What do y'all think is wrong with "inner city" schools and...

[Bighead]

@Bighead are you willing to quit your job and go into the classroom. I do agree we need more black male teachers but being honest, is teaching an attractive career choice to the average brother?

Honestly, I would.

I honestly would consider teaching. But just to teach in the what is being presented to our kids now, hell nah.

Whoever is my employer or principal of the school/academy that I will be working for would have to be on the same learning page.

If I could do my own lesson plans and given the freedom on how I conduct my classroom, then I would really consider teaching.

 

[unknown1]

By closing all private schools thereby forcing rich folks to send their kids to public schools. Let's face it money runs America and unless we as a society are willing to invest in education the way we invest in athletics the educational system will not be fixed.

LOL

You do realize that most of the kids that go to private schools don't live in the inner city anyways, right?

 

[jag4life]

LOL

You do realize that most of the kids that go to private schools don't live in the inner city anyways, right?

Depends on the city.

 

[unknown1]

I have a friend that worked at Tri Cities for a while... and with that I have a question. Have any of you seen what it's like for these teachers trying to teach in these inner city schools?

 

[unknown1]

Depends on the city.

Certainly not in ATL. I doubt it'd even be close. The logic makes no sense anyways. Force people not to be able to give their kids what they feel like is the best possible education so they have to go to schools with lower success rates? This isn't Russia lol

 

[Bighead]

To me it needs to be more than just sending our kids to school as the Bulldog poster stated. Extra activities should be attached to the school's curriculum.

We all know our kid's parents work late and most of these kids have to stay in after school care or before care, whatever it's call. If it was up to me.

I'd set up classes, such as teaching kids how to play chess, checkers, knitting/sewing, First Aid (how to give CPR) cooking, (I don't even think they teach home-economics anymore) These would be after school programs, teaching our young boys and girls about things other than your normal sports sh1t. I mean after school, they can do the basketball, flag football thing, put more emphasis on band/music, etc. painting. Things that would keep the kids interests at a high level.

Preparing Budgets, Living off Budgets,

Table manners, which fork to eat with, (inward, outward) how to cut a steak with a fork and knife, how to tie a tie, things like that, that we take for granted.

This would be a whole infrastructure built/attached to the school's curriculum.

Spring Break Field trip will be to the Black History Museum, Do tours on Plantation, take a field trip twice a month.

Teach them how to grow their own food, a garden, plant trees, plum/fig trees etc.

I mean my school would be off the chain Lol

 

[Bighead]

I have a friend that worked at Tri Cities for a while... and with that I have a question. Have any of you seen what it's like for these teachers trying to teach in these inner city schools?

Bro,

Honestly, I would become a distraction if I was being taught some of the things that are 'still' being taught in classrooms today.

I honestly can say, I've learned more outside of school than when I was in school. I could have stopped going to school at the 6th grade and still be where I am today.

The stuff that I learned in 7th-12th grade, I couldn't even tell you what it was, none of it has been applied to me to help me succeed in life..

Traditional learning is a waste for black kids

Who wants to learn the things that these teachers are teaching (now)...

Put yourself in these kids shoes, the crap has no bearing on their lives...especially black kids

 

[jag4life]

Certainly not in ATL. I doubt it'd even be close. The logic makes no sense anyways. Force people not to be able to give their kids what they feel like is the best possible education so they have to go to schools with lower success rates? This isn't Russia lol

I agree the idea of forcing closure of private schools is not rational.

 

[JAG89]

IMO, too many kids are taught to think like someone else and not being taught to unlock their own minds to think for themselves. As I was telling an artist, if I can teach a kid to look at something abstract and have them try to duplicate whatever was created via math and science, I need to let him or her go out and discover the world for themselves. Such as, if they come across some oddly shaped curve, could they apply some curve fitting method such as the Newton-Raphson Method to find an equation that would satisfy that curve. Too many kids are being taught to do what others have already done, instead of creating new things for themselves. And too many school systems, especially 'inner city' schools are programming kids like robots. As robots, when a generation of robots become outdated, they become a burden to society, which causes the young and the old to stay in conflict with one another.

 

[The Founder]

IMO, too many kids are taught to think like someone else and not being taught to unlock their own minds to think for themselves. As I was telling an artist, if I can teach a kid to look at something abstract and have them try to duplicate whatever was created via math and science, I need to let him or her go out and discover the world for themselves. Such as, if they come across some oddly shaped curve, could they apply some curve fitting method such the Newton-Raphson Method to find an equation that would satisfy that curve. Too many kids are being taught to do what others have already done, instead of creating new things for themselves. And too many school systems, especially 'inner city' schools are programming kids like robots. As robots, when a generation of robots become outdated, they become a burden to society, which cause the young and the old to stay in conflict with one another.

This may sound crazy but I think a lot of the problem with kids today is technology. What I mean is that kids have no imagination thus affecting their problem solving and coping skills.

