re: Why are public schools so bad, particularly in the South?

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it’s not just the bad students, bad parents, bad teachers, too many administrators. It’s all the above

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It’s bad parents.

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it won't happen because education has gone the way of politics in that people do it for money rather than a purpose. The people who are running it are not in it for the right reason and end up making bank.

Look at the new superintendent candidates, some had never stepped foot in a classroom/school but these are the people that are supposed to make decisions about discipline, Curriculums, and teacher grading.

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All of this. School Board positions are for the elected (Political lackeys) and their cronies. It's just a big money grab. So many substandard individuals taking up positions that could be spots where well intentioned individuals could make the school system a better vehicle for educating. It's disgusting IYAM.

You can’t teach people who don’t want to learn. People who come from generations of folks subsisting on entitlements don’t want to learn because education has no value for them. Think about it, why did you try to learn in school? You probably wanted to go to college. Why did you want to go to college? You wanted to get a good job so you could some day support a family. Now, imagine not needing any job to support yourself or your family. If you don’t need a good job, why would you go to college? If you don’t need to go to college, why try in school at all when things are tough and there’s no one at home who knows how to help you? At that point, the only reason to go to school is because it’s required by law until you reach a certain age.

The south has the largest percentage of its population subsisting off of entitlements, thus has the largest percentages of kids in schools who have no reason to want to try to learn. A public school’s ranking is entirely determined by the percentage of its students who want to learn vs don’t. Typically, kids from 2 parent homes where the parents both work for a living try. Kids from broken homes where at least 1 parent works usually try. Kids from broken homes where no parent or grandparent works rarely, if ever, try.

This separation happens around 4th or 5th grade when the kids who have parents reinforcing their child’s education ensure they know how to read vs the children who don’t have that kind of support at home who are still struggling to learn to read. If a child cannot read well in Middle School, they will struggle in nearly every subject and become discouraged, distant, and lose any and all motivation to try. That is why Mississippi changed its approach recently and started focusing far more attention on literacy in 4th and 5th grade to make sure that no one would pass 5th grade without being able to read and write well. The results were MASSIVE. Mississippi went from being one of the 3 worst states for public schools to being middle of the pack in 5 years.

Moral of the story, parents need to stress the importance of doing well in school. People who don’t work for a living have no importance for doing well in school. Parents who DGAF about school don’t make sure their children learn how to read by 5th grade, so the kids struggle in middle school and give up. States that focus on literacy by 5th grade have better outcomes for these students.

The separation between “good” and “bad” public school systems doesn’t start until middle school. Little kids always want to learn. It’s teens that need a carrot/stick. However, ensuring they get the proper foundation, especially in literacy, when young is important to prevent them getting discouraged in those early teen years.

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Parents who DGAF about school don’t make sure their children learn how to read by 5th grade, so the kids struggle in middle school and give up. States that focus on literacy by 5th grade have better outcomes for these students.

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This cannot be stressed enough. If a human being cannot read by the end of middle school, they cannot effectively function in a normal society.

Think about how many things you reach each and every day: menus, instructions, directions, lists, warnings, street signs and so on and so on--it's endless.

When someone isn't equipped with that basic but oh-so-necessary skill, their behavior and view on society goes downhill. Their self-confidence plummets which doesn't lead to anything positive.

There are so damn many students who can't read that are pushed through the education system...it's troubling.

Why did white people stop having kids in 1990?

It's not just the South, look at LA County literacy results. They are doomed.

But in the USA in general, literacy is dead. As is history, geography...

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Amazing private schools can do it better with less money per student.

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That’s probably because they can select the kids they educate. Public schools can’t just boot problem kids out. They’re forced to deal with them no matter the lack of support at home.

The core issue will always be what happens at home. And school districts, for fear of being bankrupted by lawsuits, bowing down to parents over EVERYTHING.

Want to hold a kid back? Need parent permission up until middle school here and even then you get dinged for it.

Want to suspend a kid? Parents can appeal the suspension all the way to the board and often win because the district doesn’t want to fight.

Need to send a kid to alternative placement for extensive violent behavior issues? Parent has to give permission for placement.

Want to expel a kid? Sorry. Can’t be doing that. Even if he shot a classmate in the hallway (true story here in Louisville).

I would absolutely love to see teachers start suing the school district over not meeting the part of their contract that states they should be given a safe work environment. But you’d never get the public on board with that.

Reclassification on the chart. Latino and non-Latino White.