I read this article over Spring Break and was going to post it earlier, but I totally forgot until now. Anway, I thought this was pretty interesting. Although there aren't too many details about the boarding schools, they explain some of the options such as how they will be run... through districts or outside angencies. I was wondering what everyone thought about the article - the idea of boarding schools in the city of Chicago. What do you think parents will say or think about it? What will urban students think about it?
I hope this link works... If not, you can Google 'Chicago Tribune', then search Chicago Public Schools, and the date was March 14.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-boarding-schools_14mar14,0,2694026.story
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4 comments:
The article is very interesting and throws around a lot of possibilities. I feel like they do not have a solid plan for development of a boarding school in Chicago. Obviously it has worked elsewhere in the country, but there is no real plan for Chicago yet. Also, in a city that has chronically had a problem with funding, I do not see the need to have schools with need even more funding. It may be beneficial to take the funding already there, or search for more funding to create more after school programs. Those programs would be open to all students, not just a selected few. Which brings me to ask, what about the students who are left behind? How do you determine who is worthy enough to go to a boarding school? Don't all children deserve a good education and a safe haven? I do not think displacing children would be beneficial to the community. Chicago needs to find something that works for all children. Bad neighborhoods have always existed and always will in some form. A difference can be made in the neighborhood through education. Taking the, I am assuming, "best" students out of a neighborhood leaves the community without a more promising future. The future lies in the minds and hands of a community's children. I am not saying children should not ever leave their community. But I am saying I do not think it is right to take them and leave others. The problem is easily fixed. Use the funding you would towards an expensive boarding school to hire parents or teachers to supervise after school programs. Use the funding to relieve suffering areas.
With the Agency of Children and family services running rampant in Cook County, I see boarding schools as a viable option for the independant living structure Chicago's youth have experienced. Absent Father's and drug Addicted Mother's does not produce a self directed individual who is motivated to change the only lifestyle they have ever known. It would take real work for boarding schools to reach troubled youth already in the throws of an impoverishing system. I remember when Ted Kennedy stated that he saw the benefit of raising children in factory type settings. I thought how extreme his position sounded at the time. Now, with all the children taken over by the State and the Foster Care System who lack the support of families and mentors to take on the needs of troubled youth, I can see how a boarding school facility could help in bringing disadvantaged children away from the situations that further promote more poverty and disadvantage. Of course how to run such a program and how to fund and select those who have the ability to run it effectively are always steps to consider when deciding on any venue for social change or endeavor, but where there is a will to want to create better opportunities for better outcomes in society, there is a way.
I really liked reading this article...it showed me something that I didnt even think of as an option. I dont think that the purpose of the boarding school is to pick and choose and only take the best..it sounds to me like what they want to do is take the students who are homeless and have no family at home to care for them. This program has worked in other cities and it said they had 72% go on to a 4 year university!! Yes all children do deserve a great education and a safe haven...and the students who dont have that safe haven would be given one...which would make them better able to focus on school work and becoming something more. So many students out there need help...so many are struggling to get by each day...with the boarding schools those students wouldnt have to struggle. The idea of a boarding school in the middle of Chicago sounds crazy...but its something that could possibly work. It will take a lot more funding and yes they could take that funding and use it for after school programs but those programs dont always get to certain students who need it the most. If we talk about funding then we should also talk about why schools spend more money on metal detectors than on after school programs now. Its going to take money to make change no matter what the decision.
I think that the article was very interesting. Having a boarding school for homeless children seems like a good idea because it gives them shelter, stability, and an education. If this type of school were opened, it would be helpful to also teach these students life skills that would help them succeed in the future. Teaching them about money management, applying for college, financial aid, and how to fill out resumes and job applications might help.
Proving poor children with a safe home environment is a good idea. One issue that I have with putting these kids in a boarding school is how this will affect their relationships with their families. Even though they may have an unstable home, these kids might still want to see their families often. Getting the parents involved is crucial to the success of such a school.
Recreation is also something that might make this boarding school successful. Providing the students with a home and and education is good, but the students need some fun activities as well. Sports teams, academic clubs, mentorship programs, and community service activities might be helpful in making a boarding school successful. Finding the money and resources seems like the hardest thing to do, and it is the first step that gets this boarding school off the ground. Besides having money, a dedicated staff and team of supporters is also beneficial. Although this boarding school seems like a great idea in theory, if there isn't any funding or dedicated people involved then its likelihood of succeeding is slim.
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