this is due to an urban culture which celebrates athletic achievement, fashion, musical ability, celebrity and money.
not due to a poor public school system.
it will be solved by parents and individuals who lead by example, can demonstrate to the youth that education and intelligence need not be associated with social awkwardness, unattractiveness, nerdiness, inability to dance, etc.
it will be solved when the Valedictorian has higher social status than the Quarterback, Pointguard, and drug dealing rapper.
partially true. This is also NYC as well. Which covers a vast area, and many of the folk are poor, then there is lack of parenting, lack of parental participation in the PTA, and an severe "I don't give a damn" by kids, faculty and parents...
This is also seen in well to do areas as well, but in a bizarro format---grades are GIVEN...
It's funny how almost every parent's child is a "A" child and gets straight As and is above average or gifted, eve though they don't know the material.
That's because the parents run the school, and demand that the kids receive As, while playing baseball, football, lacrosse, field hockey, volleyball, orchestra, band, etc.
And never having time to finish reports or research.
I remember one time in the library a mother was looking up a book review so her young child could write that up as her book report...
And the. When these same people go to college, they too must take remedial courses.
