One of the major “reforms” of the Bloomberg administration was to wipe out the idea of neighborhood schools for students in high school and middle school. The mayor believes in the free market.
It sounds better in theory than in reality.
In a city with 1.1 million students, this is no easy matter.
Read about it here.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
How is any of this choice when only a few get their “choice”? When a lottery and other mechanisms decide the fates of students, that’s hardly “choice”
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Exactly. They should be called lottery schools and schools should be required to provide at least 5 yrs worth of data showing total # of entries, and total spots “won” by students and how these spots were “won” – sibling preference, zones, etc. .
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For Pete’s sake, let kids go to their neighborhood school, make all of them great giving extra resources to the ones that need it the most, and then use some EDOpt to make sure that all of the high-needs kids are not in the same school. This is insanity.
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I don’t think it’s that simple, at least not for many New Yorkers. It sounds simple when you phrase it as “let kids go to their neighborhood school.” Sounds different when it’s “require kids to go to their neighborhood school.”
For example, I despise the choice system in NYC. Yet I rely on it. If the choice system were abolished, and my children were required to attend a zoned middle school, I would move, either to a different neighborhood or to a different city. To state the obvious, I would not be an outlier in this respect.
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“my children were required to attend a zoned middle school, I would move, either to a different neighborhood or to a different city”.
What is so wrong with your local middle school?
Would those problems still be such problems if more parents in your neighborhood (who are similar to you) sent their children to the local school?
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It’s actually not terrible as far as NYC zoned middle schools go. It’s a “themed” school (“artists and writers” is part of its name), which I’m not a fan of as a general matter but isn’t a big deal. It’s small, and recently moved, and I worry about its stability given the cost-structure challenges that small schools are facing in the city. (The DOE recently announced plans to shut down a really wonderful small school in Tribeca because of cost issues.) It’s about 70% “poor,” and it’s not especially rigorous. Basically, if I may speak plainly, it’s the kind of school that someone like me would say is a “good school” but wouldn’t send my own kids to. A good school for other people’s children, in other words. Why wouldn’t I send my daughter there? Because, like most parents, I think she’s special and sensitive and precious and all that. Plus she tests well and there are some very good choice middle schools that are options.
You’ve hit the nail on the head with your last question, although it’s not a difficult target — when you cut through the BS, one of the most critical factors the “professional class” (or the bourgeoisie, or whatever term works best) considers when evaluating schools is what percentage of parents are “like them.” Yes, I think I’d like the school more if more of the parents were “like me.” Although they wouldn’t be parents in my neighborhood, strictly speaking, because I live in a commercial district (in the only residential building on the entire block).
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“Why wouldn’t I send my daughter there? Because, like most parents, I think she’s special and sensitive and precious and all that.”
Exactly. Most parents do think that. Wouldn’t it be great if schools were allowed to treat all kids that way, without the constant test prep, test cycle, without the ridiculously strict discipline and silent hand signal nonsense. Wouldn’t it be great if public schools were allowed to teach each child as a whole child and meet him/her where s/he’s at?
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Traditional public schools can not teach each student as a whole and meet him/her where s/he’s at because the school must design courses and curriculum around the average student. Every high school can not afford to teach mathematics at the level some of the students are capable of learning, for example, so it makes sense to gather those students together in classes that draw students from across attendance boundaries.
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Or, as you have noted, at the high school level, give students the option to take courses on college campuses or on line.
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Would you limit who could take those courses on college campus or is that open to all?
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Minnesota legislation makes this available to all. Colleges and universities vary who who is permitted to participate.
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What dort of role does advising take in these decisions? I am currently in a position to stop a student from proceeding down a path that he wishes to follow but I think is detrimental to others on the path due to crowding and terrible for the student given the academic record. Would I be wrong in not allowing the student to do what he desires?
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You are much closer to the situation, and know much more than I do..so my responses will be tentative.
Counseling/mentoring can be very valuable, regardless of a person’s age.
A college or university certainly can say “We are willing to have x number of people in this class, and no more.” That’s a decision colleges and universities can make. So that’s part of the response. It may be that there is an absolute limit on number of people in a class.
Second part is tougher – we saw this week the dramatic positive results of young women who are teen parents and had been in one (district) school where expectations for them were very low. Then they went to another district school where they were strongly encouraged and supported. They earned a number of college credits while still in high school and they are seeing themselves in very different ways.
