> Alan wrote:
> At the same time, my sense is that the class status, cultural commitments
> and intergenerational aspirations of parents likely trumps state funding of
> instruction and local education infrastructure funding when it comes to
> student "achievement" in schools. However, from my experience working in
> the realm of second and third tier public universities, it certainly feels
> like fewer students than 15 years ago approach college courses in
> non-instrumental fashion independent of the income strata of the community
> from which they come. This is not a totalizing statement - there were lots
> of just-get-me-through-this students before - it just feels like there are
> a
> lot more now.
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
> Could you clarify what you mean here. I don't understand how student
> cultural commitment and aspiration isn't tied to how this developed as
> they progressed through poor schools.
>
On the one hand, we're talking about two sides of the same coin... me from the parental intent side, you from the student experience side. But, on the other hand, I think you're homogenizing kids attending underfunding/low achieving schools too much. I have had a number of kids from Detroit, Flint, Muskegon (and a number northern lower Michigan and UP communities), etc. who were the children of lower-middle to middle income parents who attended underfunded schools with teachers and administrators who had generally low expectations for their students but who (the students) nevertheless overachieved relative to those expectations. Furthermore, knowing a number of people who teach in relatively underfunded and underachieving schools, they are excited by and reward students who make an effort given that they went in to teaching to make a difference - something I think it is really important we not forget. Most teachers at "poor" schools are no worse than most teachers at "better" schools. In short, I think it is important that we don't paint poor schools, their teachers and their students with too broad a brush any more than we assume that overscheduled and over-rewarded kids from upper middle income suburbs with high self-esteem (warranted or not) are actually achievement oriented or academically interested.