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More generally, though, you cannot separate the two "educational challenges." It's exceptionally difficult to have a safe, successful educational environment in which all or a large proportion of the students from from the "no-choice" demographic. The ones that do, like the Urban Prep Academies in Chicago or something along the model of the Harlem Children's Zone, are typically self-selecting in the same sorts of ways that charter schools are often accused of being, and thus not generalizable.

There are 168 hours in a week. Given the kind of circumstances and environments that large numbers of underprivileged kids marinate in outside of school hours, 40 hours per week in school is not enough time to ameliorate that. At the same time, the sort of model that might be able to meet those needs would likely not be appealing to those coming from different circumstances.

There is no one-size-fits-all model to education. How to create and balance multiple effective models without descending into a system of de facto segregation (which to a great extent we already have as it is in DC) is perhaps the greatest challenge in urban America.

by Dizzy on Jul 17, 2012 12:55 pm • link • report