However, sometimes young people DO have unrealistic views of what they are ready for. By definition, they are “immature.” So there is a great value to helping young people think through things.
We don’t want to see youngsters fail. But sometimes there is a value in trying something and learning you are not good at it, not ready for it.
Small example – some years ago I tried repairing a drip in one of our house faucets. My wife urged that we call a plumber as I am not good at this. But I felt that I could figure it out.
Five hours later, I agreed with my wife.
She counseled me not to try it and hire a plumber instead. But she did not demand that we hire a plumber. I learned she was right. We hired a plumber.
So sometimes, being encouraged to try something can produce more than you hoped for (example 1 with the young women). Sometimes counseling is correct and a person is not ready But if she tries and fails, that can be a valuable lesson too.
Sorry, nothing definitive. Hope this helps. Reactions welcome.
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We all have those plumber stories (grin), but I agree with your analysis. It’s a hard call to make. I think I would be sitting down with that student and their parents and laying out the pros and cons from everybody’s point of view.
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Sounds like a wise approach.
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It would be great. I’d like less testing and test prep. I’m not familiar with the “silent hand signal” stuff firsthand, but discipline is a trickier subject. As the parent of a young boy, I understand that “zero tolerance” can often mean zero tolerance for childhood. But I also understand that it’s difficult to teach by meeting each child “where s/he’s at” when there are constant disruptions in large classes, or, for that matter, even in small classes. And it’s a lot tougher in middle school and high school than in elementary school.
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“Traditional public schools can not teach each student as a whole and meet him/her where s/he’s at because the school must design courses and curriculum around the average student.”
There’s absolutely no reason why that’s true. If we could keep class sizes small, each child could get the attention s/he needs and deserves and education could be individualized while maintaining social cohesion.
Yes, yes, I know, that would cost a lot of money. But no more money than we’re currently spending to make ourselves hated by dominating the world.
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Do you really think that every high school should have a research mathematician on staff that can teach graduate mathematics courses? Wouldn’t it be easier to hire one research mathematician to teach students from many high schools all in a single class?
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Scale makes impressive things possible. NYC has 1.1 million students in 301 square miles while my state has less than .7 million students in over 82,000 square miles. In some of the less populated parts of my state, the “neighborhood” for a high school is probably larger than the city of New York.
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Carol…once again I agree with your direct clear statement. We in LA have approximately 800,000 + students to educate in a county far greater in distance than NY. We have about 190,000 homeless students,109 languages spoken by these students, and have the largest Latino (ELL) population in the Nation. These are figures given by Supt. Deasy at a recent public meeting.
We also are near the bottom as a State in funding our public schools. The disaster that is Prop. 13, and the pie in the sky dream of funding with Indian Gaming Casino contributions, have left us in this huge economic hole, and now we have all the focus of Parent Revolution damning our public schools and trying to shut them down rapidly and make them into a for-profit enterprise (see Walton and Anshutz and Heartland and Grover Norquist free enterprise funders of Ben Austin).
If inner city schools had plausible funding, meaning a greater share of the budget pie for the children living in abject poverty, and if we could be certain that gifted teachers and updated technology were directed to the inner cities, there would be a fighting chance for these students to succeed…and by succeed I mean in preparation for higher ed, and for finding and holding a job after matriculation/graduation.
And all this could be accomplished in their neighborhood schools without disrupting the small semblance of safety and community these economically challenged children face every moment of their lives.
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Carol, here’s a question for you (as an award-winning principal) and others who may care to comment:
Does your district have a policy about the number of days you can consult with other districts? I ask because someone asked me this morning about policies regarding school administrators consulting, and I am trying to be responsive. Perhaps your district has a policy, perhaps not. Just wondering if you or others are familiar with such policies.
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Oh my! I really didn’t think educating children could be become much worse until I read this article. It’s not just the education itself, it’s also the process towards that goal. What happened to equality in schools so that whatever community school your child went to, if your child worked hard, they would receive a good education?
A child if they attend a supposedly “failing school” (as far as I’m concerned it’s all “flim flam” as to what constitutes a failing school, and it’s meant to in the long run destroy public education) and keep their high grades etc. will have a greater than usual chance of getting into the university of their choice. When you look like a rose among thorns you stick out well, but as a rose were there are only roses, a child will not have that same advantage. It works like this every time…another way of looking at it, “It’s easier to be a big fish in a small pond than a big fish in a big pond”.