 

[major095]

a lot of kids show up to school with no interest in doing any work. they are more concerned with their phone and their friends than they are with learning anything. I try to run a relaxed classroom where responsible, learning to be young adults, can come to learn and work hard. Some of my kids get it. They do every assignment, ask questions when they don't get it, seek you out and are eager to work. The fraction of kids that are motivated to do what they need to do is small. The rest think that if they can get by without doing any work or any thinking that they gotten by. What has really happened is they've gotten left behind.

At some point they come to realize that this was a race, and while they've been chillin' some people have been running hard since the beginning and have lapped them 4, or 5 times. Now they want to be mad, frustrated that they're behind and the work is hard

 

[JAG89]

This may sound crazy but I think a lot of the problem with kids today is technology. What I mean is that kids have no imagination thus affecting their problem solving and coping skills.

It starts at home. But when you have parents that were programmed robots during their generation, not much creativity you can expect from the kids. I still remember my neighbor who grew up across the street from me in my hometown. His mother actually told me she would be satisfied if her son grew up and did exactly what she did and she worked at the now defunct Trailways Bus Maintenance Facility in Alexandria, LA at the time cleaning buses. Her son is now a BBQ pit welder with no goals or ambitions other than riding his motorcycle as if he's a member of the Hell's Angels. The Trailways Bus Facility in Alexandria, LA is now Central Louisiana (CENLA) Red Cross Facility.

Also, technology is not the problem. It's understanding how to create and improve on technology is the problem. Inner City kids these days definitely have no vision.

 

[JAG89]

Just society in general, most people don't understand how most things work and don't want to understand how they work. All they want to do is enjoy the benefits of what others have created and if something goes wrong, they need to find someone to fix it. As I tell most people, you will definitely pay for your ignorance. Our school system are not trying to change that way of thinking, which is why so many people end up wasting time on insignificant stuff, especially in the 'inner city'.

My son's mother who has a B.S. from Southern and a M.S. from LSU was paying some tutor to tutor our son in math while he was in middle school. I guess no matter how many degrees one have, their ignorance of their own children needs will cost them. IMO, what she was doing was just a sympathy plea to show others just how much she was doing for our son. If a parent with a B.S. and a M.S. degree can't help their own child with middle school math, something is definitely terribly wrong.

 

[unknown1]

Bro,

Honestly, I would become a distraction if I was being taught some of the things that are 'still' being taught in classrooms today.

I honestly can say, I've learned more outside of school than when I was in school. I could have stopped going to school at the 6th grade and still be where I am today.

The stuff that I learned in 7th-12th grade, I couldn't even tell you what it was, none of it has been applied to me to help me succeed in life..

Traditional learning is a waste for black kids

Who wants to learn the things that these teachers are teaching (now)...

Put yourself in these kids shoes, the crap has no bearing on their lives...especially black kids

That's some of the dumbest logic i've heard on here. It has nothing to do with what's being taught and everything to do with the fact that many of them already don't want to be there, have issues at home or just DGAF and have no one at home that's teaching them to GAF. There's a reason many of these teachers refuse to go teach in APS now and it has nothing to do with the material. It's because so many of the kids act like clowns rather than trying to learn.

And miss me with that traditional learning is a waste for black kids mess lol. Every single person on this board that turned out to be successful, i'd bet 99% of them had traditional learning. And it works fine for black kids that actually take school serious. The problem is that so many of them don't. You can look at the graduation rates across the city from district to district here and the college enrollment rates for black kids and the numbers are good everywhere EXCEPT APS, Clayton and Dekalb.

It's gotten better over the years but still, how is it a problem with "traditional learning" for black kids a few blocks over yet the ones at a multi cultural school are doing just fine? Better yet, ask some of these teachers at these schools in the inner city when they have parent/teacher conferences how many parents actually show up. Or to PTA meetings or anything of the like. Could be that they're forced to work, could be that they don't care. Either way, that reasoning you gave is crap.

 

[CEE DOG]

The problem is pride, self-esteem and self respect. Until we get those in the black community we are in trouble.

 

[JAG89]

I have a friend that worked at Tri Cities for a while... and with that I have a question. Have any of you seen what it's like for these teachers trying to teach in these inner city schools?

I know it would be a lot of hard work, but I think 'inner city' teachers can make a big difference if they spent the time to go above and beyond the call of duty. Being an 'inner city' teacher these days requires one to be a clinical psychiatrist as well. And what we are seeing today is nothing new. Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier did a movie (A Piece of the Action) in the 70's about the same concerns we are talking about today.

 

[unknown1]

I know it would be a lot of hard work, but I think 'inner city' teachers can make a big difference if they spent the time to go above and beyond the call of duty. Being an 'inner city' teacher these days requires one to be a clinical psychiatrist as well. And what we are seeing today is nothing new. Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier did a movie (A Piece of the Action) in the 70's about the same concerns we are talking about today.

Yea well, your average teacher doesn't want to have to deal with the extra nonsense that comes along with teaching.

 

[Kendrick]

Yea well, your average teacher doesn't want to have to deal with the extra nonsense that comes along with teaching.

