Crisis in Schools?

To hear the call for school reform, one would think that nearly all schools in this country are in need for a 'shake-up.' That simply isn't the case. I won't deny the fact that some schools are underperforming or don't meet the needs of its students to the fullest, quite the contrary, many need support, but they don't need to be shuttered.

Most of those schools which need assistance didn't suddenly stop performing. Did you ever stop and think about the fact that a neighborhood that has lost manufacturing jobs, is hit hard by crime and has too many gang members might be part of the reason for a schools's demise? A school is just one part of the community and if the larger community suffers, it stands to reason that individual parts, such as the schools, are going to also feel the ills effects. That being the case, how can a school, which has lost some of its punch counteract such problems?

I am pleading with reasonable people to better understand the above conditions and not to simply abandon those poor performing schools. Local governments and the citizens of a neighborhood need to band together to find ways to enable a poor performing school to improve its performance.

By the way, contrary to the popular myth now circulating, there are plenty of inner city public schools on the rise. Those stories, sadly, aren't part of the current dialogue regarding school reform. Before one judges that ALL American schools are in a state of crisis, it would be helpful to examine all the facts.

Thanks for your support of SCC!
Dick