The schools are "training" the soldiers for the Urban Wars.

[Tyler Durden]

My office mate is finishing a degree in education, but she's decided where she WON'T teach: Lansing, Michigan.

That's right, the State Capital of Michigan.

They horror stories she told me this morning about 10 unexcused absences PER TERM before there's even any PAPER written on a "student," the teacher with the 20 year old student who shows up stoned and drunk with the empty vodka bottle IN HIS HAND and who has expressed out loud that he wants to bring a weapon into class and do her harm, but admin considers this a "race issue" and will do nothing (student: black male, teacher: white female), 200 students in the halls OUTSIDE ADMIN after the bells, for conferences 2 Parents show up; just two, and the teacher gives 100 extra points if the kid shows up with an AUNT and UNCLE or even their GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND'S PARENT/AUNT/UNCLE; just bring an adult, nobody even CHECKS for weapons.

None of the "students" have hope for jobs, Almost none have ANY hope for even Community College.

Chaos. And Lansing is nowhere near as bad as Pontiac, which is nowhere near as bad as Flint, which is nowhere near as bad as Detroit.

When the depression hits, the streets will turn into the "Roadshow" production of "I Am Legend."

[Red Zelda]

1. Send them all to Iraq

Oh, sorry, we just can't say anything bad about these young black males, can we.

[Tyler Durden]

2. Not exactly a "productive" comment...

This is for discussion, not fistfighting.

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

8. I dont get what the hell thats supposed to mean...

[Snarkturian Clone]

3. I work in an inner city school in philly, but it's not as bad as all that.

However, when I worked at a high school in Trenton, NJ it WAS as bad as all that. I once detailed what it's like to work in such a school but was labeled a racist and bigot. People should know, though, that these schools just pass the kids through and they graduate no matter what. In trenton we had a student with a 0.0 GPA his entire time in HS manage to graduate because the director didn't want to hurt his self-esteem. The same director used to hire the kids after they "graduated" to be security guards and they would end up selling and doing drugs in the hallways with the kids.

The one I work in now is not nearly as bad as the Trenton one but there are some similar problems like having no lateness or attendance policy for the kids who come at 10am every day or the kids who only come once a week. Even so, I'd much rather work in Philly than Trenton.

[sandyj999]

4. Except for the last sentence I am in total agreement.

I have seen my neighborhood change, I no longer feel safe shopping at my closest supermarket, I make sure I have my cell phone with me when I am in my own yard, and I resent it. And I live in a suburb of Detroit. These young people have been raised with a sense of entitlement and the parent, or lack of parent is the cause of it. But when the largest city in Michigan has a mayor that has a sense of entitlement, and a city council that bickers like third graders, where is the example to follow?

[reformedrethug]

6. You my friend

just nailed the main reason many kids today are like they are. LACK OF PARENTS in the household, or even if they are there there is no discipline in the home, no rules, no penalties for acting up, no sense of personal responsibility for their actions.

If I acted like many of these kids when I was growing up I would not have survived LOL
I was taught to respect my elders, my teachers, etc... Kids today simply have not been taught any of this at home and that carries into the schools. Teachers are NOT substitute parents and should not be expected to act as one.

My dad only touched me once when I was a kid, when I almost burned the house down other than that he did not have too or even threaten too. The thought of letting him down was enough to keep me in line as I was growing up.

[seabeyond]

7. lots and lots of kids are parented and have learned respect and are doing fine

and lots of kids live in homes that dont have a parent that is connected to them.

all these problems this poster talks about, we dont have in my town for the most part. there are a couple poorer areas where there is more likely issues, but even those school cannot be taken as a whole.

my son is in middle school. every one of his friends i have been around have been very respectful to me as an adult and behave well (for their age, ya know). and each one of those kids have parents that do their job.

i know there is a problem in schools and for teachers. that isnt what i am saying. but... it is not kids as a whole. there are a lot of good, decent kids. i dont like to create something that isnt. or dismiss what is.

[reformedrethug]

9. I realize that not all kids

Oh I understand that not all kids are like this, I know my kids are not but there are many that are.

It also depends on if you live in a small town compared to a big city as the outside influences are quite different between the two. I used to live in a big city and I now live in a small town and I can see a difference in the way kids act towards adults and the fact that more parents seem to be more involved in their kids lives in a smaller town.

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

10. But those are not the kids were talking about..

We talking some of the worst schools in what are terrible school districts... Why is it that Minneapolis spends thousands per kid more than say Burnsville (a suburb) yet does far more poorly?

*everyone is failing these kids..

Firstly their parents (or responsible guardians) who, if they are at all aware of their kids schooling, are only aware enough to blame the teachers for everything. Kids not doing their homework? Teachers fault, Kid cant read? Pass him along with his friends because he deserves it. Never mind the folks who don't bother to go to parent teachers conferences or lord forbid try to be actively involved in their kids education some folks are down right hostile towards a teacher who thinks their kids might not be working hard enough.

They are failed by their peers who mock and belittle anyone who decides to work hard and succeed as being a chump.

They are failed by a government run by two absurd points of view (1) that more money will make things better or (2) that more testing will make things better. both sides abhor local control which is key to fixing some of these problems..

They are failed by school administrations who are more concerned with keeping kids in line than teaching them to reason and think.

They are failed by teachers who, maybe justifiably (maybe not) have given up on the the whole process and just want to get through the day.

Finally they are failed by a culture that deplores education as something less important than athletics or pop culture fame.

--

Its tragic all around and unless we all own up as a people to accept responsibility for this were never going to get out of it..

[seabeyond]

12. i agree with all you are saying

my point is the people that lump ALL kids. i dont think it is even most kids. i like to keep perspective. all i was pointing out. it is not all schools, all kids, all parents, all teachers.

a problem.... i agree.

too many adults are saying ALl kids are out of control. ALL kids havent been taught respect. kids today..... i am not into it. totally opposed to it. my kids get it on a regular basis from adults who just dont think and i think it is a horrible expectation to give our kids. or they just might become ALL kids.

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

13. I can see where you are coming from

I don't think anyone who was being completely descriptive would say *all* kids are out of control but certainly many many kids and especially in bad districts can be described that way.

But I hear you that the assumptions that a kid today is any worse than a kids 30 years ago is not fair to parents or kids..

[sandyj999]

11. And that is what I am talking about.

I would rather cut off my arm than to have disappointed my parents. I was taught manners and respect and to accept responsibility for my choices. In turn my daughter was raised the same way. Now I see my great grandchildren and it is no longer that way and it makes me sad. And there are two parents in the household. Too many parents either want to be the kids "best friend" or are too wrapped up in themselves.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. That attendance policy is bound to change soon

NCLB has attendance mandates. And like the test scores, the floor goes up every year. I think it is 94% this year. So even if your school has perfect test scores, they don't make AYP if their attendance isn't 94%. So this surprises me that any school would allow 10 unexcused absences. In fact, in my district, if high school students miss 9 days in a semester they are automatically retained.