< Return to Talk
06.13.08, 18:01 PM NY Schools
26 replies
Look, there are good publics and bad publics. the distinguishing feature of good publics is the money supplied by the MC parents and the grants/fundraising/extras they provide. It really is a situation of the city not providing equally for all kids so that MC parents don't have to provide for their kids, and so that the poor who can't don't have to. seems so many UBers feel the parents should send their kids to failing schools and then make them good. I think the govt ought to spend more money to make the schools good. why is it the responsibility of the MC to elevate all the schools? where did this mentality come from. you would not expect to go out and spruce up the police dept or the post office. education is a govt function,period! [ Reply | Watch | Flag ]
NY Schools 06.13.08, 06:01 PM Flag
 

Dear UrbanBaby community,

Thank you so much for being a valued member of the UrbanBaby community. We wanted to inform you that we are shutting down the site on July 6th. We are grateful for your participation and support that has helped make UrbanBaby such an important resource to parents for many years.

If you have any questions or concerns, you can email us at urbanbaby-support@cbsinteractive.com.

Thanks so much,

UrbanBaby Support

»
^^^sorry about the confusing language. sort of got lost in writing the post. hope you get my drift anyway [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 06.13.08, 06:05 PM Flag
»
would you pay higher taxes to make sure the poor kids could get an equivalent educational experience? [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 06.13.08, 06:09 PM Flag
»
yes. I just hate all this pressure to make the school better and then everyone trying to make you feel guilty because a school in a bad nabe doesn't have as much. its not our fault. Its the govt's fault. like I said, it is their job to provide education. sick of everyone looking to the MC parents to build the schools and provide the basics. I pay so much in taxes now. would sure like to know why more of it isn't going to the schools. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 06.13.08, 06:13 PM Flag
»
ooops. just read your question again. I would pay more so that all schools are provided with the extras. i do not hink I should pay for it at my dc's public, but our taxes pay for it in a poor nabe. everyone should get equal, improved resources. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 06.13.08, 06:15 PM Flag
»
We are the government. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 06.13.08, 06:19 PM Flag
»
no, we pay into the govt. it is their job to improve the schools...all of them. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 06.13.08, 06:21 PM Flag
»
no, we elect them [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 06.13.08, 06:22 PM Flag
»
get real. there will always be haves and have nots. Nothing is equal. That is a fantasy. Do what you can in your corner of the world. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 06.13.08, 06:22 PM Flag
»
they will not be equal because poverty affects so many factors that enhance education. nonetheless, it is ridiculous that our PTA pays for art supplies and asst teachers and that we could lose all specials rooms at any moment. then everyone screams that its not fair that we have anything because others don't. the govt needs to provide basic good education. that includes adequate adults/teachers, facilities, art and music...you know, the stuff every public school in the developed world provides. nyc is a dinosaur. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 06.13.08, 06:37 PM Flag
»
I totally disagree. I think NYC does a good job. It is the largest school system in the country. Schools in Omaha don't have the projects/ or non enligsh speakers. Besides, I suspect your child attends a school like 41. Your principal and pta decide how to spend the money you raise. I see nothing ridiculous about spending the money on art supplies and asst teachers (btw, you don't actually spend any of the money raised by the pta on assistants. DOE does not allow that. You simply free up some other money and the principal uses THAT for assistants). You many lose some "special" rooms because the middle and upper middle class are now flocking to public school. That is not a bad thing. It is a good thing. You have to look at the big picture. Yes, I realize there is a huge population in nyc that does not graduate from high school. Yes, we need to try and serve that population. We need to think out of the box and try new things (Klien and Bloomie do both). Be part of the solution. Give your money to your childs pta - but go into the school in the next zone that sucks and help a child develop a love for reading. And nyc schools are far from dinosaurs. Look at the incredibly variety of programs from elementary thru high school. Surburbia (with its wealthy, white families) can't hold a candle. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 06.14.08, 05:46 AM Flag
»
you can disagree all you want, but assts and art and music and other things like field trips etc are part of the educational curriculum in this country, and they should not be put at risk, or paid for by grassroots fundraising. the govt needs to build more schools if there are more kids. it is ridiculous what we accept, and frankly blaming the MC for getting too much of very little is stupid at best [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 06.14.08, 05:53 AM Flag
»
I can't reply properly, but who is blaming the middle class? That seems to be an argument that you want to have even if no one else is having it?? I simply don't understand the thinking "the government" should do such and such. YOU are the government. The middle class is the backbone of this country. If you don't want to give extra money to the PTA, don't. That is far better than giving and resenting. If you want to give, give. You seem to just want to complain (about some really odd topics). Are you just letting off some steam while you wait for a g&t letter? Is your child in school? Which one? What are you problems with your childs education? [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 06.14.08, 06:45 AM Flag
»
I am saying that education is a govt function, and our govt is failing miserably. the only reason that schools in good nabes are good is because the parents pay out of pocket for basics. the govt should be paying for these things, and fundraising should go to extras like sports teams and the like. or an ice cream social. DOE should be paying for art supplies and assistants in classrooms with 28 kids, not the PTA. We are the govt in that we elect them to spend our tax dollars, and frankly they are not spending enough on education if I have to buy paper towels for my dc's K classroom. as for the issue of pitting the MC against the poor, it comes up here all the time. people think G&T should not exist as its for MC, or that G&T programs should be used (ie the parents' money) to improve failing schools. I say let the doe improve the schools by bringing sufficient resources to them, not by putting my kid there and making me pay extra for everyone. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 06.14.08, 07:21 AM Flag
