by northernbird on Fri Mar 01, 2013 3:37 pm
wow.. these conversations have really gone down the ******* quick lately.
So lets say we did transfer all the kids from edina to an inner city school and all the inner city kids to edina.. I would expect you'd see a slight improvement. maybe. Transfer a small portion and I think you'd see a much better improvement, but still not what your implying. The whole of the differences in the schools is not the facilities, or the teachers, or the extra curricular activities available.. A good portion of the difference is the kids that are there.
What factors in a classroom actually affect a kids ability to learn anything? I wager a kids actual presence in class might be one. The ability for a teacher to control a class rooom and move forward with lecture/instruction might be another. Having 'smart' boards instead of whiteboards or computers for everykid, can enhance the eduction, but seriously how many of us on this board feel we got a crappy education because smart boards werent invented or computers were new? or because our small school didnt have water polo and lacross?
Outside factors also play a huge role. someone to make sure homework is done, to help with said homework or provide transportation to some volunteer that will.. to set an example that you have to work for what you get and there aint no free lunch.
The reason I suggest that a partial switch would have a greater impact is that I'd think classroom behavior would be better if there were somepeople in class that were used to the proper way to behave in a class. peer pressure, and examples. no one likes to be the odd person out or the only one with no homework done. But if no one does homework, why would anyone?