Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Libs, Show Me How To Close The Racial Achievement Gap

It's often hinted, sometimes not so subtly, that the racial achievement gap persists because of those of us on the Right.

Well, Chicago isn't known as a Republican stronghold. Surely they have fixed the problem, no? No. And don't call me Shirley:

After 16 years of school reform, Chicago’s “racial gaps in achievement have steadily increased,” according to a study by the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research. White and Asian students are making more progress than Latinos; blacks are “falling behind all other groups.”

Some initiatives, such as closing underperforming schools, may have hurt students, Jean-Claude Brizard, the new superintendent, told the Chicago Tribune.

7 comments:

mrelliott said...

If anything shows the relationship between learning and culture/family, it should be this study. We can change the schools until they are upside down and purple, but until children's home life is supportive of education, there's only so much that will effect change.

Anonymous said...

The term "intentional non-learners" has been coined for this situation, particularly at MS-HS levels.

mmazenko said...

Well, I haven't heard the gap exists because "of those of us on the Right." But I have heard that it exists because of poverty. So if early childhood and anti-poverty programs are defunded by the Right, that might have merit.

But I'm not disagreeing with you on the gap - as we both agree there is a cultural factor that is ignored. I'm just challenging the idea that the Right is blamed or that Chicago should somehow miraculously reverse a nationwide problem because there are more Democrats. That's weak.

allen (in Michigan) said...

Oh please.

That's an excuse for lousy urban districts that view kids as the unavoidable necessity that's the excuse for the taxes that pay the salaries of the professionals. There are a heap of schools that take the same kids and educate them but they're hardly ever part of a school district.

DADvocate said...

Chicago should somehow miraculously reverse a nationwide problem

It's completely within the abilities of Chicago to reverse the problem in Chicago no matter what happens else where.

For several decades, Democrats have told blacks that they can't succeed because too many factors oppose them, including Republicans. Democrats have said that blacks can't succeed without the help of Democrats. Democrats have pushed a self-fulfilling philosophy of blacks not succeeding. Blacks who listen to Democrats and swallow their spiel tend not to succeed than blacks that realize if you study and work hard, you will succeed. Lowered expectations bring lowered success rates.

Anonymous said...

This is such a horrible story. People use every excuse in the book to hide the fact that Parents are parenting their little angels. And I'll say it that many cultures don't respect education as much as others and it shows in the data. The problem is people want to read the data as racist when it's really culture.

A silent teacher

maxutils said...

Poverty is a BS excuse. People whose parents read to them, make sure they do their homework, and pay attention to their grades do well. Period. I f you can't do that? Don't have kids.