sure there are schools that are primarily very good or very bad, but there are many schools that have a significant % of good AND bad students. they are not tiered.
oklahoma has had a great vocational education system for decades. unfortunately, the nclb and other mandated testing has hurt that. the testing and mandatory courses that the state now requires puts ALL kids more on a college track instead of allowing more education time for those that wanted to pursue more of a vo-tech track. when i was in school, a lot of kids went to traditional hs for half a day, and vo-tech for half a day. i'd like to see that become more available again for those that wish to go that path instead of college.
I guess I was breaking it down further, college prep vs industrial arts, etc. But you're correct. There are schools (like the HS I went to, for instance) that have both worlds. Although, I have to say, it's not about the student population as much as it's about the focus of the school administration. Is the school thriving (pushing education limits) or is the school treading water (focused on student crime and pregnancy rates)? Thriving schools have both kinds of students, but schools treading water have very few good students, I would think. Too many distractions and bad influences.
The student population at the school where I teach has changed drastically in the 12 years I have been here. When I arrived at this campus in the fall of 1997, we had less than 2% of our students on free and reduced lunch. This year, we are at just over 33%. We have students from every ethnic background imaginable, so it's a melting pot of sorts, with well over 30 or 40 nationalities represented. Our honors students are still top-notch. The seniors from this school who are set to graduate from the senior high in May had the highest number of National Merit Finalists we've ever had. I received word just last week that one of the brightest of that group was accepted into Harvard. Basically, we still try valiantly to educate EVERY SINGLE CHILD that walks through our doors, and it gets harder every year. But...when we can connect with a kid who comes from an underprivileged background and help them succeed, it's very rewarding. Sometimes I toy with the idea of transferring to a campus in this district that isn't facing the low socio-economic challenges that we are. However, with being here for 12 years, I've become a part of the school culture and have taught entire families of siblings. The only reason I'll leave now is if I can transfer to the middle school my daughters will attend in a few years. Our population's changed, but we're still a strong school. We haven't given up. Unfortunately, many schools DO give up.
