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Dear RT,
here is a perfect example that Priority schools get more resources. This grant is geared toward our most needy schools (and others if room is there)-the teachers will have help from universities, and a partnership with all local historical entities. I will be interested in watching how this develops

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Money doesnt make any difference.

The basic problem is the poor kids homelife.

Schools cant solve society's problem.

debra,

What's your point?

RT

the point is quit whining that schools like Andrews are needy and don't get extra resources. Schools like Andrews receive tons of money from outside sources. money hasn't seemed to solve their problems yet. money can't change poor home environments, neither can teachers.

boy Terrina how many times are you going to say the exact same thing (smile :-)

teacher can definitely make a difference in a child's life. no one said they couldn't. I said they cannot change one's home environment. there's a major difference in those two statements. teacher can definitely help change a child in a positive direction. in spite of all this, on the subject of rules, fairness, discipline and consequences....this needs to be enforced across the board for all students. otherwise just throw out the rule book and have a free-for-all society

OK, Real Truth. Your turn to tell us why what Terrina said isn't true at Andrews.

Wally World,

I agree with what Terrina said. Schools impacted with poverty need more teachers / better teachers. Lower class sizes.

Terrina,

I remember a teacher at my High School, she was a great teacher. I remember how she took a personal interest in a troubled kid named Charles. Charles was failing, getting into fights, etc. She started challenging Charles and he started trying. One day she passed me a note that said "You made the best grade in the class but if you don't mind, I want to tell the class Charles did, because he needs more reinforcement". I nodded my agreement and it made me feel like I was part of the team to help Charles. My connection to the teacher was stronger and I went out of my way to help Charles too. Before that happened I pretty much resented Charles for being a disruption. From then on it seemed as if Charles was a different person. That teacher made a huge difference and I've never forgotten her.

The Real Truth

I agree that smaller classrooms and good teachers can make a difference, but so far I don't think the smaller classrooms are helping much in elementary ed. The scores in many of our elem schools are still dismal and we are probably going to have to 'reinvent' several since this will be the third year they have failed. At Alderman they made great strides in writing this year, due to a huge focus by the principal and teachers. Hard work, reinforcement and concentrated efforts made the difference. We have to take our success stories and learn from them and put it in our other schools.

Teachers and administrators are there for most of our students.The prong from the three part stool to prop up our schools that is missing is parental involvement. Many of our lower performing schools have mentors and have been adopted by local companies but that is not the same as having a parent say "that is good" to their student, or "education is the key to success." I know that if you are worried about buying food, your child's homework will not be at the top of your list.... but how long does it take for some positive words? How will their kids do better than they are without an education? Maybe what we need to do is figure out how to get parents to realize that education is the ONLY way to help their kids get better, do better, succeed.

I think that society as a whole has to figure this out, not just the education system.

RT,
My first post was to point out that schools aren't equal in many ways, but if you pay attention to the details many of our neediest schools do get extras. Extra help for teachers, extra field trips, smaller classes etc. I don' t begrudge them these additional resources if it helps.

Real Truth,

OK, more and better teachers are the solution for Andrews, but this runs counter to your previous posts. You've been ranting that Andrews needs the SW kids, their parents, ann their resources at Andrews to make it successful. Which is it? More and better teachers or kids from SW?

Wally,

I believe RT really just wanted her child to attend SW - as they had been districted to prior to the 1999 plan. When RT's child got redistricted from SW to Andrews and then again to Central, she just wanted to take her marbles and go home.

It's really all about the fact that her neighborhood has been redistricted so many times and each time further from her "neighborhood" school. She's a very, very bitter person and wants to punish everyone else who was not put in the same position as her.

Wally World,

To answer your question.. Both.

Terp,

I wouldn't send my child to SW with a bunch of entitled, ethnocentric people afraid of minorities. Why would anyone want that for their child?

Oh I forgot to add this, the great teacher story I told above wasn't an English / Spelling or typing teacher! My typing teacher was actually my mother's aunt and she shamefully passed me through despite my lack of skill. Surprised none of you made a joke of that?

The Real Truth

Terrina, If teachers make a difference how can you explain that a higher percentage of Poor kids Graduate at Andrews and Dudley than Grimsley?

Surely they have some of the best teachers at Grimsley. Dont they?

It doesnt add up to me.

"ethnocentric"

Bravo, Real Truth. Correctly spelled and used in correct context. You must have found a good dicitonary. There is hope for you after all.

So, you want it all, huh? But, why would you want SW kids at your school, if their parents are entitled, ethnocentric people afraid of minorities? Would you consider those kids or their parents an asset to Andrews????

By the way, Real Truth, you can't have both. If you have a bunch of white, middle class kids and their parents at the school, then Central Office will begin to withhold resounces. That's the way they play the game.

RT,

If you wouldn't send your own child to SW, why do you want to steal their the kids of the people you hate and put them in another school. Let all the SW kids stay there then you don't have to be bothered with them.

Since you hate SW parents so much why in Wally's World would you want their kids who might be just like their "ethnocentric parents afraid of minorities"? Is it to punish them or are you playing "Fear Factor" by sending them elsewhere?

so sorry my post entered so many times. How embarrassing.

To Real Truth,

That is an amazing story. How cool is that? William Glasser MD wrote a book called "The Quality School" and in that, part of his hypothesis in creating a Quality school is for the students to work together to succeed. So students work together to create quality work. That teacher was engaging you, and really energetically, the whole class in the success of one struggling student, and in doing so, each student is lifted up. (And so is the teacher.)

That is what I believe works. In that same vein, we have to support the teachers. They have to feel supported in doing quality work and recognized for their contributions. It starts from the top down. I think that is what we are missing in this district. We do not really support eachother in doing quality work. Teachers do not really have a voice here. Neither do parents.

And if Real Truth has been redistricted over and over he/she has every right to be bitter and upset... but at some point that becomes an ineffective way to create change. Again, I believe what the district has done to families in High Point has been destructive and irresponsible. It has created pathology in our community and it just continues to fester here and there and stink up the town.

To repeat an old song, if the schools were all good, we would have never created the ridiculous system of exchanging kids here and there.

I still have to ask, what is the benefit of us shooting arrows at each other? How can we begin to focus on being the change we want to see?

Remember, what you focus on expands...