While not getting paid very much for the added responsibility.

 

[JAG89]

Yea well, your average teacher doesn't want to have to deal with the extra nonsense that comes along with teaching.

While not getting paid very much for the added responsibility.

I understand where you two are coming from, but if they are successful, their rewards are plentiful, especially when it comes to the business of developing our children to be great thinkers and highly efficient people one day. I'm sure their students wouldn't forget the struggles their teachers ENDURED in order to make them successful in life. IMO, nothing is greater than being HONORED by great people one day, which is the rewards I speak of.

 

[Kendrick]

I understand where you two are coming from, but if they are successful, their rewards are plentiful, especially when it comes to the business of developing our children to be great thinkers and highly efficient people one day. I'm sure their students wouldn't forget the struggles their teachers ENDURED in order to make them successful in life. IMO, nothing is greater than being HONORED by great people one day, which is the rewards I speak of.

That's a very altruistic perspective, but not a very realistic one. You can't eat or pay bills with honors.

 

[JAG89]

That's a very altruistic perspective, but not a very realistic one. You can't eat or pay bills with honors.

I believe your definition for altruistic is a little backwards. It's selfish of people to not care for the FULL potentials of others. And you are right, one can't eat and pay bill with honor alone, which is why you should continue to make an income as a teacher while developing others to their FULLEST potentials. The HONOR comes later with other rewarding gifts. The way you are putting it, there's really no hope for 'inner city' kids, since their teachers should remain selfish and not be concerned. Most great people in this world went above and beyond the call of duty to gain respect and honor from others. I'm sure you RESPECT and HONOR those teachers that worked EXTRA hard to make you the person you are today, which would be a REALISTIC example of what I'm trying to convey. As an engineer, those math and physic principles just didn't pop in my head overnight. It took someone else to explain them to me and how I can apply them in real life applications. And once I figured out the importance of those things, I started to grow my own mind with the help and assistance of others, which is pretty much what takes place in graduate school. We need teachers who can help individuals get to the point where they can unlock and grow their own minds. As I previously stated, if I can teach a kid the mathematical concept of curve fitting and what it is used for, I'm getting out of their way to let them discover the world for themselves.

 

[Kendrick]

I believe your definition for altruistic is a little backwards. It's selfish of people to not care for the FULL potentials of others. And you are right, one can't eat and pay bill with honor alone, which is why you should continue to make an income as a teacher while developing others to their FULLEST potentials. The HONOR comes later with other rewarding gifts. The way you are putting it, there's really no hope for 'inner city' kids, since their teachers should remain selfish and not be concerned. Most great people in this world went above and beyond the call of duty to gain respect and honor from others. I'm sure you RESPECT and HONOR those teachers that worked EXTRA hard to make you the person you are today, which would be a REALISTIC example of what I'm trying to explain.

Never said there was no hope for inner city kids.

We have to acknowledge that teachers are being asked to do a lot -- and asked to take on other burdens even though many of them are in environments that make such work difficult while not being compensated a living wage in some cases.

Lots of teachers go above and beyond for their students and they should be commended for it. But it is probably more selfish for us -- the public -- to expect teachers to fix the problems caused by government and communities at-large that they have to deal with.

 

[JAG89]

Us old folks need to find the time to work with the young.

 

[JAG89]

Never said there was no hope for inner city kids.

We have to acknowledge that teachers are being asked to do a lot -- and asked to take on other burdens even though many of them are in environments that make such work difficult while not being compensated a living wage in some cases.

Lots of teachers go above and beyond for their students and they should be commended for it. But it is probably more selfish for us -- the public -- to expect teachers to fix the problems caused by government and communities at-large that they have to deal with.

Did I say we should expect teachers to fix ALL the problems in the inner city??? A TRUE community should be made of different people solving different problems, which means teachers, doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc. Teachers are just part of that community equation and everyone involved should work as hard as they can to grow their communities. Teachers are so vital because they are in a position to mold individuals in their earliest part of life. So would it be selfish of you to expect some doctor to go above and beyond the call of duty to spare your life after some accident??? In the case of a doctor sparing someone's life, it is called the SELFLESS ACT OF HEROISM.

 

[MetroPhillyTiger]

If all the middle class folks have left the city for the burbs and most of the folks remaining don't have much, where do you get the money for the resources you need and to increase teacher's pay? And with the republicans being in control of the fed and state governments, they're going to seize on these kinds of districts to push privatization and/or charter schools. But, from what I can tell, these kinds of schools don't do any better in the city.

So, how do (or can) you reverse the trend for a district that seems to be in dire straits? Like, can you get middle class folks to move back and add to the tax base of the city? Big cities like Philadelphia have an advantage over cities like Jackson because there are a lot of businesses, national history, arts & entertainment to draw folks in to fill the city's coffers. But, as soon as these folks have kids, they'll find a private school or move so that their kids won't have to go to the public schools. Small cities like Jackson can't even do this much...IMO.