6 ms·

The promotion isn't the cause, here. It's a symptom of a societal collapse on many levels.

by Bud 6y ago

toomuchtodo 6y ago
Well, sort of. Lower class mobility, employment instability, rising housing and medical costs, and the two income trap are all very real rips in the societal fabric. There are many scenarios where stable homes with good incomes fall apart. On the other hand, there are also plenty of examples of homes where kids were had where there was no stability or income necessary from the get go to provide them with the support they'd need to work their way through the educational system and come out successful on the other end. How do you address the elephant in the room of people who decide to have kids without the means and time to properly provide for them (which includes encouraging and cultivating a desire to pursue an education)? I fail to see an easy solution. Foster homes of well to do families that can put the resources and time into nurturing these kids towards a brighter future? More resources into educating folks to steer clear of parenthood if they're not adequately equipped for the job ahead?
- nicoburns 6y ago
  > In the latter example, I fail to see an easy solution. Foster homes of well to do families that can put the resources and time into nurturing these kids towards a brighter future? More generous state support for low income families would go a long way. Better to help their existing family than to try and transplant them to a new one I would have thought (in most cases anyway)
  - toomuchtodo 6y ago
    Direct cash payments have been shown to be very beneficial to those in poverty, so it's definitely a place to start to encourage better outcomes. With that said, it doesn't fix cultural or other challenges around educational value and beliefs. "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."
    - germinalphrase 6y ago
      I can already hear certain relatives saying, “they’ve pissed away their opportunities and we’re going to pay them for it?”
beerandt 6y ago
The fact that it's somewhat taboo to even suggest that this is a cultural problem, and not a school/government/"system" problem, is a big part of the reason we haven't seen any real improvement. The presence/absence of a 2nd parent at home continues to be the overwhelming and undisputable primary factor that correlates to student success. Failing schools are just another symptom.

The promotion isn't the cause, here. It's a symptom of a societal collapse on many levels.

by Bud 6y ago

The promotion isn't the cause, here. It's a symptom of a societal collapse on many levels.

Well, sort of. Lower class mobility, employment instability, rising housing and medical costs, and the two income trap are all very real rips in the societal fabric. There are many scenarios where stable homes with good incomes fall apart. On the other hand, there are also plenty of examples of homes where kids were had where there was no stability or income necessary from the get go to provide them with the support they'd need to work their way through the educational system and come out successful on the other end. How do you address the elephant in the room of people who decide to have kids without the means and time to properly provide for them (which includes encouraging and cultivating a desire to pursue an education)? I fail to see an easy solution. Foster homes of well to do families that can put the resources and time into nurturing these kids towards a brighter future? More resources into educating folks to steer clear of parenthood if they're not adequately equipped for the job ahead?

nicoburns 6y ago
> In the latter example, I fail to see an easy solution. Foster homes of well to do families that can put the resources and time into nurturing these kids towards a brighter future? More generous state support for low income families would go a long way. Better to help their existing family than to try and transplant them to a new one I would have thought (in most cases anyway)
- toomuchtodo 6y ago
  Direct cash payments have been shown to be very beneficial to those in poverty, so it's definitely a place to start to encourage better outcomes. With that said, it doesn't fix cultural or other challenges around educational value and beliefs. "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."
  - germinalphrase 6y ago
    I can already hear certain relatives saying, “they’ve pissed away their opportunities and we’re going to pay them for it?”

beerandt 6y ago

The fact that it's somewhat taboo to even suggest that this is a cultural problem, and not a school/government/"system" problem, is a big part of the reason we haven't seen any real improvement. The presence/absence of a 2nd parent at home continues to be the overwhelming and undisputable primary factor that correlates to student success. Failing schools are just another symptom.