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Another absurd application of market zealotry. Unlike, say, toothpaste, schools that are “chosen” cannot manufacture more slots. Actually, in “choice” models, the choice becomes more desirable based on what kids are kept out. You improve your rating in the market by that very practice of selection.
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Chuck, absolutely. When a school can pick and choose and their ratings are determined by their test scores, then of course if they only choose those who by past performance had high scores their school looks the cream of the crop, but in the real world after graduation from a university, test scores don’t count, it’s what you know, and who you know, where your class standing places you, or if you have that honest to goodness talent, hard work ethic, determination and steadfastness. So, I’d say over all as I did above…it’s not where you go to school, it’s what you do with your education.
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Sometimes I wish Diane’s comment system had a “like” button (although most of the time I’m glad it doesn’t). Sometimes some comments are just so eloquent and to the point that there’s nothing more to add, but I’d like to let people know that I appreciate the comment anyway. This is one of those comments.
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Dienne, I take the best comments and turn them into posts.
But I miss some great ones.
Let me know if you want to call attention to one.
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Philadelphia has the same system when applying for High Schools (select admissions, magnet schools, specialty schools)…it’s worse than applying for college with hours studying school profiles and making visits…8th grade decisions are based upon 7th grade scores…the kids are deciding their futures and only 13 yrs old! It has students riding SEPTA (public trans) all over the city. And then, of course, the ‘neighborhood’ high schools get all the kids who aren’t chosen or whose family support is lacking or who don’t have the scores that rate. As a teacher new to the system, I was dismayed by the process. I grew up in the suburbs where one elementary school led to one middle school (composed of many elementary schools) which led to one H.S composed of the two feeder middle schools…each level growing in population size…(The only alternative route were parochial schools which used a similar feeder system.) The system resulted in a high school which was a rich diversity of students and access to a wide diversity of specialty program offerings within the school; business, academic, vocational, music and the arts, athletics. Each led to its own post high-school specialization…It was a system which provided 12 continuous years of exploring interests and self development of aptitudes/talents before any decision of career needed to be made….It was a beautiful lesson in the importance of and respect for each domain in an well-functioning society…Too much choice at a young age results in overwhelming, confounding pressure on those who must judge, not only, the quality of the choices provided, but do so when they have so very little self knowledge of their own capabilities; They don’t even know who they are yet, so how can they choose the right path! Suddenly the free-market principle of ‘Choice’ starts to feel more like an oppressive forced ‘On-Demand’ determination. when applied to human growth and development, “choice’ necessitates choosing one avenue of development focus from the many possibilities. Choice also limits. I believe there should be equal recognition for the “freedom from choice” and its inherent limiting of potential, especially for children K-12. All children must have access to “A Freedom from Choice” which protects their “right to self knowledge and self-expansion” before they can must ‘choice’ their own specialization.
And that’s my 2 cents today…(because I am a teacher, it was payday yesterday) and that’s all I have left!
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“Choice” —
Brought to you by the very same Madison Avenue firms that brought you the choice between Filter-Tip™, Low-Tar™, Menthol™, and Virginia Slims™ for 50 odd years.
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Jon…it’s a contrived “choice” baiting parents and children against other parents and children looking to create a real “dog eat dog” world even before they go out into it.
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It’s the Great National Gullibility Test —
And, yes, the stakes are high …
The usual suspects will make out like bandits —
Whether we have a Republic* left when they’re done with their Cremative Distraction™ is another question …
* That’s Representative Democracy for those of you skipped school that decade.
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Nope – choice brought to you by Jefferson, Washington, Adams – and by Sojourner Truth, Susan B Anthony – those people who believed in empowering individuals.
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The problem I see with lottery schools is we have winners and losers so some lucky individuals become empowered at the expense of others – I don’t think that is what Ms. Truth had in mind. I fear my neighborhood school is going to end up closed because of the choices of others. While there may be a gain for individuals, the net gain for the whole is zero (if we are lucky).
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Another option is to replicate or expand successful schools. For example, the ST. Paul Public school district widely increased the number of Montessori elementary schools it offered after the first one filled. It wisely gave a French immersion a large building after the initial French immersion school filled.
