Search Results for: blog my inner city story practices that work

4 Reasons Why Paying Students For Good Grades Might Work

First, let me say a big thank you for Karri for letting me pick this up and offer a different opinion. While I agree with her that choosing students might seemingly create a system that is unfair, while being a slap in the face for students who have worked hard all along–I suggest to you that paying students (and even their parents in some cases) might not be that bad of an idea. For some of you reading who don’t know, I live in the inner city of New York. Before I was a full time homeschooling mom, I was … Continue reading →

Kudos to Oprah for Dreaming Big in South Africa

Yesterday, January 1, 2007 will make for a significant date in the lives of 150 girls in South Africa. 150 very fortunate girls began school at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, in Henley-on-Klip which is just south of Johannesburg. The academy is open to girls, ages 11 and 12, who show strong academic and leadership potential and whose families make no more than $787 dollars per month. It will eventually accommodate 450 girls. The $40 million dollar facility is lavish for sure, boasting an on site theatre, top notch study and science lab facilities, a library and a … Continue reading →

America’s Best High Schools: The Top 100 (Massachusetts to Washington)

Is your child slated to go to one of the top 100 high schools? Here is the second half of a list I’ve started in a previous blog. What makes them the best of the best is that they have the highest porportion of students taking either Advanced Placement exams or International Bacclaureate exams. Massachusetts #82 Boston Latin Boston Maryland #15 Richard Montgomery Rockville #34 Bethesda-Chevy Chase Bethesda #51 Wootton Rockville #75 Churchill Potomac Michigan #9 International Academy Bloomfield Hills #55 Black River Holland Missouri #40 Metro Academic & Classical St. Louis New Jersey #83 McNair Academic Jersey City New … Continue reading →

The Education Blog in Review: October 29-November 6

I know, I know. . .this is a little post dated. Since our regular education blogger Kaye Siders has left, several of us from the Families.com community have been guest blogging sporadically here in Education. Consequently, the regularly posted “week in review” blogs that many of us are accustomed to seeing in various sections of the Families.com blogs were missing. But never fear! We’re working on getting you caught up in case you’ve missed some of the exciting blogs in education over the last several weeks. Did you read My Inner City Story? I started a series sharing some thoughts … Continue reading →

Why I Support School Choice Part 3

If you haven’t been following the series, you can check out the links below. This is the final installment in which I answer critics’ concerns over tax funded school choice proposals. School choice options include options like vouchers and charter schools. If you’re just joining us, my position in a nutshell is that I am not anti-public education, but I feel that school choice options would improve the over all educational system. Let’s take a look at a few more issues regarding school choice. Public schools have a minimal standard of accountability while private schools are without regulation. Sending tax … Continue reading →

Why I Support School Choice Part 1

If you are at all familiar with educational issues you know that this is a hot button. School choice is the idea that a parent has the right to choose their child’s school. Okay. . .no big deal. Until you start to take available resources and spread them around, theoretically diverting them from public schools. School choice does not just translate into a parent’s right to homeschool, or opt into a private school, but also includes charter schools, magnet schools, as well as school vouchers. After all, why should school choice be limited to those who can afford to pay … Continue reading →

My Inner City Story: Practices That Work

We have talked about how teaching in the inner city has to be a passion, how teachers are better served by mentors rather than more in-service and staff development, and we’ve talked about the conditions that plague the inner city. Urban education is a unique set of circumstances and forces set in motion and without support teachers frankly can’t do the job that needs to be done. I am personally convinced after my experiences here that the inner city requires innovative solutions. I would even be so bold as to say that we need to throw out much of what … Continue reading →