Let Are Kids Walk!: Stupidity Is a Familiy Affair

[Stand_watie]

.. 
If anyone cares, I was number 2 of 89.  In a larger school, I might have stayed in the top 10%, maybe.  My GPA wasn't anything to write home about. 

I was lazy, lazy, lazy when it came to 'buk larnin'.

I think I was 11 out of 13. I still got a better education than 90% of American school students (I base that on the students I went to college with). I don't say my education was better than that which is available to 90% of American school students, just better than 90% of American school students.

Even kids in big, crummy, inner-city schools (like the one my ex-wife attended, graduating class of 800 or so) have a decent education available to them, IF, they have parents that are motivated and capable of getting them into the better classes at the school.

As the original poster implied, ignorance is a vicious (familial) cycle.

[MechAg94]

I agree on motivated parents.  If I made all A's and one B, I didn't get praised for making mostly A's.  I got questioned on why I got that one B and what could I have done better to make it an A.  My parents knew what I and my brothers were capable of and got on us if we underachieved.  My Dad did not have a college degree and was a sprinkler fitter foreman.  He was damn well going to make sure we did something better.  My brothers and I all graduated from college. 

I guess school came easy to me.  I paid attention in class out of shear boredom and took notes.  I have a good memory if I take notes.  I hate reading text books.  On the other side, I like working with my hands, but it doesn't come natural to me. 

[onions!]

.. 
If anyone cares, I was number 2 of 89.  In a larger school, I might have stayed in the top 10%, maybe.  My GPA wasn't anything to write home about. 

I was lazy, lazy, lazy when it came to 'buk larnin'.

I think I was 11 out of 13. I still got a better education than 90% of American school students (I base that on the students I went to college with). I don't say my education was better than that which is available to 90% of American school students, just better than 90% of American school students.

Even kids in big, crummy, inner-city schools (like the one my ex-wife attended, graduating class of 800 or so) have a decent education available to them, IF, they have parents that are motivated and capable of getting them into the better classes at the school.

As the original poster implied, ignorance is a vicious (familial) cycle.

I agree but I will add one thing.

Motivated teachers would be kinda handy too.When the teacher doesn't care & the principal can't be bothered & the school board...Oh never mind.

[SteveS]

If the kids themselves and the parents can't pull something out of the schooling provided over 12 years, no matter the bad apple teachers or decaying infrastructure, they really aren't trying very hard.

At a certain point I lose sympathy and refuse to feel any responsibility.

I agree.  I managed to get a decent education from a rural, public school.  While there are some bad schools, it seems to also be a matter of lazy students that are ill prepared to attend school. 

[MechAg94]

It is also parents who assume their kids aren't going to do much and accept mediocrity. 

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

i took an early version of these tests in the mid 70's  it wasn't required to graduate till the year after i graduated
one part i remember was they had a campbells souo can label on it the question asked was "how much water do you add.  folks failed it and graduated. scary  on a funny note my dad graduated college at 19  has 2 phd's and speaks 9 languages and i can remember him calling mom for help making the same soup in the microwave