Lots of ways to respond to families other than to say “you’ll take what we like and accept it – unless if you are wealthy enough to go some where else, either a private school or a suburb.
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Follow the money and you’ll find out what corporate “individuals” are empowering themselves at the expense of the nation as a whole.
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That darn democratic idea – imagine giving everyone the power to make decisions about what will work the best for them. Imagine giving every adult the right to vote! Imagine giving everyone – not just wealthy people the right to select among various schools!
The trend in this country has been to expand opportunity – although there always are some (well represented here) who are content to let wealthy people have opportunities and tell poor people they have no choice.
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Like I said, the Great National Gullibility Test …
Don’t you folks ever learn any new jingles?
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“We hold these truths to be self evident. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
So tell us, Mr. Awbrey – why did you think that poor families may have no choice among schools? Why is it ok for wealthy families to have plenty of choices (including the option to move to an affluent suburb where there real estate taxes and home mortgage can be used to reduced their taxes – making suburbs the nation’s large public – supported school choice program.
Or do you think poor people should have some choice among schools? And if so, what?
Also, should public school teachers be able to create distinctive schools from families can choose? Or should teachers have no options either?
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You can spew all the 5-year-old talking points you want, Joe, but the majority of folks involved this discussion have done enough investigation and accumulated enough real-life experience to see the realities of what’s going on in the country today. And that is what they will continue to work on.
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The Declaration of Independence is a pretty good talking point.
And in part because Americans LOVE democracy, this is part of the reason why choices in public education have expanded so much in the last 20 years…and by the way, did you note that the graduation rate (according to Ed Week) is at the highest point in decades? One reason, not the only, one but one is that young people have more ways to attend school.
That’s thanks to people who believe in democracy.
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You’re hardly the first one to think of pasting a flag on the box, Joe —
But it’s still just Corn Fracks™
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Sorry. Susan B. Anthony and Sojourner Truth would NOT be happy with “choices” that leave so many students in the dust. There are not “choices” here; just segregation.
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While no one knows what Sojourner Truth or Susan B Anthony would say for sure, it would interest them that
a. There are now millions of youngsters attending charters – up from less than 100 in 1992
b. The majority of students attending charter are students of color and
c. The majority of students attending charters are eligible for free and reduced lunch.
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Come on Joe, you can write it: “That DAMN democratic idea. . . “
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There is nothing democratic about leaving poor parents the choice between Wal-Mart School or K-Mart School, if they’re lucky enough to get into either and assuming neither one closes due to incompetence, corruption, etc.
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Choices in most urban areas are wider than those – fortunately democratically elected legislators of both parties have recognized the value of options for families. So do a lot of educators.
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Teachingeconomist has a point. How does this really work? Well, not so well when you look at it. California, as a state, also has that problem with huge city school districts and very rural districts in sparsely populated counties with vast distances. Every school should be good and if not fixed. Usually the fish rots from the head so in this case it is Bloomburg’s head rotting and boy does it smell.
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Joe Nathan, wealthy people live in what we call wealthy neighborhoods. In these neighborhoods there are also people in the middle class. Teachers are in the middle class even if they teach in wealthy neighborhoods. Teachers and others who work in neighboring school districts have the choice to send their children to their own neighborhood school or to a school in the district where they work. What makes a school wealthy? It’s not the wealth of those who live in that neighborhood, it’s primarily the education of the parents and their valuing of education…how much they put into their neighborhood school monetarily (through fund raisers) or their own efforts and talents.
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By the way, no one tells poor people they have no choice. One huge choice I see that goes to waste is hard work and determination. Education has always been the great equalizer in any given society, ours included. In every school, even one called “failing” there are those children who are succeeding and succeeding well, and they are given the scholarships to our top universities in this country,.
Likewise, in the top performing schools there are children who are failing, and they will not be going to those top universities no matter what (well, I guess if you’re a George Bush and your daddy can buy your way in).
Hard work and determination are the success makers, and it takes parents who value these qualities who will continually ask the same of their children. These are the qualities which make for great schools.
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“Choice,” an interesting word, and in this case relatively meaningless. The school operators will choose the students if and when the public schools are totally destroyed. Competition leads to monopolies or cartels. Choice will remain for those that have the money and connections. Just as is becoming clear from New Orleans, some children will have a hard time finding a school that will accept them. Is this really where we want to go?
