Our Failing Schools

In New York City we have so many failing schools it's not even funny. The average New York City High School has a graduation rate of 60.2 % . That means if their are 100 kids in a grade, only 60 graduate. Of the students in New York City Public High Schools 34 % passed the State Math tests, and 21 % passed the State ELA tests. Tales of the past when students would run the halls, and get to class 20 minutes after the bell rang are still alive and happening. Most of the halls of our High Schools are covered with graffiti and the walls are so old, they are literally crumbling. Windows and doors are missing from classrooms, and teachers barely have the supplies that they need to teach our students well. People say this is a thing of the past, a thing that no longer happens. I hate to break it to you - but it still does!

Analysis of the Issue:

So many of our government officials have been sent into the schools, and sent into the students neighborhood to try to reform the schools and change the students. They believe that these students can make themselves an education and everyone can succeed and go to college. Well it is very hard when a child is thrown into a high school because that is the closest high school, or the only one they were allowed to go to which has crumbling walls and no windows. If a baby, child, teenager, or even adult had bad living conditions, or work conditions they would act like they had bad working conditions and bad living conditions. If you give these kids brand new desks, or at least replace the windows and give them some heat - then they will respect that and they will cherish that. Sending them off to another "amazing" school for NCLB (No Child Left Behind), isn't going to fix the school just down the block. If you walked into a room with a desk that was lopsided and sheets of looseleaf as your computer - you wouldn't think ' I love the company I work for' you would think ' I hate this company, I want to quit'. Well these kids are thinking the same thing - 'I hate this school, and I want to quit. It's useless'.

Another thing I would like to point out to you is the way that parents, Administrators and Teachers will stereotype students based on their background or the school. A group of students who failed English twice were given basic, comprehensive versions of Anne Frank - with pictures above the words. That same group of students that had the "condensed" version of Anne Frank - only 35 % of them graduated. And on the assignment due on the book Anne Frank, 10 % of them handed it in. A few years later a group of students with almost identical track records were given brand, new, non condensed, no picture, version of Anne Frank. 50 % of them graduated, and 90 % of them turned in their homework. Now imagine if that second group had been given brand new books since they were labeled "educationally challenged" - maybe their graduation rate would be 75 % - instead of 50 %.