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There's more to the story than $ spent per student. Zuckerberg donated 100MM to Newark school district and the results are forgettable http://www.businessinsid

There's more to the story than $ spent per student. Zuckerberg donated 100MM to Newark school district and the results are forgettable http://www.businessinsider.com/we-now-know-more-about-how-newark-schools-partially-squandered-mark-zuckerburgs-100-million-donation-2015-10 http://www.businessinsider.com/we-now-know-more-about-how-ne... I would argue that the reason suburban students are better are most likely because their parents are also better, whatever being a 'better' parent means in this case.

larrik 10y ago
Anecdotally, in my experience it's not that the parents are "better" its that the parents have school as an actual priority. Poorer communities often have a culture so different than the average HN reader that most of us can't possibly understand it. (I learned this as a result of being a foster parent)
- troupe 10y ago
  > Anecdotally, in my experience it's not that the parents are "better" its that the parents have school as an actual priority. If you were trying to rank parents wouldn't "prioritizes their children's education" be a factor in determining which parent was better? Just because something is a cultural difference doesn't mean we can't say it is better or worse.
  - larrik 10y ago
    I wouldn't say that, no. Especially since supporting "doing well in school" may not be the same as supporting "getting a proper education". After all, the first may be more about pushing conformity and obedience than the second, depending on the circumstances. As nice and easy it would be to measure a person's worth as a parent by how well their kids do in school, or how much they make as an adult (like this article), I don't think that's reasonable at all.
    - troupe 10y ago
      I agree that it isn't fair to measure a parent by how well their kids do in school, but I think it is perfectly reasonable to measure a parent by how well they support and encourage their children to get a basic education. For example, I know of two parents who have actively encouraged their kids to drop out of high school just months shy of graduation--and these were students who were going to graduate. So now they are going to be looking at providing for themselves without even having a high school diploma.

larrik 10y ago

Anecdotally, in my experience it's not that the parents are "better" its that the parents have school as an actual priority. Poorer communities often have a culture so different than the average HN reader that most of us can't possibly understand it. (I learned this as a result of being a foster parent)

troupe 10y ago
> Anecdotally, in my experience it's not that the parents are "better" its that the parents have school as an actual priority. If you were trying to rank parents wouldn't "prioritizes their children's education" be a factor in determining which parent was better? Just because something is a cultural difference doesn't mean we can't say it is better or worse.
- larrik 10y ago
  I wouldn't say that, no. Especially since supporting "doing well in school" may not be the same as supporting "getting a proper education". After all, the first may be more about pushing conformity and obedience than the second, depending on the circumstances. As nice and easy it would be to measure a person's worth as a parent by how well their kids do in school, or how much they make as an adult (like this article), I don't think that's reasonable at all.
  - troupe 10y ago
    I agree that it isn't fair to measure a parent by how well their kids do in school, but I think it is perfectly reasonable to measure a parent by how well they support and encourage their children to get a basic education. For example, I know of two parents who have actively encouraged their kids to drop out of high school just months shy of graduation--and these were students who were going to graduate. So now they are going to be looking at providing for themselves without even having a high school diploma.