The Scoop

Plenty of people weigh-in on some of the failings of schools, teachers, and students. Recognizing that there are plenty of struggles, particularly in inner city schools, let me offer a view that is often not used in the discourse on why some schools don't measure up. The real causes of difficulties, more often than not, lie outside of the building.

To be clear, state testing (not the best measure for student success, that's for sure) makes clear that deficiencies are present. What the test results don't reveal, and that the general public doesn't realize, is that most schools aren't causing such failures.

To be perfectly candid, the deficiencies in math, reading, science, and other subjects are due to multiple factors beyond the control of students and teachers. There is no one cause of such problems.

Just take a ride, as I have often done, through a number of inner city neighborhoods and you'll witness the real reasons for a lack of success among so many. Factories are locked up, abandoned and the parents of students are left without decent wages, wages which are critical in terms of raising children.

As a result of job loss, property values have plummeted resulting in fewer tax dollars for schools. I don't want to skirt the next issue. Students too often don't receive enough parental support and guidance. There are plenty of causes for this but the bottom line is, students everywhere deserve such assistance.

There's also a very real condition, in too many neighborhoods, where the opportunities for advancement simply don't exist. That vacuum is sometimes filled with gangs. Safety then becomes a monumental issue in raising young people. As a result of such environmental factors there is a good deal of despair and a lack of hope, hardly the conditions which foster success in the classroom.

Given all of these conditions, and more, how on earth would anyone expect a 5 year-old or an 8 year-old to be successful? I am often amazed at how well teachers and students perform in spite of all of these handicaps. More often than not, I find these same teachers and students to be giving their very best. That, and that alone, is sufficient reason to offer all the help we can provide.

Thanks for all your help!
Dick