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You're getting downvoted, and maybe most of that is a sentiment of "we have to deal with the problem at hand", which is absolutely the only thing an outsider ca
by EpicEng 8y ago
You're getting downvoted, and maybe most of that is a sentiment of "we have to deal with the problem at hand", which is absolutely the only thing an outsider can do, but you're not wrong.
My wife works in a low income school, largest and poorest in the area (a relatively large city.) Pumping more money in does not help. More after school problems does not help much. As far as academic achievement is concerned, these kids are completely stuck because they have what we would consider terrible situations at home.
Sometimes the parents just don't care, sometimes they just don't have the time (multiple jobs). More often than not there is only one parent at home. There's only so much a teacher/school can do if the parent is picking up the ball when the kid gets home.
- yardie 8y agoI come from one of those large, poor inner city schools. The money and after school programs absolutely help. I am a product of those after school programs. That additional money paid for musical instruments, sports, computers, and transportation. I feel personally insulted when people say we shouldn't fund these afterschool programs because they don't feel they are working.
- travmatt 8y agoOddly enough, it’s usually the people not actually involved who are the experts on why we need to take more away from them.
- textor 8y agoAnecdotal experiences are near worthless when discussing policies, though. Feel insulted all you like; statistically speaking, these resources are wasted. Chances are you'd be equally well off without them.
- cardine 8y agoAnecdotal experiences are near worthless, but sweeping statements with no cited sources are equally as bad.
- naravara 8y agoIncorrect. They're worse.
- darkerside 8y agoInstead of disparaging anecdotes (which are worth something, actually), can you simply provide data that supersedes it?
- yardie 8y agoAnd this is where you drop in the links to prove these programs aren't working. BTW, one data point holds more value than zero.
- textor 8y agoThere's no reason to assume that they work to begin with; pretty much nothing ever does in education. But you can examine the failure of Head Start and the general trends in education costs vs. results to see that the room for improvement is largely used up.
- stuckinarut 8y agoPumping money in doesn't work. Having a good plan and the resources to execute is what works. I know it sounds like I'm talking about a minor difference, but I think it's a lot bigger than that. You can add more money to a lot of the broken systems in the US. It helps, but it doesn't fix core problems and the systems are still incredibly inefficient.
- yardie 8y agoAll great plans start with money as a major factor. The money isn't the only thing necessary but you can't do any of it without it.
- jampekka 8y agoSo what's the proposal to solve the "problem at hand"? Continue beating the kids and their parents until morale improves?