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Old teacher – do you believe in democracy? Democracy relies on people having options. Not just rich people having options – all people having options.
If the govn’t does not act to provide educational options for families, than only wealthy people will have them. Is that your view of democracy?
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Democracy for whom? For the students, parents, and teachers? Or for corporations? Right now, it’s the few choosing for the many. That’s not democracy. That’s totalitarianism in the name of choice, and we’re heading there rapidly.
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Great teachers, strong leaders, good community collaboration and strategies that engage students, as well as respect students’ learning styles also can help produce lots of learning.
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Many of you would take away choices. You want a neighborhood school for each youngster. (except some of you are ok with selective admission magnet schools)
Some of you have defended that position all afternoon.
Fortunately legislators of both parties, all over the country, having been involved in elections, see the value of applying democracy to public education.
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Joe, I agree on the great, the strong, and the good, and these qualities are in all avenues of career choices just as the opposite and the in between are equally evident.
While we’re on this subject I googled “The 10 Most Important Traits for Career Success” and found an article written by Dr. Tom Denham a councilor for the last 25 years. The link is: http://blog.timesunion.com/careers/the-10-most-important-personality-traits-for-career-success/633/ It was very interesting. Here are his top 10:
(1) Attitude – The capacity to stay optimistic and positive. The #1 quality for career success is “Championship Thinking.”
(2) Enthusiastic – The possession of intense and eager interest in a subject or cause. It is an energy that often inspires others.
(3) Ethical – The quality of having and living by a code of sound moral principles.
(4) Goal Focused – The ability to have clarity on the objectives that you strive for in your personal and professional life.
(5) Listener – The capacity to suspend your own agenda and deliberately and empathically allow others to be heard.
(6) Networked – A well developed circle of influence of interconnected positive relationships.
(7) Persistent – The ability to endure in the face of adversity. It is a patient and relenting effort to achieve despite difficulties.
(8) Self-Aware – The understanding and knowledge of who you are including your skills, values, interests, behaviors and character.
(9) Self-Confident – The firm belief in your abilities. Seek professional help if this is an area of weakness – it will be worth it.
(10) Self-Discipline – The ability to control and restrain impulses. Energy then can be focused and channeled toward your ambitions.
It would be good to have a more in depth conversation with you Joe Nathan, and as you are also on facebook I suppose we could. My questions about these qualities:
If you as a parent do not have these qualities how will you teach them to your children? and If you as a teacher have them, will you (in one year’s time) be able to make a strong enough impression on a student that s/he will begin to realize them as necessary?
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Glad to chat, Elin. I also write a weekly newspaper column that appears in a variety of papers.
Here’s a link to this week’s column which describes the value of Saul Alinsky’s work:
http://hometownsource.com/2013/06/13/joe-nathan-column-a-great-guide-to-making-change/
As to your question about teachers – one teacher in one year can have a huge impact, although I’m not a big fan of using standardized tests as a way to measure impact.
But a group of teachers, working together with a common philosophy, and instructional strategies, whether it is Montessori, Core Knowledge, project -based or whatever – can have a much larger positive impact over a period of years.
This week we brought together district & charter educators with college faculty and some high schools students. The high school student were very eloquent about the positive impact the faculty have had on their lives.
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“Ethical”?! If that’s so necessary for career success, why is it that so few of the richest people have any ethics? Sorry, but ethics is a barrier to success, at least financial success. It’s a lot harder to rise to the top if you’re not willing to mow down other people and step on their backs to raise yourself up.
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Dienne, There’s personal success and “cut throat” success these days, plus I didn’t write the article, the councilor did and this was his top 10 list that I also value. For me my own integrity out ways any financial success I would gain without it.
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Many good points here. I find the transportation to kids all over a city to different schools to be a waste of gasoline/fuel. I know of a county in WV where the students are on a bus from early in the morning, spend their day at school, and have a long ride home. I can’t imagine the winters. Students are bused there because of the county system, not charter school choice. The county doesn’t have a lot of students. In any case … there is a lot of money wasted on gasoline/fuel.
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Deb, good point. Also when a child no longer goes to a neighborhood school this changes the community of parent involvement and parent control of the local schools. It creates a weakening of the public sector with it alienating parents and children at a time when we need each other the most.
