Fools In the City: Inner City Graduation Rates Are Half of Those in the Suburbs

Judging By This, That Kid Is From Baltimore, Not Glen Burnie...

We always pick on our education system here in South Carolina. Overall, it is a total systemic problem, although the rural areas definitely trail those in the cities and it's outlying suburbs. However, a new study shows that nationally, there is a serious rift between major cities in the US, and it's suburban neighbors. More importantly, it may prove that the money thrown at education is not the real issue, but the environmental factors are....

According to a recent article I think by Newsweek, and aired on all the cable networks, the graduation rates in mnay major inner cities are less than half of those of those of the suburban schools in the same area. The worst variences were found in Baltimore, Indianapolis, and Newark. So, what is the problem?

Many people , usually those in the education establishment, have long pointed to the need for increased funding to close the gap, but what do you say when schools in the same area with the same funding are getting clearly different results? Is it teacher quality? Poor administration? Probably not. To me, it looks like we need be honest and say what nees to be said: We have a systemic culture of indifference to education in our kids. In short, it's Mom , Dad and Junior's fault.....

While you can't dump all cities and people into one big pile, there does appear to be a 'dumbing down' of our kids. That is, that it's not cool to learn in school. Cities like Cleveland and Milwaukee, who have championed charter schools seem to be the exceptions. When the environment at school is good, the kids will learn. But, when kids are allowed to disrupt the process, and kids who try to learn are beat up, then things like these will happen. Learning is tough enough, but when you learn in fear of the social implications, then something is seriously wrong.

So, what's a parent to do? Nuke all the inner city schools? Come to school and beat crap out of the School Bully? Hey, that second one may not be a bad idea.... Of course not, but when a parent who's kids attend school there are faced with the facts that their kid has only a 1/3 chance of them graduating, moves need to be made. Either crack down on the distractions, or give the inner city kids a choice to escape from the cycle. That and give parents there a slap in the face that education is important.

.