves through $ or power, the schools would improve and parents would not feel they have to flee to the northern districts.

[skeet09]

Originally Posted by Montirob

I'll agree, but exposure (to a better environment, to better habits, to different ideas) is also necessary.

Yes, parental involvement is THE key, but we also HAVE to get rid of a few of the dysfunctional school boards in SA. If these school boards really cared about their students rather than enriching themselves through $ or power, the schools would improve and parents would not feel they have to flee to the northern districts.

I remember watching this great documentary with at risk students in Los Angeles. They lived in East LA and had never been to the beach which was a few miles away. Things like that are very impressionable to a child. Seeing other types of people, etc.
I remember at my last job, we chaperoned a group of students to see Harvard. This was a great learning experience for us to give to them because some of them giggled because they had never heard or seen an Indian. We told them that there are parts of the United States that have many people with different backgrounds, etc., etc.

Dysfunctional is South San ISD. There are constant issues in the district level, it's a shame.

[lessQQmorePEWPEW]

Originally Posted by sapphire

How hard is it to figure out that 1) hey, my kid has homework and maybe they should do it, 2) there's a PTA meeting tonight? What's PTA? Oh, the P is for Parent? Well, I'm a parent, maybe I should go. And 3) it's 11pm, maybe my kid should be in bed instead of out at Walmart with me. Why does that take a zillion dollars? Are we making excuses to make ourselves feel better or worse or what?

apparently, its pretty darn hard to even bother with your kids homework or school activities, given the performance of schools in impoverished areas. lazy parents = bad kids?

some of those kids will have good heads on their shoulders, but that can only get you so far when youre a minor.

[Montirob]

Originally Posted by skeet09

Dysfunctional is South San ISD. There are constant issues in the district level, it's a shame.

Yes... and were even back in the 1970's when I was in elementary school there. My parents finally had enough, and we moved when I was in 7th grade. My wife says I should just "let it go", but that district still makes me angry.

[elmariachi]

Originally Posted by Montirob

I'll agree, but exposure (to a better environment, to better habits, to different ideas) is also necessary.

I'm not saying "give a poor family a house in the Dominion", but intentionally concentrating the poor in one area (through subsidized apartments) doesn't work either. I'll admit that 15 years ago I didn't think this way.

Yes, parental involvement is THE key, but we also HAVE to get rid of a few of the dysfunctional school boards in SA. If these school boards really cared about their students rather than enriching themselves through $ or power, the schools would improve and parents would not feel they have to flee to the northern districts.

You are right, exposure to people of different cultures, socio-economic statuses, and ethnicities, etc.... can make great impressions on students. Usually for the better.