»
should be used (ie use the kids and their parents to raise money) to improve failing schools. the doe should improve these schools by spending sufficient funds on them to help them improve [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 06.14.08, 07:23 AM Flag
»
I agree, in part. However, an active & educated parent body is essential to a school's success -- more than money. A parent who is a nurse, secretary, accountant, lawyer, banker etc will almost always give their children an advantage. Chances are that a 20-yr-old mom, a high school drop-out, a Walgreens clerk, an illegal immigrant will lack the skills to fight for the kids' education. Sad but true. Don't blame middle class for knowing how to fight for their kids. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 06.13.08, 06:24 PM Flag
»
not blaming MC, just the opposite. people here keep going against their MC peers for having a decent option, or not wanting to be pioneers to improve a local school, etc. I think nyc ought to provide the basics and not rely on MC parents to pay for everything. this makes people say they should now go to bad schools to improve them. it is the doe's job to do this. why are we paying so much in taxes if it is not to educate our children? [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 06.13.08, 06:42 PM Flag
»
NP: almost true, but not always. Check out the forum at Insideschools.org and you'll see posts from some parents (and grandparents, and the students themselves) who do not have MC advantages but care deeply about education and are fighting for the best for their kids. Look at the charter school lotteries, and at parents who scrape to pay for parochial school, many of whom aren't even catholic. There are a lot of non MC people out there fighting for their kids every damn day. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 06.13.08, 07:33 PM Flag
»
Money is a big part but it's not 100%. It's not all about the school being able to teach. School cannot make home stuff go away if the kids' parents are abusive, if legal guardians are not providing minimum care for the child at home, if kids are sick and have to miss many days, etc., etc. that affect disproportionately bigger % of poor kids. School is only one piece of the puzzle but if you want all kids to do better at school and test better, learn more, it's going to take other big stuff like reducing pollution (that disproportinately affects the poor), providing health care (to reduce # of days missed), improving substandard housing, living wage for parents, education on domestic abuse, etc., etc. You make it sound so simple. MC families bringing their money - is not enough for some of the most challenged schools in NYC> [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 06.13.08, 06:59 PM Flag
»
>I mean there are a lot of parents/legal guardians at my school who have no phone and can't be reached for any issues that arise. Who don't respond to letters mailed to them about meetings. There are parents in jail and kids are in constant chaos... [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 06.13.08, 07:02 PM Flag
»
which is why it makes no sense to bitch about the G&T families that they are getting too much. actual expenditure for G&T is less than gen ed and so why blame MC for the situation in these families/schools. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 06.13.08, 07:14 PM Flag
»
I hear you, but I think there's a lot that can and should be done to address the needs of kids when they are in school, regardless of their parents' level of involvement. There are some schools that have had remarkable success teaching students from disadvantaged backgrounds. It pisses me off that the DOE spends tons of our tax dollars getting outside consultants to crunch numbers, when what they should really be doing is sitting down and talking with the principals, parents and TEACHERS at the schools that are making progress, so they can learn about best practices and try to spread best practices to other schools. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 06.13.08, 07:57 PM Flag
»
It should not be an either or situation. the doe needs to provide gifted education, as well, and it is cheaper to pay consultants than to hire more govt employees with benefits. you seem childish. one group of kids should not be sacrificed because another is in trouble. both needs should be addressed. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 06.14.08, 04:09 AM Flag
»
yes, childish. You make it sound like people already hired have loads of extra time to do this. obviously they would need to hire people to run a project like that. and the cheapest way is to hire consultants. washington dc is full of consultants because the us govt does not want more permanant employess to pay and give retirement and other benefits to. I think it would be good to work more hands on with programs, but putting the consultants in, and talking about crunching numbers (?gifted program numbers) is just creating a divide. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 06.14.08, 05:47 AM Flag
»
it just sounds so idealistic and childish. to say they should listen, and then what? who is listening and then disseminating this info? who is putting new practices into place? You need people to do this work. the people already in place have so much to do. you could not be sending them out to schools to learn and then going to other schools to give lessons in how to do it. who will do their jobs while they are out canvassing and teaching? get real. to do what you are saying would require hiring consultants and others. but spending money on G&T education, hiring consultants to score tests, input data, etc is what people are complaining about here. They feel doe should put efforts only into improving failing schools and leave the rest behind since its "unnecessary, and just a MC retention program anyway." I am sick of hearing it. I think all kids should be educated at the necessary level, and that includes wealthier kids. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 06.14.08, 07:16 AM Flag
»
"Childish?" I didn't even say anything about G&T (DC is in G&T). I'm just saying DOE should LISTEN to the schools that are making progress with difficult populations rather than spend extra $$$ hiring outside consultants. I wasn't talking about hiring more govt employees, I was just saying DOE should listen to the ones they've already hired who are making progress, so they can share those best practices (whether they are in G&T or gen ed, rich or poor student body... it's just common sense to seek out the employees who are making progress and find out what methods they are using and try to replicate their successes in other schools). [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 06.14.08, 05:22 AM Flag
»
You should come to the Keep the Promises Coalition rally at city hall Monday. Klein and Bloomberg are trying to drive a wedge between classes, but it's not working, we all want and need good schools for all of our city's children. [ Reply | More
]
General Topics 06.13.08, 07:37 PM Flag
Refresh » New Post »
Select Category
close [X]

close [X]

Select a Category (only 1)

category
Stages
Regions