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But going out of the community school may be required to give the student the best education for them
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Going out of the community is an expensive way to dole out tax dollars. Do these urban centers bus the kids to the correct schools? I know in Cincinnati, the students ride the metro buses. I don’t know how they pay … self or with a voucher type ticket. I still think it puts money in the pockets of oil companies. I don’t like that. As for getting the “best” education, if all schools were able to operate educationally equal, there would be no NEED to do this. Young students need to be in small enough classes to meet their needs, not crammed into classes of 30 where it is impossible to meet their needs.
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The ability to get appropriate classes becomes more important as students get older. I think it can be very important for some high school students.
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As the Cincinnati Public Schools have demonstrated, it’s possible to have 2 or 3 schools within the same building.
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The problem is expected to get worse in NYC given the explosion of kids born after 2004 and the fact that these families stayed in the city. Everyone is dreading when these kids need to apply to middle school.
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An interesting point NYC mom. In my 2nd grade classroom this past year were the children born in 2004. I wonder myself about what their future holds.in more ways than the one you mention. Currently, in California there are no school districts which operate as yours does in NYC.
Not surprisingly from a teacher’s point of view, parent’s greatest advocates for a better way of educating our children and who are in opposition to the one created by Bloomberg will be your everyday neighborhood teachers.
For this reason it should be easily seen why teachers are being attacked by the Bloombergs of education.
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Elin…
would love to have you join us in the new group Joining Forces for Education.
We are on the same page, and with your boots on the ground, working teacher’s perspective, and your language skills which are always apparent in your posts, you would be so welcome in our group of mainly retired teachers who are about to meet for Speaker’s Bureau training, and then, within weeks, going as a facilitator to small meetings around LA to educate the community at to privatization hazards to public education such as Parent Revolution.
Please let me know if you are available at
JoiningForces4Ed@aol.com
All other LA area teachers. and former teachers, and retired teachers are welcome and can reach me at the email address listed above.
Ellen
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When I think of democracy, the word that comes to mind is not choice but voice. I have a voice in who will represent my opinions on the local, state, and federal level. I am then bound by the decisions of the majority although I still have the right to voice my opinions. I do not get to ride roughshod over the rights of my neighbors. I do not get to buy the right to have my voice control the agenda.
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2old,
You should still be teaching!!
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Thanks, Duane. I needed to hear that.
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Fortunately, democracy provides both.
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If only we still had one. Democracy, that is.
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No Joe, there is nothing fortunate about the commons and our rights being bought and sold by the wealthy. Citizens United may go down in history as another Dred Scott type case, a bad decision that needs to be rectified. Yes, at this time money can buy a number of things is shouldn’t be able to, but that certainly is not a good thing.
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I didn’t say there was something fortunate about rights being bought & sold by the wealth. I said democracy provides both choice and voice.
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Editing change, money can buy a number of things it shouldn’t be able to, but that certainly is not a good thing. Joe, why should the wealthy have more of a voice than the rest of us?
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Don’t like that wealthy have more access to info any more than wealthy people having more educational options than poor.
That’s why I’ve spent much of the last 40 years working to empower low and moderate income families – and why our family chose to send our children to urban public schools – not like some who sent their children to private or exclusive magnet schools. Also have spent a lot of time helping empower professional educators to create the kinds of public schools they think make sense.
And by the way – lots of people don’t think that New Trier and similar schools are nirvana which is why you are seeing more options in suburbs.
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As far as I know, we have a few excellent Catholic secondary schools and several well -respected private day schools in the area. I do not know of any charter options. New Trier is not nirvana nor should it be held up as “the” model to be emulated. It does quite a bit well and some things not so well. It owes a lot of its success to the communities it serves which have provided it with resources far beyond the norm. It educates a student body whose families expect excellence. Even if the state funded its schools more equitably, New Trier would still be exceptional. However, there is nothing that New Trier does that someone else cannot or is not doing as well if not better. Is there a compelling reason to open a charter alternative? No, and if a choice was democratically presented, I have no doubt that it would be soundly defeated.
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The value of public school is that any child within that community may go, rich, middle class, poor, an active learner, or one who needs more direction, a great test taker, a poor test taker, one who reads before entering K, one who has dyslexia, the precocious extroverted child, always wanting to talk in class, and the introverted child you can barely hear and never wants to speak up in class, but the point is that in public school we have what is commonly called society. If we are ever going to become a better and more caring society we need to have the all included and not just the few.
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