Quote:
Originally posted by Munchkin03
So, a member of a minority group can't complain about inequality without being whiny? Why can't schools be improved instead of giving up on them with voucher programs?
I guess I, being a member of a minority group who went to one of the best public high schools in the state, a school that currently has alumni enrolled in each Ivy, MIT, Chicago, Stanford, Georgetown and Caltech--can't complain about how my less fortunate cousins don't have the access to the same education. They don't have that access because of the neighborhood I grew up in and the differences in what our fathers did for a living.
Basically, everyone--regardless of socioeconomic status--should have access to a quality public education. It should be our top priority. Instead, due to certain attitudes, we're just as segregated in some ways as before Brown v. Board.
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What I meant by whiny (maybe I should have been more specific) is people who complain and then expect other people to solve their problems for them.
It's really just whining anytime anyone complains without intending to do something about it.
I can tell you though, some schools are definitely beyond repair. They need completely new administrations, teaching staffs and in some cases parents and kids in order to allow their students a shot at succeeding. This isn't just in minority communities, but for socioeconomic reasons, it's occuring more often in minority communities. Rural white schools often have similar problems though.
If a school is failing -- and let's face it, just throwing more money at a problem is not going to fix it, the kids deserve to have an opportunity to go elsewhere IMMEDIATELY. Not wait for some government folks to come in there and start programs, etc. to try and make things better within 3 or 4 years. These kids need immediate help when they get forced into these situations. Nothing else is even remotely fair.
Without vouchers, we're basically going to doom kids to socioeconomic segregation (not necessarily racial). The kids whose parents are able to pay their tuition will have a shot at going to college while the kids in intercity public schools will often find themselves with few opportunities besides drugs and violence.
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